There are various kinds of materials and forms of staffs in Japan; for example, the "Taiheiki" (The Record of the Great Peace) describes kashiwagibo (oak bar), kashinokibo (oak bar), iron club and tetsubo (iron bar), while in "Gikeiki" (a military epic about the life of Yoshitsune), unique sticks such as hakkakubo (octagonal bar) and chigiriki (a rather unique weapon consisting of a short staff and an attached weight) are described.
棒の種類や材質・形態は様々で、日本に於いて『太平記』では柏木棒、樫木棒、金棒、鉄棒などが出現し、『義経記』では八角棒・乳切木など、特殊な形態の棒が記されている。