Bo Staff

 March 7, 2024

Expressing myself ...

But first this art speaks to me, and how they expressed themselves is fabulous, and I have to share this great art my daughter found from a local Austin Artist.

Feeling lucky to be alive. Thankful for love shared. Blessed, and in need of reminding.

All through life we learn, share, and remember, constantly. These are some of my main inspirations for writing in the first place. Sadly, I have not found it in me to write in quite some time. Instead, I found different outlets, like crochet, and art. I believe that we can express inner things in more ways than one. So I am sharing here one way that I have found to express myself over the past few years.  

First you should know before you judge my movement to much, that after being diagnosed with AVN (Avascular Necrosis) and in need of a hip replacement, I opted out of doing the surgery, and pushed through the pain. Years into needing the surgery, I found myself walking with a cane, and now one leg now 3 inches shorter, along with gaining 30 lbs. of weight.   

This is the prosthetic I would have gotten. 

Going back to have the surgery years later, things would happen repeatedly to prevent the surgery, (insurance issues, etc) causing more doubt about having the surgery again. And more delay, now 9 years later....

After finally leveling out my horrible pain medicine to all natural, the pain easing up a bit, along with changing my diet, and changing from cane to staff, I began to move more, and I managed to loose the 30 lbs!

After years of dropping my cane and staff at too many embarrassing moments, I decided to learn bo staff, and I absolutely love it. I like it so much that I would highly recommend movement therapy, especially things like Tai Chi, Yoga, and dance, to those interested and capable of such a thing. 

Spinning my staff kind of became my major outlet and obsession. But as will happen, I forgot the main lessons over time. The centeredness, strength and balance training that I had originally been working toward. It had become more about flow and rhythm, which comes more natural to me than balance, or centeredness.

For a year, when I could not sleep or concentrate on work, I would go outside and spin my stick. I just find it so enjoyable, as well as healthy for mind, body, and soul.

My latest outlet, besides crochet, is the drum, which believe it or not is a lot of strength and balance training as well.

March 2024,  I find myself in need of remembering, sharing, learning and relearning.  So I reflect back on the year and my bo staff journey. 

At first, not feeling well, I did not want to sign up for a class, and there were not a lot of bo staff videos on YouTube at the time, but I did find 'the badass' Michelle C Smith, and Master Jesse Tsao do Tai Chi Bo Staff, whom I found both to be so very inspirational. I also found a Broader than a Border with M. I. A. using staffs and swords :)  Some inspiration comes from Morgan, in Fear the Walking Dead.  Morgan learning the Art of Peace and his Tai Chi Bo Staff moves, got me even more interested. Yes, I used to be secretly a WD fan, and bonus, parts were filmed right here in our little town 😁 though I only caught glimpses of filming here and there.  I mean, what a handy weapon to know how to use, especially if you are walking with a staff everyday.

Below a few shots I got while they were filming FWD and the cloud rainbow was over where they were filming one day.

The first video is the very first bo staff video that I made. We were visiting Colorado, and lucky enough to see snow in late March 2023, I got inspired while recording the snow falling that I would record myself spinning in the snow. Though I had a heck of a time in the freezing cold spinning, but it was a fun outlet.

My family is still like, 'what the heck are you doing?' 😅 

Hey, I am still a kid at heart.

You can watch the Bo Staff in the snow video on YouTube 

I enjoyed spinning so much, for Christmas, all i wanted was a light up bo staff, and I got my wish! The really cool light up bo staff is from the awesome martial arts equipment provider Karate Mart. Check out all the cool light up gear at karatemart.com 👍

: YouTube  oops, that is NOT it.... this is crazy lighting of black cats on New Years. Fun for giggles 😂

Here is the light up bo staff video on YouTube with the awesome led bo staff from karatemart.

When I said previously that I forgot my objective about balance and strength, and got lost in the flow, rhythm and meditation, this is what I mean; YouTube.  At one point in the video I'm letting the cat in the garage with me. She is a smart cat, she is not scared at all, but she knows to stay clear of the stick.  

In this video because she was following me, the cat picked the same spot to lay that i was planning on recording. The ground is gravel and very uneven, making it very difficult for me, and I think the cat sensed that, cause she ends up running off  😅; YouTube

Bo Staff is so much fun that I could not stop, and I took filming back outdoors; YouTube

One of the few times inspiration hit to spin since we moved, as well as the last video I made; YouTube

Thanks for stopping by.

Best wishes, and happy spinning!