The Salutation...and the bo staff...together?

[KenpoTex]

The way he did it in the video is pretty similar to the way I learned it. The only differences are that we only step over the staff with our lead foot during the salutation. Then we use the lead foot to pull the staff back and roll it up on to our rear foot (this, to me, is a little tougher than just a "flip" with one foot). We "flip" it up into our hands, execute an upward block with the staff and then allow it to drop into the crook of our elbows and perform the salutation again, this time with the weapon.

 

[IWishToLearn]

The response (posted here with his permission) from SGM Sullivan:

" Steve,

The staff starting on the floor and being flipped up and caught is actually a part of the original set.

It was taken from the longer version that Ed Parker taught only to me and was done that way for a long time afterwards but when shoes were introduced into the art it became about a ten-to-one shot to scoop the staff up because it would hit the front of the shoe and happily bounced away. I tried to convince it that it was supposed to ride up my foot so I could flip it into my eagerly awaiting hands but I just couldn't get through to the stupid thing.

I tried it several times, but to no avail, the damned thing just kept bouncing away from me. Like I said, I'd get it about once in every ten attempts.

It was easy on tatami mats with bare feet but almost impossible on a hard surface with shoes on, so it had to go.

Plus, if the staff starts on the floor, one would assume that's where it should end up, and it didn't, so now we begin the set by holding it down at arms length, so it can end up there. It's like beginning and ending any form on the same spot on the floor.

Feel free to pass this along, because it's the way it was.

Your brother,

Chuck"

 

[Ceicei]

Thank you, Steve, for that historical bit of information. Much appreciated.

- Ceicei

 

[IWishToLearn]

I'll pass that along to SGM Sullivan, I'm just the messenger.