Jo Staff
The Jo staff is a four foot weapon made of hardwood which was created as a result of the meditations of Muso Gonnosuke, the only man ever to best Miyamoto Musachi.
The Jo staff was developed in the early 1600's as the ideal weapon against a sword, heavily influenced by fencing positions, techniques and strikes.
The Jo staff as a weapon is incredibly versatile , incorporating blocks and strikes, similar to normal staffs as well as sweeps, stabs and return techniques similar to polarms, spears and halberds.
Jo staff as a weapon, is still used in some japanese police forces and is a principle weapon in many specialist martial arts such as jojutsu, jodo, aiki-jo and aikido.