Aikido ABC - Vol 5. Aiki Jo

Choku Tsuki

Straight thrust forward.
Stand with left foot in front, pointing slightly in. Back foot on the line behind in 45 degrees angle. Rest the jo on the ground straight in front of you in jo kamae, the basic jo stance holding it gently with your left hand. Now reach for the jo just underneath your left hand’s grip and grab and slide your right hand along its length back to its end, bringing the jo up to horizontal. Then as you step forward with your left leg, slide the jo through your left hand as your right hand swings forward to attack target on chest. The moment you reach for the jo the whole body should coordinate and move forward swiftly together. Do not over reach and loose your balance but do extend out and back at the same time, stretching your body to use its full capacity.

Kaeshi Tsuki

Stand in jo kamai holding the jo a little further down with your left hand. Turn your right hand over and grab the top end of the staff. In a circular movement draw/pull the jo up and around to your side, stepping forward with your left leg coming off the line to your left. Back foot adjust behind the front foot in line towards your opponent. Target the chest with a spiral thrust.

Ushiro Tsuki

The same stance as in no. 1 and 2 suburi. Slide your left hand down the jo as your right hand grabs the top. Extend your right arm forward making the jo come up under your left forearm keeping the left arm close to the body and lower yourself. Step back with your left leg and raise the jo horizontally to shoulder height. Stab downwards into the lower abdomen. Do not turn your body but remain forward as you execute backwards. Look at target through the corner of your eye.

Tsuki Gedan Gaeshi

Now begin in Tsuki Kamae. Thrust straight forward into chest target and then withdraw the jo stepping back to your right. Hide your jo behind you, then attack the opponents knee with a sweeping side strike as you step forward on your right.

Tsuki Jodan Gaeshi Uchi

Always begin with a solid Tsuki Kamae stance. Begin with a step and thrust forward, then step back raising the jo above the head, bringing the hands close together, just off the middle point. Turn the Jo in your right hand and slide your left hand down to the hilt. Cut from above your head a straight Shomen, just as you would do with a sword but now you let your right hand slide closer to the left hand to gain the perfect grip for the cut.

Shomen uchikomi and Renchoku uchikomi.

No. 6 and 7 Jo suburi:
6. Just as with a sword raise the jo above the head stepping back before striking Shomen forward.
7. Same as above plus add another cut immediately onto your left side. Renchoku means continuous, so don’t pause between the cuts.

Mainuchi Gedangaeshi

Raise the jo and strike forward as previous, then withdraw the jo onto your left side hiding the jo behind you. Then sweep forward attacking the opponents knee.

Mainuchi ushirotsuki

Strike as before, return the jo in a backward thrust to the opponents chest, remain in a the forward facing Kamae. After the initial Shomen strike move your left hand all the way to the back end of the jo, then move your right hand to the opposite end. Thrust the jo letting it slide through your left hand as you Tsuki backwards.

Gyakuyokomen ushirotsuki

Immediately step forward with your left foot, striking a yokomen uchi forward. Then move and slide  your left hand to the opposite end of the jo. Stepping back on your right foot, thrusting a jo Tsuki backwards, retaining your forward Kamae.

Katategedan Gaeshi

Begin in Tsuki Kamae. Draw the jo back out to your right as you step back. Placing the hands side to side with no gap between them at the end of the jo. Hold it out and away from your body, step forward and sweep from below up hitting the temple area of your opponent. At the place of impact turn your hand around as the jo returns to your upper left side.

Katatetomauchi

Begin in Tsuki Kamae, step back with your right foot, left off the line adjusting your left foot towards your opponent. Draw the jo up and over your head around your neck, adjusting your right hand in three handswidths. Step forward striking from above down, hitting the temple area again. Catch the jo early in your left hand as to slow it down, keeping to jo alongside your right forearm as you come to a stop.

Katate hachijinogaeshi

Begin with the jo held in your right hand on your right side in Hidari hanmi. Step forward, draw your jo up and over striking the temple area from above, and let it return onto your left side. Bring your left foot parallel with the other as you strike down on the other temple holding the jo in both hands. Upon impact let the jo go and withdraw it with your right hand back up into a Jodan Kamae. The figure eight is outlined as a flattened infinity sign horizontally rather then vertically. Train step by step before attempting in a flow.

Hasso Gaeshi Uchi

is meant to avoid an incoming thrust from a jo or sword. The end position raised up on your right could easily been achieved through simply raising your jo from the Ken-Kamae from where you start the movement. But because your jo is being suppressed by an incoming Tsuki thrust, you fold your jo around to deflect and exert your own return pressure onto their weapon, with a possibility to enter. When they realise they’re in danger from your counter they withdraw. That’s when you release your jo and return it to the high Jodan Kamae. With this scenario in mind we initially draw our right hand to 2/3 of the length of the jo as we place our feet parallel, enabling the block to hit/deflect either their weapon or hand. If you draw your hand only to the middle of the jo you will have less jo to use against your attackers weapon and your structure in regards to the parry will be compromised.

Hasso Gaeshi Tsuki

Begin with Hasso as in the previous. Then from the high position, draw your right hand to the end of the jo as you lower it and thrust forward for a low Tsuki. Then again move your right hand in two hands-widths and return the jo up to a high Kamae, sliding back as you do.

Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Tsuki

Begin with Hasso Gaeshi as the previous. From the high Kamae lower the jo alongside your right forearm as you let slide your left hand to the end of the jo. Keep your right arm fixed to your body, left arm extended forward. Step back and thrust to the centre of the body, keeping your own body still in a forward position.

Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Uchi

As previous Hasso, then turn on your left foots ball, Circling the jo over your head before it spirals downwards to strike the opponents knee.

Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Barai

As the previous Hasso. Now turn on your left ball of the foot, lay the jo over your left shoulder and spin 180 degrees sweeping and spiralling down onto your right side. Ending with the jo extended out from your right side as not to over-twist your body.

Hidari Nagare Gaeshi Uchi

Begin in Ken Kamae. Step back and raise the jo, strike forward Shomen uchi. Release your left hand, letting it slide along the jo as you spin around 180 degree without stepping, raising it to block over your head. Then execute another Shomen uchi strike stepping forward with your right foot.

Migi Nagare Gaeshi Tsuki

As a continuation of the previous now step forward with your left leg, striking yokomen uchi. Then rotate your body and step back with your right leg, raising the jo to block above your head, letting the left hand slide in on the jo. Then finish of with a forward thrust Tsuki.

The 13 jo kata, traditionally is always learned after the 31 jo kata. But because it’s shorter you may find it easier to remember first.
Later on there is a counter kata that explains the different moves as a defence against independent tsuki’s or thrusts from an opponents jo.

Both Iwama katas from a different angle so you’ll be able to see the correct movements from all sides.

A quick look through all twenty jo suburi again. In training focus on the correct form without rushing, emphasising the pauses between the movements.
Train the basic form, then train in a flowing manner. Alternate between step by step and flowing.

Hasso Gaeshi

An in-depth look at the meaning and function of the Hasso Gaeshi, in the Jo Suburi no 14-18.
One important distinction to be made is the placement of the hands. There are two versions. One where you draw your right hand to the middle of the jo as you turn and rotate the jo up to the high stance (Jodan Kamae). With this grip you will have less ability to parry an oncoming Tsuki/thrust from an opponent’s Jo or Bokken.
The second version which I advocate is meant to parry and deflect an oncoming Jo Tsuki. In order to get the correct balance, length and stability to counter, you draw your right hand 2/3’s of the way on the Jo and your left hand comes in 1/3 as you turn deflecting, now with a possibility to enter through a suppression of the others weapon, or as prescribed withdraw back to the upper position.