just received today. It's definitely thicker and MUCH heavier than I am used to in the dojo, but I knew that when I was ordering - thought it would be good for practicing at home and building up my strength. it was even heavier than i thought it would be though, that extra thickness really does make a big difference.

I could live with it being thick and heavy though.

The clincher for me was, when I got the cellophane off and was able to run my hand down it I noticed a big knot in the middle that has a crack about 3" going through it. the wood isn't completely split or anything, but it is a definite crack, and a distraction when handling the jo. if it weren't for the crack it would be a very beautiful piece. if it were a bit thinner, it would be perfect. if it weren't so costly to return, I probably would. I'll probably just end up keeping this and dealing with it though.
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I was disappointed with the jo, right out of the box. The plastic wrapped jo is warped, with a little double wave shaped "~". The deviation is only 1/4 inch by the end of the jo, so it is useable. It doesn't roll properly on the flat level floor. My sensei looked at it and said it is too heavy and thick for his class, however it is suitable for practice, even with the little double bend. He added,after a workout with this heavy jo, the class jo will fly by comparison.
The weight, complained about by other reviewers, is really excessive. At 2 lbs 11 oz, and 1 1/4 inch diameter, it is difficult to move it quickly and more diffult to stop it's motion. I would hate to have someone get bonked because I didn't judge the stop correctly, and believe me, this jo is solid and would do some damage. At this weight it is not really suitable for sparring. The jo also has a staple embedded in one end, and I don't know why. Customer service was excellent. He was courteous, and offered to let me send it back for a replacement. But, I will keep it and find another one for class, as UPS wants $17 to ship it back. For a $20 jo, that doesn't make cents (sense).   Permalink

Interesting responses here. Almost like the story of Goldlilocks and the three bears. This Jo is too thick, this Jo is too thin, too heavy, too light......aaahhh, just right. Yes, this Jo staff is thick and heavy, and after I work out with it, my lighter and longer Bo staff just flies in my hands. This heavier, thicker Jo staff helps to loosen up my wrists after I've done arm and wrist weight training. One man's trash is another man's treasure. Heck, my mom's a little thick and heavy, but I still love her. So my review here is...just don't mess with JO mama.  Permalink

Well built but thicker and heavier than traditional Jo. Suitable for strength practice outside the dojo, but not for class work.   Permalink

I've had this for over two years now. I initially got it cause I wanted something fairly affordable (cheap) as I had just started some more advanced weapons training and had seen some JOs selling at four to five times the price. Well, years later, I understand a bit better now.

I would say this item is more to a Jo what a Suburi is to a Bokken. If for some odd reason you're looking for a good strength training item then this might be what you're looking for but I certainly cannot/would not recommend this to beginners as it will throw off your posture and may cause injury to yourself.

As earlier stated, this is not a Jo. It is - as my Sensei most disapprovingly put it - "a big chunk of wood". At 1-1/4" in diameter, this is way too thick and heavy but the length is fairly the norm. You should be looking for something round the 1" mark or even slightly less... in my meek, humble opinion.

It is a nice, smooth chunk of wood, but a chunk of wood none-the-less.  Permalink

Traditional schools of Jodo have a fixed measure for their jo. If that is what you are expecting, you are not going to want this jo. Some Aikido schools also call for a fixed measure of jo also. If you use a jo at all, and have the liberty to use any jo you pick, get this jo.

I have been training in Aikido since 1993, and jo has always been heavily integrated into our practice. I have bought and used cheaper jo and more expensive jo. This jo is more than worth the money. Anyone that bemoans that it is too big or heavy, to them I would say: It's martial arts. If you like a lighter jo, get this jo and consider it your "hard" training then.

I tend to lean toward Musashi's way of thinking when it comes to weapons. I don't necessarily prefer one weapon or the other, longer or shorter, etc. It's good to train with all sorts and shapes of weapons. Besides, the stick is supposed to represent a flexible system of combat based on what happens to be handy. Concerning the size of the jo, I actually prefer the heft of it. It tends to "keep you in line" from the start, the same way a suburito does. I have had absolutely no issues using this for solo and partner practice, and my students really love this thing. It feels like a WEAPON. When you pick this thing up, you feel like it's time to do some martial arts. I posted a video review along with some details of jo practice here on my site: http://www.toraha.com/news/2011/5/11/aiki-budo-tora-ha-aiki-jo-video-part-two.html This jo is great. I can't say enough good things about it. It's so far my favorite product from Karate Depot.

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A jo staff seems like a good idea for enclosed spaces versus a bo staff. Lesser staffs would quake before this one! Quite solid! If someone breaks into my home, I can really knock'em flat with this thing! :D  Permalink

This is not a proper Jo. Whoever made or designed this has no idea what a Jo is supposed to look like. This is much thicker than it should be and heavier. On the positive side, it is made of nice wood and it is smooth. I can use it to practice with but I cannot recommend it. Do not buy this if you are looking for a real Jo. I hope that they will read these comments and go take a look at some real Jo's so that they can correct it and make it the way it is supposed to be. My instructor and others in my class think I went and chopped down a California Redwood and laugh at this Jo. Still, I can and do use it since it is more hassle than it is worth to return it and since it seems that most Marshall Arts Supply Stores online do not carry Jo's.  Permalink

The stated diameter is true to the actual product. However, in practice, it feel very wide. When I brought it in to my dojo for practice, it was considerably wider than any jo staffs my fellow dojo-mates had. I found it rather hefty and awkward.  Permalink

I hesitated to get this jo but after recieving it I'm glad I did. It has a solid weight for sprited practice and a nice color. It feels good in your hands when practicing techniques. I showed it to my son, now he and his daughter wants one for Aikido jo staff practice.  Permalink

I was not going to buy this at first but my brother said if it breaks buy another one so I got one and we practiced very heavily with our weapons and this has held up to some abuse I would recommend this for either some who is looking for a good practice weapon or a professional who is looking for a durable demo weapon.  Permalink

Fair warning: this jo staff is heavy! The red oak is much more beautiful than I had anticipated. I would not hesitate to recommend this item!  Permalink

A good jo staff, I got it in a couple of weeks. It was a bit heavier than I thought it would be, but still really good. Nice solid jo staff.  Permalink

Very fine finish. Very good for practice.  Permalink

This jo is made of fine hard wood ...the finish is very nice.....that's the beauty part....the beast part is that it is heavy and perfect for true jo practice......great product!  Permalink

This is the real deal! A classical jo staff.  Permalink

The product is exactly what it should be. The diameter is as represented, the staff is with out warpage or bowing. All in all an excellent working staff.  Permalink

I'm totally satisfied with my jo, bokken, and judo gi. Great price.

The jo is a little heavy, but I like that.   Permalink

Very solid and heavy Jo. If your looking for a Jo to bang around against other weapons, or a Bokken, this is the one. If your looking for speed to use in kata or show, you would be better off going with a lighter, tapered Jo.  Permalink

This thing weights 2+ pounds and can kill a horse without half trying. Makes it great strength training if you practice by yourself or for some slo-mo sparring. As a Jo for Jo practice however, it's so heavy that it's slow to change directions - it's easily twice the weight of my teachers' Jo ...  Permalink

It's a good tool, but too light.   Permalink