The jo is a wooden staff approximately four feet long. As legend goes, after losing a battle with Minamoto Musashi, Muso Gonnosuke secluded himself, training and meditating ultimately leading to a vision that culminated in the creation of the jo. The jo is specifically designed for defense against the sword. Being shorter than the traditional six-foot staff, its size and length allowed for quicker and more varied movement. In addition to traditional etiquette and some Japanese language, participants will learn varied transitions, strikes, blocks, swinging drills, and kata (forms), with an emphasis on safe-handling techniques.