Traditionally, Shorinjiryu Karatedo had only one Bo kata – Shishiryu no Bo handed down from the Kudaka family of Okinawa to Kaiso Kori Hisataka, the founder of Shorinjiryu Kenkokan Karatedo.

Shishiryu no Bo is quite a complex kata, certainly one of the more advanced Bo katas currently taught in Okinawan weaponry. With a heavy influence from Chinese “Tenbin Bo” style, as well as the Kudaka family Shishiryu Bojutsu system, this kata exists today in many variations.

With the realisation that the complexity of this kata makes it a difficult first bo kata, Hanshi Masayuki Kukan Hisataka determined the need for a more basic Bo kata, with which to introduce the fundamental techniques of Shishiryu Bojutsu. Incorpating the concept of the five teaching (Gokyo), Hanshi Hisataka developed the Gorin no Bo kata.

The kata is quite simple, yet contains a depth of technique. It has five segments (one for each of the teachings) and works consecutively to the four cardinal directions – north, south, west, east and back to north again. The full range of thrusting, striking, sweeping, stabbing and rotating techniques are incorporated, as both offensive and defensive movements.

Gorin no Bo is quite short, and teaches stances, foot work and effective weight distribution to gain maximum effectiveness of the techniques.

Complementing the kata, there is also a set of pre-arranged 2 person drills (yakusoku kumite) called Gorin no Bo. These then further combine into a full randori called Gorin no Kumibo.

Hanshi Hisataka told me that there are actually three versions of Gorin no Bo, but to date, I have learnt and seen only the first two.

Gorin no Bo is illustrated and described in Essential Shorinjiryu Karatedo, the 1994 book by Hanshi Hisataka.