# Links to durable Bo that can be used for contact training?



## Ivan (Feb 7, 2019)

I have looked everywhere to find a wooden Bo that can be used for hard contact training. I wish to to buy a Bo that is:

Durable and can withstand full force contact sparring
Wooden would be best
Preferably on the heavier side (to build up strength) and around 6 foot
I have looked on eBay, Blitz, Amazon... and yet in all the descriptions they claim they are training aids only and shouldn't be used for contact sparring. Does anybody here have any links to staffs or websites that can offer what I am looking for?
Thanks very much!

EDIT: I was recommended to buy a Rattan Staff here:
KIL Rattan 6' Staff
I will be buying a 6 foot staff with 1.5 inches 1.9 inches diameter. I am 6 foot tall. Does anyone have experience buying from here, and if so what were your thoughts? Thanks again.


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## Danny T (Feb 7, 2019)

For training and sparring rattan is best.
KIL is a good company.
Rattan is not a hardwood rather it is fibrous therefore won’t splinter but it become shredded in time.


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## Ivan (Feb 7, 2019)

Danny T said:


> For training and sparring rattan is best.
> KIL is a good company.
> Rattan is not a hardwood rather it is fibrous therefore won’t splinter but it become shredded in time.


What do you mean by "shredded"? And could you please say how much time on average please? Although it's good for sparring, I would like it to last long...


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## wab25 (Feb 7, 2019)

These guys are worth looking at: Bokken, Jo, Bo, Hanbo, Hiking Sticks and Japanese Wooden Weapons

I have a hanbo from them that is excellent. They make all their wood weapons for paired practice with contact. Very good quality.

The strength of wood


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## Ivan (Feb 7, 2019)

wab25 said:


> These guys are worth looking at: Bokken, Jo, Bo, Hanbo, Hiking Sticks and Japanese Wooden Weapons
> 
> I have a hanbo from them that is excellent. They make all their wood weapons for paired practice with contact. Very good quality.
> 
> The strength of wood


Thank you very much. I will save this link for the future. Unfortunately, they can only ship inside of the US, as supposedly "the size of the Bo is too large to ship internationally". I will stick with KIL until I move out.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 7, 2019)

Ivan said:


> What do you mean by "shredded"? And could you please say how much time on average please? Although it's good for sparring, I would like it to last long...


Rattan is what's used in Filipino martial arts for their sticks, and those are used stick-on-stick a lot. The shredding is like grass - it just starts to fray, rather than leaving splinters and cracks. Often, it starts with the skin of the rattan splitting, so you even have advanced notice that the weapon is degrading, though you can continue to use it for a time even once it starts to fray, so long as it's not throwing bits at your partner or in danger of collapse. Folks active in FMA can speak to how long a pair of sticks often lasts. Any weapon used for contact is going to degrade over time. If you want to use it that way, I'd suggest a rattan one (it's lighter, but safer as it degrades, and usually cheaper than hardwood), and a good hardwood one (for non-contact and limited use in contact).


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## Christopher Adamchek (Feb 7, 2019)

the site @wab25 suggested doesnt ship to the UK (which i believe is where you are)

Playwell is a reputable site and in the UK
Red Oak is the minimum standard for martial arts weapons, but doesnt hold up to hard training
I'd get the ash one from them, and non tapered if you want heavier

Alternatively 
you can order a custom hard wood exotic dowel for reasonable prices and sand it smooth yourself, this way your getting something very strong, my friend did this to get iron wood bo

Rattan 
Durable and flexible, youll feel a tad less blunt force and a bit more of a sting than a hard wood bow when training and hit with it.  It will start to crack and splinter into into fibers, under heavy training this can take weeks to months.


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## Ivan (Feb 7, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> Rattan is what's used in Filipino martial arts for their sticks, and those are used stick-on-stick a lot. The shredding is like grass - it just starts to fray, rather than leaving splinters and cracks. Often, it starts with the skin of the rattan splitting, so you even have advanced notice that the weapon is degrading, though you can continue to use it for a time even once it starts to fray, so long as it's not throwing bits at your partner or in danger of collapse. Folks active in FMA can speak to how long a pair of sticks often lasts. Any weapon used for contact is going to degrade over time. If you want to use it that way, I'd suggest a rattan one (it's lighter, but safer as it degrades, and usually cheaper than hardwood), and a good hardwood one (for non-contact and limited use in contact).


Thank you so much. You have really cleared up a lot for me; I am excited to start my journey in weapon based techniques.


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## wab25 (Feb 7, 2019)

Sorry, I didn't realize you were in the UK. (nor did I look at their shipping constraints  ) 

If you are going to go the route of making your own from a hardwood dowel, you might consider using hickory as your wood. Refer to the Kingfisher site for info on why they only use hickory now. Also, there is a reason your sledge hammers, axes and picks use hickory for their handles.


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## Tez3 (Feb 7, 2019)

wab25 said:


> These guys are worth looking at: Bokken, Jo, Bo, Hanbo, Hiking Sticks and Japanese Wooden Weapons
> 
> I have a hanbo from them that is excellent. They make all their wood weapons for paired practice with contact. Very good quality.
> 
> The strength of wood




The cost of having them sent from the US to the UK may make it difficult to buy.
Hickory wood is also going to be expensive in the UK as it has to be imported, we don't grow it here.

The Bos, Jos etc that are sold in the UK are perfectly fine for sparring with, mine is white oak and stands up to a good pounding. The companies put the warning on to cover themselves not because they aren't suitable. However as I said before you do have to be over 18 to buy them, not 16.


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 7, 2019)

Ivan said:


> Durable and can withstand full force contact sparring


 Do you mean full contact sparring or full contact drilling?
Do you mean karate bo or Chinese staff?


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 7, 2019)

For me personally  I use wax wood, I have a staff going on 30 years strong and it's not going to break until the wood goes bad (rot)


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 7, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> However as I said before you do have to be over 18 to buy them


You are referring to buying a staff?


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## Tez3 (Feb 7, 2019)

JowGaWolf said:


> You are referring to buying a staff?



Yes, the OP put up another thread about buying a Bo, I told him that suppliers here wouldn't sell to people under 18.


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 7, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> Yes, the OP put up another thread about buying a Bo, I told him that suppliers here wouldn't sell to people under 18.


That's amazing to me.  So what's the reasoning behind it?  There are so many things that can substitute as a Bo


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## Dirty Dog (Feb 7, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> Yes, the OP put up another thread about buying a Bo, I told him that suppliers here wouldn't sell to people under 18.



How silly. Because it makes so much sense to regulate access to a stick.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Feb 7, 2019)

Ivan said:


> What do you mean by "shredded"? And could you please say how much time on average please? Although it's good for sparring, I would like it to last long...


 Not sure regarding a Bo, but I've used the same two pairs of rattan sticks (one for training, one for sparring) and after two years they're both still good to use. I'd imagine they last for a while.


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## Dirty Dog (Feb 7, 2019)

Ivan said:


> What do you mean by "shredded"? And could you please say how much time on average please? Although it's good for sparring, I would like it to last long...



Rattan doesn't snap. It becomes mushy. Because it's a fibrous material, the fibers will split lengthwise, resulting in a soft, mushy area.


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## Tez3 (Feb 7, 2019)

Dirty Dog said:


> How silly. Because it makes so much sense to regulate access to a stick.






JowGaWolf said:


> That's amazing to me.  So what's the reasoning behind it?  There are so many things that can substitute as a Bo



It's not 'regulated' by UK law, nothing to do with that but it's what the retailers have chosen to do, it's probably as much to do with making sure they get paid as anything.


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## JowGaWolf (Feb 7, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> It's not 'regulated' by UK law, nothing to do with that but it's what the retailers have chosen to do, it's probably as much to do with making sure they get paid as anything.


Oh ok.  I thought it was a law.  I was so happy to when New York got rid of their stupid law that made two wooden sticks on a string illegal.  The US has some really stupid laws.  Please don't follow our example, lol.


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## Dirty Dog (Feb 7, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> It's not 'regulated' by UK law, nothing to do with that but it's what the retailers have chosen to do, it's probably as much to do with making sure they get paid as anything.



OK, but you also said:


Tez3 said:


> However as I said before you do have to be over 18 to buy them, not 16.



Which certainly sounds like it's a mandatory thing.

You also said (I can dig up the quote, if you like) that you could expect to be stopped by the police for the heinous act of carrying a stick.


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## Tez3 (Feb 7, 2019)

Dirty Dog said:


> OK, but you also said:
> 
> 
> Which certainly sounds like it's a mandatory thing.
> ...




Mandatory by the retailers, I posted up a link to their disclaimer. They mandated no selling to under 18s, their prerogative, they have the right, under law, to sell to whom they like or not sell.

And a teenager carrying an uncovered 5ft wooden staff through the streets and on public transport in the US wouldn't be of interest to the police? I did say btw stopped not arrested or charged but stopped and asked why. it may be a stick though it could easily be a metal pole they are popular here as an alternative to wood. Common sense tells people to cover and carry in a case or bag. 
 Some American's opinions,  Is it legal or Illegal to bring a Bo Staff on a bus?


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## Tez3 (Feb 7, 2019)

JowGaWolf said:


> Oh ok.  I thought it was a law.  I was so happy to when New York got rid of their stupid law that made two wooden sticks on a string illegal.  The US has some really stupid laws.  Please don't follow our example, lol.




Only idiots would carry martial arts weapons on public transport and through busy streets uncovered or not in cases/bags. why would you do that? I carry my weapons around discreetly, why wouldn't you but this 16 boy wants to carry his weapons on public transport of course people would be concerend people be worried. It's inviting the police to stop and ask, they would be negligent not to stop him, especially at a time when we have youths and gangs fighting, as well as us being on a high terrorist alert as well as incidents like this
Thugs in mosque attack

The correct way to carry martial arts weapons around. Martial Art Weapons - Weapon Cases - Martial Art Shop


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 8, 2019)

Dirty Dog said:


> How silly. Because it makes so much sense to regulate access to a stick.


Yep. Probably the same kind of silliness as all the places here that have regulated the nunchaku, though less effective.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 8, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> Mandatory by the retailers, I posted up a link to their disclaimer. They mandated no selling to under 18s, their prerogative, they have the right, under law, to sell to whom they like or not sell.
> 
> And a teenager carrying an uncovered 5ft wooden staff through the streets and on public transport in the US wouldn't be of interest to the police? I did say btw stopped not arrested or charged but stopped and asked why. it may be a stick though it could easily be a metal pole they are popular here as an alternative to wood. Common sense tells people to cover and carry in a case or bag.
> Some American's opinions,  Is it legal or Illegal to bring a Bo Staff on a bus?


Is that a collective action by retailers - some sort of association? In the US, anything like that would likely be a piecemeal approach if retailers made the decision.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 8, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> Only idiots would carry martial arts weapons on public transport and through busy streets uncovered or not in cases/bags. why would you do that? I carry my weapons around discreetly, why wouldn't you but this 16 boy wants to carry his weapons on public transport of course people would be concerend people be worried. It's inviting the police to stop and ask, they would be negligent not to stop him, especially at a time when we have youths and gangs fighting, as well as us being on a high terrorist alert as well as incidents like this
> Thugs in mosque attack
> 
> The correct way to carry martial arts weapons around. Martial Art Weapons - Weapon Cases - Martial Art Shop


It would probably depend how the person was perceived, here. It's not rare (though not usual, either) for an older man in the southeastern US to use a long stick - basically a hiking stick - instead of a cane. Probably, people would react more to a smooth stick than one that looks like it was whittled from a sapling on a trail.


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## Tez3 (Feb 8, 2019)

gpseymour said:


> It would probably depend how the person was perceived, here. It's not rare (though not usual, either) for an older man in the southeastern US to use a long stick - basically a hiking stick - instead of a cane. Probably, people would react more to a smooth stick than one that looks like it was whittled from a sapling on a trail.




Exactly which why I said a 16 year old boy carrying a Bo on public transport in one of our towns or cities would be perceived as being odd, to say the least. In some places being stopped by the police would be the least of his problems. In rural areas like mine plenty of people carry walking sticks/walking poles/crooks/thumb sticks etc and we are well able to differentiate between those and a Bo carried by a teenager. One attracts no attention the other can cause alarm. The days of carrying quarterstaffs a la Robin Hood are long gone, ( a lot of the Kevin Costner Robin Hood film was filmed local to me so we saw a lot of 'staff' posing with the cast)
Thought you might like these, they are expensive though. 
Shepherds Crooks at The Stick & Cane Shop




gpseymour said:


> Is that a collective action by retailers - some sort of association? In the US, anything like that would likely be a piecemeal approach if retailers made the decision.




There are literally only a handful of martial arts suppliers in the UK, I guess they could all know each other so perhaps they have decided together or as they say great minds think alike. All I know is that they all have it on their websites.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 8, 2019)

Tez3 said:


> Exactly which why I said a 16 year old boy carrying a Bo on public transport in one of our towns or cities would be perceived as being odd, to say the least. In some places being stopped by the police would be the least of his problems. In rural areas like mine plenty of people carry walking sticks/walking poles/crooks/thumb sticks etc and we are well able to differentiate between those and a Bo carried by a teenager. One attracts no attention the other can cause alarm. The days of carrying quarterstaffs a la Robin Hood are long gone, ( a lot of the Kevin Costner Robin Hood film was filmed local to me so we saw a lot of 'staff' posing with the cast)
> Thought you might like these, they are expensive though.
> Shepherds Crooks at The Stick & Cane Shop
> 
> ...


It would also depend on the area - as you imply here. What would go almost unnoticed in Western North Carolina (someone walking around with a "walking stick" - essentially a rough staff) would probably draw more attention in a large city like New York.


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Feb 8, 2019)

I think in general, it's a good idea to bag up your weapons, unless you're carrying them for self-defense or they don't look like weapons (a hiking stick/cane, silat scarf, etc). Even if the weapon is totally legal, it can save you some hassle.


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## wab25 (Feb 8, 2019)

Even if it is not a weapon, people can mistake what they see, cops can get called and evacuations can occur.

Police called after umbrella was mistaken for gun at Campus Plaza in Hadley
Man with umbrella causes rifle scare at Burlington Mall
Umbrella mistaken for gun causes evacuation of Central Florida Publix
EXCLUSIVE:  ECU's Umbrella Man Talks To WITN News
4 Schools Go into Lockdown, Call Cops on Man with an Umbrella
Man carrying umbrella prompts gun scare at CSU San Marcos

If it actually is a weapon... I would be very careful in how and where I carry it.


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