The thing to keep in mind, the Bando Stick is not a stick form, in essence, it represents anything that you can put in your hands, A book a rock, a glass, a sword, a chain and etc., even it can be used as a form of empty hand techniques.
You first learn ½ the form, as a complete form, Brown belt version of the hidden stick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpHK5y_f8CY
1993 Andrew Ware, Dennis Driscoll, Tom Chan the hidden stick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz3R-MRi6AQ
It really contains the essence of how the stick is used. Then later you learn the rest, for more of a mental challenge.
I have no question this was the original form, adapted to the stick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bKiav7NCks
How I learned the form:
In 1983 I had one chance to learn the entire Bando Short Stick form, at the Bando Summer Camp. One instructor gave me two of their brown belts and they worked with me for several hours on the form and the application of those movements. I spent some time in the middle of their instruction working with Anna Lockwood, on a different form she wanted to learn, then when I returned to the stick it helped me better understand what I knew and did not know. The break helped me clear my mind. Later that day I drove home, totally immersed in retaining that form. Then practice, and more practice. It would be 6 years before I began sharing ½ of the form as a separate form for my brown belts. The full form becoming a dan practice with us.
A brief memory:
Bando and I
I guess it is now 30 years since I attended that Bando summer camp, time flies. I was alone in the group at the Boy Scout Camp in Maryland’s rolling hills. There were students from Sensei Lewis’ and Mr. Rigby’s Dojo, but the only one I knew was Anna Lockwood. I think it was the first time I saw her since her Shodan promotion. I settled into the cabin with the other guys.
At that camp they all wore the same T-shirt and no belts. You couldn’t tell rank or system of study by looking.
Among the various teachings were Rick Nimera breaking a board with a slap, the effects of various caliber gunfire effect on gallon bottles of water, Isshinryu Bo with Don Bohan, Bando fighting demonstrations. A clinic on locks, etc.
Most interesting to me was the clinic on Bando stick basics.
For those interested, here is Bob Maxwell sharing some basic bando stick training.
Bando Combat stick training
On a question from Charles a asked my friend Mario what the stick would be in Japanese.
The“Hidden Stick" would be "Kakushi Bo" in Japanese (隠し棒). - Mario
I just realized I have never documented these weapons. Another task.
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2014/10/bando-form-hidden-stick.html
http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2012/02/bushi-no-te-isshinryu-kobudo.html
Basic Stick Striking Drill of Bushi No Te
I did learn a drill at the Bando Camp. But I took no notes on it.
From various sources I learned similar Philippine stick striking pattern drills, very similar to what I was shown. They also had an escrima instructor at the camp.
This is what I started using, and have taught since the late 1980s.
11 head
8 temple
chest 6 7 chest
arm 2 5 solar plexus 1 arm
elbow 4 3 elbow
12 groin
knee 10 9 knee
First studied with stationary strikes.
Then with stepping in alternating foot strikes,
Additionally, the form can be done as with tip of the stick strikes, with blade of the stick strikes and with butt of the stick strikes with each strike, alternatively they can be mixed in any order. This training helps understand how the movement can be used with anything in your hand. The ‘stick’ is not just one strike, but many. We normally use a mixture of strikes.
With speech so difficult, this might help you understand what I am looking for with this form.
As always what you don’t practice, you can’t do.
Another version of a stick striking drill I found.
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