Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, founder of Shinto Muso Ryu Jo

Shinto Muso Ryu Jo is said to be the original Japanese art involving the combative use of the jo, a round, oak stick of approximately 4 feet in length.  This martial arts was founded approximately 400 years ago by Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, a fully licensed member of the Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto Ryu and, later, an exponent of Kashima Shin Ryu.   

Gonnosuke is said to have been the only warrior to have defeated the famed Miyamoto Musashi in a duel.  He did so using the jo.  Naturally, Shinto Muso Ryu Jo is comprised mostly of stick versus sword forms; however, advanced instruction includes a number of auxiliary weapons systems including swordsmanship, short stick, and kusari-gama (sickle with weighted chain), among others.