Tips that i need.

[Jenga]

Hello I am new here and I have a few questions that could use some awnsering if one would be so kind.

First does one have any tips for one who wishes to train in the art of Jodo at home privately- I do so becasue I will be starting college soon and that makes attending a formal Dojo to learn the art of jodo nigh impossible-plus the fact I do not know of any local dojos that teach jodo in my area.

I have access to my own jo and a bokken and currently practice by myself in my backyard in a self teaching fashion but I try to acquire as much outside jodo information( recently acquired a book by Dave Lowry on the jo) i can and incorparate it into my training-is this a good thing and what tips if any does one have for a person engaed in self training for I truly love the Jo and do not want to give it up becasue i have no one else to train with.

Any reasponses would be greatly appericated-thanks.

-Sean Juillerat

[Dave Lowry]

Dear Mr. Juillerat,
Many thanks for purchasing the manual I wrote on training with the jo. Please know, however, that this was intended as a guide for those training in aikido who wished to expand their practise by incorporating the stick into some aspects of their aikido. It was not and most emphatically is not a guide to jodo. It is not a "self-teaching" text but is directed at those already training under a competent teacher who may benefit from seeing some different interpretations of techniques they already practise.

I am probably not much further along in my understanding of budo than you are, but please take my advice and do not try to instruct yourself in jo or any other martial art. I am sure your intentions are honourable and sincere. But imagine trying to navigate from New York to some unnamed peak in Tibet, using first a 15th century map in Spanish for the first hundred miles, then switching to a series of USGS topographical charts for the second hundred, then switching to a series of instructions for travel written in Bulgarian for the third. All are, more or less, reliable and accurate. But would you wish to travel that way? Books and videos can be interesting and informative. But they are in no way an adequate substitute for hands-on instruction from a competent teacher.

It would be ever so nice if a book could take you where you want to go and most happy circumstances for a writer like myself. But it is a fantasy at best.

Cordially,

[Jenga]

Well thankyou very much and I kind of got from your book that is was a guide for those already training in akido anyway it is still a good book and I will try to find a good instructor in the way of the jo though it will be diffcult with college looming ahead

-Till then what will be will be
Sean Juillerat

[SMJodo]

Kim Taylor's Little Book of Jodo is a nice illustrated reference, but again, to Mr. Lowry's point - it's not a substitute for competent instruction. I can tell you first hand that using a book or video in lieu of instruction is like painting in the dark. Not to be discouraging, because some basic concepts can be gained from text but I would not reccommend it as the primary method of training. If you're going to college, maybe a roadtrip to a dojo once a month or a local seminar could help. A side note - SMR Jodo is a bit different from Aikido Jo, so to study both is probably counter-productive. I'd pick one or the other, my preference being SMR if your sole interest is in Jo. Just my thoughts.

[Jenga]

Alright I will try to find and visit a dojo at least once a month in college if not than only time shall tell and I am intrested mainly in learning the Jo itself so I will look for mor info on SMR Jodo

Thanks again, Sean Juillerat

[gmlc123]

Sean

Where are you located? if you're interested in SMR Jodo versus ZNKR Jodo then let us know.. we may be able to assist you in finding a good dojo depending on where you are.

Feel free to drop me a PM anytime.

Regards
Greg

[Jenga]

Ok I am located in New Jersey-central New Jersey or maybe a little northern Jersey in the Essex County area so if you know of any dojos around that area please let me know-thanks.

-Sean Juillerat

[kokumo]

Originally posted by Jenga
Alright I will try to find and visit a dojo at least once a month in college if not than only time shall tell and I am intrested mainly in learning the Jo itself so I will look for mor info on SMR Jodo

Thanks again, Sean Juillerat

Sean:

Aiki-jo (which is distinct from SMR jojutsu) is a regular component of aikido practice at NJIT, in scenic Newark NJ, located in beautiful Essex County. Over the past summer, we've primarily worked on the six basic kumijo taught by Saotome Sensei.

For information on aikido@njit, go to:

http://web.njit.edu/~vxv7605/aikidoWeb/

You might also want to take a look at koryubooks

http://www.koryubooks.com/guide/muso.html

for a good index of information related to SMR jo, including links to authorized dojo.

Hope this helps,

Fred Little

[Jenga]

Thankyou very much your info does help seeing how I will be heading to Rutgers for for college.
Thanks again,

-Sean Juillerat

[kokumo]

Originally posted by Jenga
Thankyou very much your info does help seeing how I will be heading to Rutgers for for college.
Thanks again,

-Sean Juillerat

As in Rutgers-Newark? It's right across the street!

We have had one or more R-N students in the NJIT club each semester for the last couple of years. Over the same period, guest instructors have included all the senior instructors from Bond Street Dojo (Paul Kang, Chris Jordan, & Ken Nisson, now chief instructor of Aikido of Modesto) as well as Ellis Amdur and Meik Skoss, at least a couple of whom will be back in 04/05.

Practice is 6-7:30 Tuesday and Thursday through the end of summer. When classes start in the last week of August, we will shift back to the regular schoolyear schedule of Tuesday/Thursday 7-9 pm.

Current plans are to continue working the jo fairly intensively through the end of Fall Semester, and then switch over to basic aikiken in the spring, in addition to our normal empty-hand practice. Aikiken and aikijo aren't koryu, but they can give you a taste of weapons work and give you something to unlearn later if you find a koryu school to your liking.

If you have time in your schedule and would like to join us for practice in the Fall, drop me a pm here or send a note to:

aikido@njit.edu

Best,

Fred Little

[SMJodo]

If you're from NJ, I would reccommend contacting our esteemed Moderator Diane for information. She is in North Jersey. If I remember right, they have a Dojo in Madison. I am from NJ, but haven't been back for an extended period - hope this helps.

[Jenga]

Ok thankyou SMJodo and kokumo both of your information is truly helpeful and now I feel obligated to look into both of what you each told me. And I am heading for Rutgers Newark making the classes at NJIT very vialbe.

Thanks again,
-Sean Juillerat