If you tell a Japanese person that you do jodo, he or she will usually correct you: you mean judo, right? No, it's really jodo: the way (do) of the stick (jo). A jodoka uses a wooden stick with a length of 128 cm to defeat his opponent, who is armed with a sword. Originally, the jo was a police weapon: with the jo you could defeat the opponent without killing him. But in addition to courage, that also requires perfect technique and timing.

The first to be defeated by the stick was the most famous swordsman in Japanese history: Miyamoto Musashi. At least, that is what the history of Shindo Muso Ryu, the ancient style in which our jo techniques were developed, tells us. The founder, Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, lived around 1600 and is said to have defeated Musashi after having a vision. He developed a martial art based on a round stick that was longer than a sword, but short enough to hold between two hands. By quickly sliding the stick through the hands, both ends of the stick can be used for a quick punch and/or blow. The first to be defeated by the stick was the most famous swordsman in Japanese history: Miyamoto Musashi. At least, that is what the history of Shindo Muso Ryu, the ancient style in which our jo techniques were developed, tells us. The founder, Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, lived around 1600 and is said to have defeated Musashi after having a vision. He developed a martial art based on a round stick that was longer than a sword, but short enough to hold between two hands. By quickly sliding the stick through the hands, both ends of the stick can be used for a quick punch and/or blow.

Over the centuries, dozens of 'kata' have been developed for the jo: mock battles with which you learn to apply the techniques. In kata the techniques are performed at full speed. Of course we control the jo: we don't break each other's bones. But the jo only stops ON the target, for example the forearm. So if you want to practice jodo, don't be squeamish.