About the Japanese Jo and How To Make Your Own
(by Tom Alteen, M.B.A., B.Voc.Ed., D.I.T., Aikido Sandan, Iaido IkkyuOctober 22, 2024)
Photo by
Shahram Moradi Sensei, 2020
While there is some debate over this, the only person to best Miyamoto Musashi (recognized by many to be the greatest Japanese swordsman ever) was Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, who supposedly did so with a short wooden staff that we know today as the "jo."
According to the Canadian Kendo Federation, "The jo is a complex and versatile weapon and the main goal is to control and subdue the swordsman without using lethal force."
I have written this short article in response to requests by my students to provide some background on my jo training and to outline how to make an inexpensive jo.
Most of my jo training over the years has been from my Aikido instructors and this style is known as "Aiki-Jo." (My brief martial arts bio is available on My IaidoVerse).
Photo from pixabay, 2024
Below is a short Aiki-Jo demo video from the Aikido Curriculum Series produced by Hoa Newens Sensei on Youtube.
While you can purchase a high-quality jo, you can also make a starter one
yourself at a fraction of the price. Here are the steps:
1. Go to your local building supplies store and find a one-inch diameter
hardwood dowel, a small tin of stain (I like a maple finish), and two
sheets of fine sandpaper.
When standing tall, the dowel should measure a little longer than
from the floor to your armpit. (From my experience, the typical length
of a store-bought jo is 48 or 50 inches in length; it really depends
on your height.)
2. Roll the dowel on the floor as a test to see if it is straight prior to
heading to the cashier.
3. Cut the dowel to the proper length (i.e. measuring from the floor to just
below your armpit) with a fine-toothed saw and sand the rough edges with the
fine sandpaper.
4. Stain the dowel using an old cloth to apply and another old cloth to wipe
off the excess.
5. Stand the jo in a corner over night to dry.