MartialSportsGear.com - Jo, the Japanese Short Staff (Unique Literary Books of the World)
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List Price: $13.95
Our Price: $12.69
Your Save: $ 1.26 ( 9% )
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Manufacturer: Unique Publications
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 355.548
EAN: 9780865680586
ISBN: 0865680582
Label: Unique Publications
Manufacturer: Unique Publications
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 104
Publication Date: 1985-06
Publisher: Unique Publications
Studio: Unique Publications
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Clear Overview
Comment: I'm mostly coming from a Chinese martial arts background, where I focus mainly on the sword, so I'm not all that knowledgeable about the Japanese arts. With our jian training, we do a lot of full contact (with some protection) free sparring with realistic weight, blunted wooden weapons. I picked up this book as on overview of the jo, and was quite impressed. Rather than get bogged down with a lot of metaphysics and complex theories, this book starts where martial arts should always start: with the basics and simple, effective techniques. I found the pictures and the accompanying descriptions of the techniques quite easy to follow, and the techniques themselves feel very natural, logical and powerful. I like the author's progression from single techniques, to short combinations, to a couple longer forms (although I doubt I'll get to the longer forms). As someone who has some full-speed experience facing opponents who are trying to hit me with heavy pieces of wood, I would feel quite confident applying a lot of these jo techniques in that situation. The only thing this book could have used a bit more of are some simple breathing, stretching and muscle building techniques that are practiced without jo in hand, as I would have to assume these do exist within the art of jodo. It should go without saying that you can never claim to have really learned a traditional martial art if you aren't under the guidance of a real teacher as opposed to a book, but that being said, this book is highly recommended by me----a great resource to get a basic foundation of the techniques of this very versatile weapon.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Really Well Done Book, But Good Have Used Larger Photographs
Comment: This is a very well done book on the Jo (4 foot staff) and I am pleased to give it a well deserved four star rating. The information provided in this book by the author is outstanding and the illustrated footwork is a well received addition to the detailed text and plentiful photographs that demonstrate exactly how to execute each of the techniques being taught.
I do have one small complaint however, concerning the photographs. They are way too small and should have been bigger in order to see the techniques more clearly. There was plenty of space to do so on each page and I know that would have made the techniques being demonstrated stand out even more so and would have been easier to follow.
The author ends this book with a demonstration of three different forms or katas for the jo staff that are pretty easy to follow if you already have the basic techniques down.
Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Xerox Copy?
Comment: This might have been a good and instructive book, but it is not.
The reason for this is the abyssmally poor quality of the pictures.
They seem to have been xeroxcopied from xeroxcopies of the original pics.
If you can find this book in first edition somewhere, buy it. If not, get something else.
This was a disappointment.
Customer Rating:
Summary: It is 'OK'
Comment: It does not cover the 'details,' but makes for a good classroom companion. I do not think this is the right book for anyone who has not been instructed how to 'properly' use a Jo. In some pictures the technique is weak, but the kata (forms) are laid out very well and are easy to follow. It is a good book and I do recommend it if you study Jo and are looking for more material or just like to have it in front of you. Or, If your one who studies Kenjutsu and have reached the Jo section of your program this would be a great aid. This book focuses on the defeat of Musashi and is a must for a true student of Ken.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Really great manual
Comment: The instructions in this book are very clear and easy to follow. The photographs are also very clear and additional sequences are added to illustrate more complicated movements.
Aikijo has become popular in North America as it is part of the aikido weapons training. However this book illustrates jodo which is not related to aikido philosophy and principles. Still many of the techniques on stances, guards, strikes, sweeps and so on are applicable to aikido weapons training.
This is the best book that I could find on jo practice. The book contains practice drills and traditional jo long form.
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