The royal palace guards specialized in the Jo, or four foot staff, and three foot hanbo ("half Bo"), within the confined spaces of the sleeping (and other private) quarters of Shuri Castle and similar places.

The Jo could be used to strike like a sword, sweep like a naginata, thrust like a spear. Its two ends could be used, unlike the single point of a sword, and its ma-ai (fighting distance) could be varied according to the hand grip you take. Because of its speed and changeable ma-ai, it is a formidable weapon in the hands of a skilled master.

Courtesy of RKAGB

Jo (four foot staff)

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