Staffs have been used widely in Asia since the beginning of recorded history, by both monks and common people. The shorter Hanbo, ‘half-staff’, was typically created at half the length of a rokushakubo staff (typically 6 foot in length) but still can be seen to vary in length and diameter between different martial art schools. This half-length is similar to the length of a walking cane, thus, the art of wielding the hanbo was a useful skill when needing to improvise weaponry at short notice. Further, the hanbo can be wielded in many ways, including as a sword when held at one end or as a staff when held from the middle point. Typically, the hanbo will be created using hard woods.