My manger at the examiner.com asked for articles about weapons used in the martial arts and particularly in Aikido. I thought it would be fun to write about the weapons used in my training and classes and a little of what my experiences have been. The three primary weapons I have learned and taught are the wooden staff, or jo, the wooden training sword, or bokken, and the practice knife, or tanto. Although some Aikido dojos have practice with live katana blades, I find this is the exception for most dojos rather than the rule (although I understand it is an intense and rewarding experience). The jo probably evolved over time from a simple staff or stick into a...
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