5 Easy Bo Staff Tricks for Beginners to Learn
Are you a beginner at learning the Bo Staff? This Martial Arts weapons is fun to learn and use, and it teaches you different things like control, focus, perseverance, and more! Below, I go through tips for the 5 Easy Bo Staff Tricks for Beginners that you can learn even if you’re just barely starting! Make sure to watch the tutorial video so you can learn each trick!
Bo Staff Recommendations: I get asked questions on what Bo Staff’s I recommend. Mine is from Century Martial Arts and you can find it HERE. They also make traditional ones, along with competition ones in many different colors! Be sure to use my code SAMERY10 for 10% Off anything on the Century website! 🙂
1. Hand Rolls
Hand rolls can take a bit of time to learn, but it’s a great base to learning all types of harder rolls later on! Make sure you can do these both directions and with both hands. One thing to watch out for is to make sure the bo never leaves your hand- it should be touching part of your hand the whole way around.
2. Fake Neck Roll
The Fake Neck Roll is an easy trick to pick up quick- and it looks awesome because it creates an illusion that your bo staff is spinning around your neck. Some important tips to having a good fake neck roll are to keep the bo close to your neck, make smooth motions, and have a sharp ending pose.Â
3. Overhand Switch
This trick is a great way to make your bo staff combination dramatic as it can change up the pace of the form. The trick starts balancing on the back part of your hand, and then with a simple lift & turn, you catch it on the way down to create an awesome illusion of your moving bo. One important note is to make sure your bo doesn’t go straight over your head- rather, it should come off to the side slightly to make it an easier catch at the end.
4. Overhead Spin
The overhead spin is a great transition move to add flare between strikes or other tricks. You can add this to combinations and once you get it down smoothly and quickly, it truly enhances the tricks after it. The key to having a good overhead spin is to make sure it’s a smooth turn- not choppy if your hands are getting in the way of each other. My tip is to learn it really well going slowly and pay attention to where your hands are placed. After some practice, add some speed as long as you can keep it smooth.Â
5. Elbow RollÂ
This is a fun, creative trick, that builds off of the foundation of the first trick we practiced- the hand roll. All you’re going to do is place your fist near your opposite shoulder, stick your elbow away from you, and roll the bo around that elbow. Be sure to keep your elbow parallel to the ground so it doesn’t slide down away from you.
There are so many variations of the kicks listed above and a lot more kicks as well. The ones I’ve mentioned are great to start with! Experiment and see what works best for you, find out your strengths and weaknesses, and work on both!
Want to learn more Bo Staff? Check out my Bo Staff for Beginners E-Course where you can learn everything about Bo Staff Basics from beginning to the end. We cover strikes, spins, rolls, and an entire combination you can use as a form!
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Check it out HERE!
