Bōjutsu (棒術?), translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of using a staff called a bō. Staves are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by humankind. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the staff. Today bōjutsu is usually associated either with Okinawan kobudō or with Japanese koryū budō. Japanese bōjutsu is one of the core elements of classical martial training. In the Okinawan context, the weapon is frequently referred to as the kon.