he bōjutsu called Yonegawa no Kon 米川の棍 emphasizes left-sided cudgel techniques. That’s why it is also called Hidari-bō 左棒, i.e. left-sided cudgel. Left sided means that here in the regular posture the left foot and left hand is in front, strikes are done with the left hand etc.
It is a complex choreography among others characterized by a long combination including a Tate-uke and a Toru-mawashi-barai (sticky rotation sweep). This long combi is done two times in the kata, both on the left side.
However, during the second time a shorter combi included in the long one is ommited. It is unclear why this was done. If you would perform the complete combi again you would end at the same point, so it doesn’t really make sense except maybe for reasons making the whole choreography shorter.
Anyway, as this combi is not found in any of the right-handed kata, I combined the original left-sided combi with the same combi performed on the right side.
Please note the performance is done with moderate speed and power only, with a regular Bō bought from Shureidō. In defense of the heavy Bō it must be noted here that – although looking rather lame and forcing the user to restrict himself in order to be able to control the brutal momentum – it develops immense destruction power. Using the whole body, once the mass of the bar is “fired” there is hardly anything that will stop it. In defense, its just terribly powerful. Using Nuki-zuki, it will simply break a coconut. And using Gyaku-uchi, without any effort it will break a high quality tool-shank losely pinned into the soil. Accordingly it is imperative to not play games when training with a partner.
In addition to the differences in handling almost predetermined by whether using a thick heavy or a thin light cudgel, it might also be of interest to note the differences when moving on natural soil as compared to the popular “dancefloor ground” I’am using here.
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