How to Defend Against a Low Punch Using a Bo Staff in Hapkido

Hapkido is a Korean martial art which is an eclectic mix of different combat and self defense techniques. These techniques were developed simultaneously over a period of several centuries of political struggle and lawlessness in Korea’s history. Unlike Tae Kwon Do, the Korean martial art, Hapkido is used for survival and self defense. To that end it stresses that any student of Hapkido makes use of any possible advantage they might have at their disposal. As a result, many different weapons are used in Hapkido. One common weapon in Hapkido is the Bo Staff, a simple length of wood roughly the height of the combatant. At the time, such a weapon could be derived from any nearby pole or straight branch, making it relatively versatile for defense as well as attack. Here is a guide on how to use a Bo staff to defend yourself against an attacker attempting a low punch or stab to the abdominal area in Hapkido.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bo Staff

1. Begin by facing your opponent at a good distance of 5 or 6 feet. Take a wide legged stance and hold your staff horizontally in front of you. Your hands should divide the staff into thirds, with your left hand gripping from underneath and your right hand gripping over the top.

2. Bring the staff to a vertical position as your opponent attempts to advance within attacking range. Your Bo has much more range than his fist or knife, take advantage of that. The left side of the Bo should be pointing toward the floor, while the right side points toward the ceiling.

3. Move the Bo to the right side of your body as your opponent begins his attack. Pull the left hand side of the Bo inward underneath your right armpit while sweeping horizontally from right to left with the right hand side of the Bo. Your objective is to knock the attacker’s arm out to his side as he steps in to jab or stab.

4. Continue the sweeping motion of the Bo. Pull the left hand side of the Bo out--away from your armpit, keeping it level with the lower right quadrant of your chest. This will be the axis for your follow-up strike, using your left wrist as the gimbals. Allow the right hand side of the Bo to swing horizontally around until it passes over your left shoulder. At this point snap the end of the Bo forward in an overhand vertical strike across the left side of your attacker’s shoulder, neck, or head.

5. Rock your weight backward, keeping your Bo leveled at your opponent. Drive forward and thrust with the tip of the Bo. You should strike the attacker square in the abdomen and knock him off his feet. Make sure to follow through with this strike, rather than retracting immediately after impact.

6. Finish your opponent by taking a deep step forward with your left foot, dropping onto your right knee into a semi-kneeling position as you do so. Simultaneously bring the Bo around to your right side and choke up on it so both your hands are gripping the very tip of the left hand side of the bow. Once the Bo has been swung up above the shoulder, raise it over your head. Bring it down in a vertical sweep as you kneel, this will grant it more power as it strikes your attacker flat against the chest and ensures he won’t be getting up to trouble you anytime soon.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have plenty of room when practicing this technique. The Bo staff is longer than people think and if one is not aware of one's surroundings, accidents are imminent.

Resources

• Video Demonstration

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