Beginner question: How do I choose the right sport?

First off, hey everyone, and thanks in advance for all the help and advice you're gonna throw my way!

I'm a complete novice here, but I’ve got a massive interest in picking up staff fighting techniques. I’ve heard people talk about Bojutsu, though I have my doubts about whether there's actually anything decent available around here... My main question is: does the Bo staff show up in any other martial arts, and how much of a focus is it really? I’m planning on diving into some kind of martial art to learn the basics anyway, but eventually, I want to get serious about using the Bo...

A few logistical things: I’m a college student, so I’d much rather train with an older, more mature group instead of being stuck in a class full of kids... I’m originally from somewhere like Indianapolis, but I’m studying over in Chicago now, so both areas work for me.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone!

Scott Garcia10 said:First off, hey everyone. Thanks in advance for any advice or feedback you can share!

I’m a total beginner here, but I’m really interested in learning staff techniques. I’ve heard about Bojutsu, though I’m not sure if there are many practitioners around here. My question is: are there other martial arts that incorporate the Bo, and how much of a focus is there on it? I plan on starting some kind of martial arts training to learn the basics anyway, but eventually, I want to work with the staff.

A few logistical details: I’m a college student, so I’d prefer to train with an older group rather than being stuck in a class full of kids. I’m originally from a smaller town but I'm studying in Chicago right now, so both areas work for me.

Thanks again, everyone!

www.genbukan.com
www.cronipon.com
www.city-ryu.com
www.bujinkan.com

I believe all of these schools work with the Bo.

Just one quick question here... I read somewhere that some training sessions actually involve spitting in an opponent's face. I honestly have no clue if that’s actually true or just some urban legend, but it sounds incredibly stupid to me, and I was wondering if anyone knows if that kind of thing actually happens in any of these clubs or gyms we're talking about?

Scott Garcia10 said:Just one quick follow-up question... I read somewhere that some training sessions involve spitting in an opponent's face. I have no idea if that's actually true or just some urban legend, but it sounds incredibly stupid to me. Does that kind of thing actually happen in any of these clubs?

Spitting is technically considered one of the "natural" weapons in ninjutsu.
Obviously, we don't practice that during training sessions...

Scott Garcia10 said:I just have one follow-up question... I read somewhere that some training sessions involve spitting in an opponent's face. I honestly don't know if that's actually true or just some urban legend, but it sounds incredibly stupid to me. Does that actually happen in any of these clubs?

Well, spitting in an opponent's face is used to spike their adrenaline—though if you're unlucky (and usually, you aren't), it can trigger the exact opposite effect.
I suppose you could try testing that technique on your training partner during one of your early sessions (ideally someone with a bit more experience), and there's a chance you might feel the full power of ninjutsu.

I won't be held responsible for the consequences.☕

Scott Garcia10 said:First off, hey everyone. Thanks in advance for all the help and advice!

I’m a total beginner here, but I’m really interested in learning staff techniques. I’ve heard about Bojutsu, though I doubt you can find much of that around here. My question is: does any other martial art actually use the Bo, and how much does it feature? I want to start training some kind of martial art to learn the basics anyway, but eventually, I’d love to pick up the Bo.

A few logistical things: I’m a college student, so I’d prefer training with an older group rather than being stuck babysitting kids. I’m originally from a smaller town but I’m studying in Chicago now, so both areas work for me.

Anyway, thanks again, everyone!

So, you're basically deciding who you'll train with and what you'll actually be doing. 🙂
I think you'd be pretty surprised during your very first session...
As for the Bo, you'd be looking at months upon months of drilling and conditioning before anyone even lets you touch a weapon... and nobody is promising you'll start with the Bo.
And if you just try to teach yourself the Bo... you aren't going anywhere.

Also, mods... can we get a megathread or something? Like "My First Sport/Martial Art"... somewhere people can dump all their basic questions so we don't have the same exact topics popping up every single day.

Edward Sanchez72 said:So you'd be picking who you train with and what you'd actually do...🙂
I think you'd get a massive reality check during your very first session...
As far as combat goes, you'd be looking at months upon months of just drilling and basic training before you even got to touch a weapon...and nobody is claiming they'd be the ones teaching you how to fight first.
And if you're trying to learn combat just for yourself...you won't get anywhere.

And hey, mods...can we please get a megathread or something along the lines of...my first sport or martial art...so people can dump all their questions there instead of everyone opening a brand new thread every single day about the exact same stuff.

Nah, I wouldn't choose either one (as long as nobody's spitting in my face, I'm doing fine) 🙂 I'm fully aware that there's going to be months of nothing but drilling and conditioning before I ever pick up a weapon, and I know it might not turn into actual combat training right away. That’s exactly why I’m asking—I don't want to wander into some gym only to find out after several months of work that they don't actually focus on combat at all. I'm interested in everything else, too, and honestly, if I learn something new, I'm happy...but there's just something about combat that pulls me in, and I want to make sure I learn something practical that I can actually use to defend myself.

Scott Garcia10 said:Look, I wouldn't pick either one (as long as nobody's spitting in my face, I'm good) 🙂 I know there’s going to be months of drilling and training before I even touch a weapon, and maybe it won't be great right away. That's why I'm asking—I don't want to wander into some school only to be told after several months of work that they don't actually deal with BJJ. I'm interested in everything else too (if I learn something new, I'm happy), but BJJ specifically draws me in, and I don't want to waste all that time just to end up learning something that doesn't suit me.

Then there's ninjutsu...

Roughly how much am I looking at for a month of training?

Check out downtown, though honestly—it all really comes down to your own physical build. Back in the day, folks were splitting logs and working with manual tools all the time; those kinds of skills were just part of their DNA. Personally, I think any kind of weapon training is useful, if only to get a sense of how dangerous things can get and to understand distance. But in the real world? It’s far more vital to be able to read people—to gauge whether someone is actually calm, or if they’re totally losing control, or just looking for an outlet to vent their rage on someone else. That's not what sports teach you. You're much better off learning how to whip a belt from your waistband and use it like a flail in two seconds flat.

Strong, muscular guys can scrap in just about any way imaginable, but if you're on the weaker side, you have to learn how to dodge a confrontation entirely or use whatever tool happens to be within reach. When it comes to weapons, speed is the absolute priority—because even a guy who is built like a mountain and capable of trading heavy blows can freeze up the moment he realizes some 120-pound person is trying to drive a blade into his gut. A stick to the eye or the neck yields the exact same result, even if it doesn't look quite as intimidating on paper.

If someone wants to train with a Japanese staff measuring over five feet, why send them downtown to work on sixty-centimeter Filipino stick-fighting segments? And why would weapon proficiency have anything to do with their physical build?

Gerald Smith76 said:If someone wants to train with a Japanese staff that's over five feet long, why send them downtown to work on Filipino stick-fighting segments using 24-inch sticks? And why should weapon choice depend on their body type?

Look, if you’re 6'6" and 260 pounds, a warhammer probably fits you better. If you're small, maybe a knife is more practical.🙂

Then again, I've seen some smaller guys (like 😍 who hangs out here) handle heavy weapons with total confidence.

So why don't you just take up kenjutsu??

I'm not really feeling the vibe downtown...

or Takemus Aikidio

Scott Garcia10 said:First off, hey everyone! Thanks in advance for all the help and advice you're going to give me.

I’m a total beginner here, but I'm really interested in picking up staff fighting techniques. I've heard about Bojutsu, though I'm not sure if anyone actually practices that around here. My question is: does the Bo staff show up in any other martial arts, and how much is it actually used? I'm planning on starting some kind of martial arts training to get the basics down regardless, but eventually, I'd love to incorporate the Bo.

A couple of quick details: I'm a college student, so I'd prefer joining an older group rather than being stuck training with a bunch of kids. I'm originally from a smaller town but I'm studying in Chicago now, so anywhere in the metro area works for me.

Anyway, thanks again, guys!

boxing👍

placidbison20 said:Look, if you're 6'7" and 260 pounds, a warhammer makes sense. If you're a kid, maybe a knife is more practical.🙂

That said, I've seen some smaller guys (some of whom are active here 😍) handle heavy weapons with total ease.

Fair enough, but let's be realistic and set aside warhammers and other exotic gear.🙂
Boxing is definitely the way to go.🙏 😂

I mean, I’d have to agree—boxing probably offers the biggest payoff within that initial six-month window. At the very least, you'll walk away with a solid grasp of distance management without any weapons involved, which is pretty vital when things get real in a ring setting.

The moments that truly stuck with me—the ones that really burned themselves into my brain—were those grueling sessions at the end of training when you’re absolutely spent, just completely wiped out, and yet you're forced to spar against two people at once while trying desperately to maintain your defensive shell. It's... well, it's brutal. You're fighting to stay covered, trying to stick to your tactical game plan, but your arms? They just feel like lead—you can barely even lift them anymore.

Did you actually read what the guy was asking?

The whole point was that he wants to train with a Bo staff.🙂

I’m a huge fan of boxing myself, but I don't think that's really what he's looking for...

I’m on the same page as placidbison20. Look, I’m a pretty peaceful person by nature, so my interest in BJJ isn't about looking for a fight or wanting to pin someone down... it’s more about the fact that you really have to engage your brain and stay sharp just to coordinate all those movements. It feels like a legitimate workout for both your body and your mind.

That said, I actually find it helpful to hear what everyone else thinks about different martial arts, because like a few of you pointed out, it’s pretty rare to just train BJJ in a vacuum without it being part of a broader discipline or gym culture. I’ll eventually have to pick a path, so I'm taking all this advice to heart. Right now, Ninjutsu is calling to me because it seems to pull from so many different areas—some parts test your stamina, some test your wits, and others demand both at once. But honestly, I probably won't know if it's truly my thing until I actually get on the mat and try it...

Anyway, thanks to everyone for the solid advice!