Bo (weapon)

A bo is a long stick usually made out of wood or bamboo. They exist in one one form or another in most every culture there is, be it the English quarter-staff or the Chinese bo-staff. They range from heavy to light, rigid to highly flexible, simply a piece of wood picked up off the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art. The basic premise of the bo is to increase the force delivered in a strike through leverage. Imagine that you are standing in the center of a circle, with your bo representing a radii of the circle. By moving your hands a small degree, slowly, the tip of the bo moves a good deal farther and faster. The bo can also be used to thrust, basically letting you punch from long distance. It can also be used for joint-locks, which are used to subdue an enemy without killing them.

See also: Jo, Hanbo, Quarterstaff