Jōdō
杖道

A Brief History
略史

Jōdō is the Japanese martial art of the short (128cm) staff against the sword. Although it is unclear exactly when the use of this weapon was first codified and there are numerous schools and systems such as aiki-jō, Suiō Ryū, and Hōten Ryū, by far the most widespread form and the form that we practise is that based on the classical school of Shintō Musō Ryū, founded in the early 17th century by Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi.

Gonnosuke was prompted to develop the jō following a duel with the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Legend has it that he confronted Musashi with a 6-foot-long staff (rokushaku bō) but Musashi, using his signature two-sword style, defeated him by trapping his weapon. Musashi spared him and, defeated, Gonnosuke retreated to Mt Hōman in Chikuzen Province (part of modern-day Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū) and underwent intense training and meditation. According to tradition, one night, while he was meditating, a child appeared to him and told him "using a round stick, know the solar plexus" (maruki wo motte, suigetsu wo shire; 丸木を以って、水月を知れ). Based on this revelation, Gonnosuke shortened his staff, named his school Shintō Musō Ryū and, according to legend, confronted Musashi again, this time defeating him.

Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi

Following his victory (historical or not), Gonnosuke was engaged as a martial arts instructor by the Kuroda clan who ruled Chikuzen Province. The school became hangai-fushutsu (藩外不出), i.e. a school that was not to be taught outside of the province or to those not from Chikuzen, and became especially used by local law enforcement. To this day the weapon has kept its connection with law enforcement and Japanese police officers can often be seen with jō.

Over the course of its history, Shintō Musō Ryū has evolved, its curriculum growing to include other weapons in addition to the jō, specifically the sword, truncheon (jutte), restraint using rope (torinawa), sickle-and-chain (kusarigama), and short stick (tanjō).

After Gonnosuke, arguably the most influential figure in the history of jōdō was Shimizu Takaji Katsuhiro (1896-1978), the 25th generation teacher of the school. It was he who developed the school in Tokyo, opened it up to non-Fukuoka people (he was also the first to accept foreign students), continued its connection with the police, and created the set of 12 "standard" (seitei) techniques we practice today based on 12 classical (koryū) techniques. He also brought the then All Japan Jōdō Federation into the All Japan Kendō Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) as the jōdō bu ("jōdō section").

Shimizu Takaji Katsuhiro (1896-1978)

All Japan Kendo Federation Jodo / Seitei Jodo
全日本剣道連盟杖道・制定杖道

The first set of techniques we practice were created by Shimizu Takaji Katsuhiro in 1968 under the All Japan Kendo Federation based on techniques from the classical school of Shintō Musō Ryū. Numbering 12 in total, these kata, known as All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF or ZNKR) Jodo or Seitei Jō, were created to encourage kendo practitioners to study jō, allow jō practitioners to practice together regardless of style, and to provide a fair standard for gradings and competition.

Tsukizue
Suigetsu
Hissage
Shamen
Sakan
Monomi
Kasumi
Tachiotoshi
Raiuchi
Seigan
Midaredome
Ranai

Shintō Musō Ryū
神道夢想流

After learning 12 Seitei techniques, the student then moves on to the classical school of Shintō (also sometimes pronounced "Shindō") Musō Ryū, which includes six sets of jō techniques and six sets of auxiliary weapons.

Omote (Surface)