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Shillelaghs are usually made from Blackthorn wood with a leather wrist strap joined to the handle.
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The word Shillelagh comes from the Irish phrase sail éille which translates into English as “thonged willow-stick.” The Shillelagh is thought to have originated in the village of Shillelagh, County Wicklow, which was once said to be surrounded by vast oak forests. But how much do we actually know about the Shillelagh? What is a Shillelagh? Also, it is sometimes used as a prefix Jo- in blends and compound names.The Shillelagh is one of the most globally-recognized symbols of Ireland. It is an independent name as well as a short form of names like Joanna, Joanne, Jody and Josephine. Jo as a girl’s name is of American origin. Joanna, joelle, joy, joyce, josie, jordan, jordana, joleen…. A jo can be either male or female, and can be anyone dear to the speaker – not necessarily a lover. This word is a Scots variant of ‘joy’, and can mean a sweetheart or lover, or be a term of endearment akin to ‘dear’ or ‘darling’. The rule (and this comes from ancient times) is that the jo is cylindrical in shape and has specific proportions of 50 1/4″ x 15/16″. There is a rule, and exceptions to it when deciding the size of a jo (medium length staff used in Aikido), Jodo and other sword/staff practices. What is a jo staff?Ī jō (杖:じょう) is an approximately 1.27-metre (4.2 ft) wooden staff, used in some Japanese martial arts.
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Training with a bo staff is great conditioning for the upper body, and there are an almost infinite number of bo techniques and tricks that beginning and skilled practitioners can learn. It’s a popular weapon for karate practitioners, and for good reason. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. This thickness allows the user to make a tight fist around it in order to block and counter an attack.īōjutsu (棒術), translated from Japanese as “staff technique”, is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. The bō is typically 3 cm (1.25 inch) thick, sometimes gradually tapering from the middle (chukon-bu) to 2 cm (0.75 inch)at the end (kontei). A quarterstaff is a stick made from cutting a hardwood tree into “quarters” and trimming, cutting, and filing it down into a round staff. What is the difference between a bo staff and a quarterstaff?Ī Bo staff, which roughly translates to “stick” is approximately the same size as the practitioner. They are usually thicker than regular billiard sticks, so a direct hit to the head can easily kill someone. Hardwood is also a good material for strength training, as it is heavier than many other materials.Ĭan a Bo Staff Kill? Bo staffs are extremely dangerous. Oak wood is still the material of choice for traditional practitioners of Japanese martial arts.
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Redwood What is the best wood for a staff?īo and Staff Materials Wood: Traditional staffs such as the bo were originally constructed from wood. 2 : party spirit especially when marked by dissension faction, or the irreconcilable conflict of parties- Ernest Barker. Collins English Dictionary.ġ : a party or group (as within a government) that is often contentious or self-seeking : clique The committee soon split into factions. a fight between rival groups, usually originating in tribal or clan feuds.
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