Jodo is often called “The way of the stick”. This martial art uses a short wooden staff, called a Jo to defend oneself against an attacker using a Japanese sword.
The most practiced form of Jodo today is the training set adopted by the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei known as Seitei Jo.
Developed in the late 1960’s, Seitei Jo is derived from the Jo techniques of Shindo Muso Ryu.
Training involves Kata (pre-arranged formal training exercises). This is an effective method for learning the essential elements of distance, timing, trajectory, and awareness.
Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi (夢想權之助勝吉) was a samurai of the early 1600s and the traditional founder of the Koryu school of jojutsu known as Shintō Musō-ryū (神道夢想流/神道無想流). He is perhaps most famous for his duels with the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.
