Bō A bō ( 棒 : ぼう ) , " bong " ( Korean term ) or " kon " ( Chinese term ) , is a very tall and long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan . " Bō " are typically around long and used in Japanese martial arts , in particular bōjutsu . Other staff - related weapons are the " jō " which is long and the " hanbō " ( half " bō " ) ( " tahn bong " in Korea ) which is long . Types . The " bō " is usually made with hard wood , such as red or white oak , although bamboo has been used . The " bō " may be tapered in that it can be thicker in the center ( " chukon - bu " ) than at the ends ( " kontei " ) and usually round or circular ( " maru - bo " ) . Older bō were round ( " maru - bo " ) , square ( " kaku - bo " ) , hexagon ( " rokkaku - bo " ) or octagon ( " hakkaku - bo " ) . The average size of a bō is 6 shaku ( around ) but they can be a long as ( " kyu - shaku - bō " ) . A " bō " is sometimes called a " rokushakubō " ( 六尺棒 : ろくしゃくぼう ) . This name derives from the Japanese words " roku " ( 六 : ろく ) , meaning " six " ; " shaku " ( 尺 : しゃく ) ; and " bō " . The " shaku " is a Japanese measurement equivalent to 30 . 3 centimeters ( 0 . 994 ft ) . Thus , " rokushakubō " refers to a staff about 6 - " shaku " ( 1 . 82 m ; 5 . 96 feet ) long . 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 " ) . This thickness allows the user to make a tight fist around it in order to block and counter an attack . In some cases for training purposes or for a different style , rattan was used . Some were inlaid or banded with strips of iron or other metals for extra strength . " Bō " range from heavy to light , from rigid to highly flexible , and from simple pieces of wood picked up from the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art . Martial arts . The Japanese martial art of wielding the " bō " is " bōjutsu " . The basis of " bō " technique is " te " , or hand , techniques derived from " Quanfa " and other martial arts that reached Okinawa via trade and Chinese monks . Thrusting , swinging , and striking techniques often resemble empty - hand movements , following the philosophy that the " bō " is merely an " extension of one ’ s limbs " . Consequently , bōjutsu is often incorporated into other styles of empty hand fighting , such as karate . The " bō " is typically gripped in thirds , and when held horizontally in front , the right palm is facing away from the body and the left hand is facing the body , enabling the " bō " to rotate . The power is generated by the back hand pulling the " bō " , while the front hand is used for guidance . When striking , the wrist is twisted , as if turning the hand over when punching . " Bō " technique includes a wide variety of blocks , strikes , sweeps , and entrapments . The " bō " may even be used to sweep sand into an attacker ’ s eyes . History . The earliest form of the " bō " , a staff , has been used throughout Asia since the beginning of recorded history . The first bo were called ishibo , and were made of stone . These were hard to make and were often unreliable . These were also extremely heavy . The konsaibo was a very distant variant of the kanabo . They were made from wood studded with iron . These were still too cumbersome for actual combat , so they were later replaced by unmodified hardwood staffs . The bo used for self - defense by monks or commoners , the staff was an integral part of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō - ryū , one of the martial arts ’ oldest surviving styles . The staff evolved into the " bō " with the foundation of kobudo , a martial art using weapons , which emerged in Okinawa in the early 17th century . Prior to the 15th century , Okinawa , a small island located south of Japan , was divided into three kingdoms : Chuzan , Hokuzan , and Nanzan . After much political turmoil , Okinawa was united under the Sho Dynasty in 1429 . In 1477 , Emperor Sho Shin of the second Sho dynasty came into power . Determined to enforce his philosophical and ethical ideas , while banning feudalism , the emperor instituted a ban on weapons . It became a crime to carry or own weapons such as swords , in an attempt to prevent further turmoil and prevent uprising . In 1609 , the temporary peace established by Sho Shin was violently overthrown when the powerful Satsuma Clan invaded Okinawa . Composed of Japanese samurai , the Satsuma Clan took over the island , making Okinawan independence a thing of the past . The Satsuma placed a new weapons ban on the people of Okinawa , leaving them defenseless against the steel of the samurai ’ s swords . In an attempt to protect themselves from the devastating forces of the Satsuma , the people of Okinawa looked to simple farming implements , which the samurai would not be able to confiscate , as new methods of defense . This use of weapons developed into kobudo , or " ancient martial art , " as we know it today . Although the " bō " is now used as a weapon , its use is believed by some to have evolved from the long stick ( ) which was used to balance buckets or baskets . Typically , one would carry baskets of harvested crops or buckets of water or milk or fish etc . , one at each end of the " tenbin " , that is balanced across the middle of the back at the shoulder blades . In poorer agrarian economies , the " tenbin " remains a traditional farm work implement . In styles such as Yamanni - ryū or " Kenshin - ryū " , many of the strikes are the same as those used for " yari " ( " spear " ) or " naginata " ( " glaive " ) . There are stick fighting techniques native to just about every country on every continent .