Don't use your good wood "kata" bo for kumi practice and bang it up. We use 6 feet long bamboo sticks (1 inch in diameter) and wrap them with duct tape. Even if they crack, they are easy to you repair with more duct tape and they will last a long time. In this video Lemus Sensei demonstrates some of routines he uses for bo kumite. It is important to practice this way (if you care to learn how to really use your weapons). You must face another person and play with the back and forth attack, defense, counter-attack scenarios, it is the only way to gain the knowledge of timing, distancing and to realize this VERY IMPORTANT thing, when you play with weapons it takes nothing to put you out of commission or kill you. Holding any weapon increases the lethality potential exponentially compared to empty hand fighting.

Doing weapons kata only is like studying the tip of the iceberg, where below the waterline lies the entirety of the iceberg unseen. This is the same with kobudo (weapons practice). Here are some drills and techniques that can be practice at a good intensity level while still maintaining a high level of safety.

The idea of using bamboo sticks is not just to keep your good Bo from getting banged up, it is also for safety, because with a wood bo even a small accidental impact can be disastrous. The bamboo sticks are hollow and have a much lesser potential for injury.

With Lemus Sensei in this video are his students Jack Pettit, Judy Lemus Sensei and visiting is Stephen Lodge Sensei.