The importance of the shinai (and therefore of Kendo) is that it permits trainees to engage in simulated combat without fear of serious injury. No Kendo sensei would say, however, that this freedom means that the proper attention to proper form and to basic techniques should be overlooked by any serious trainee.
The shinai is made of four bamboo staves bound together. The saki-gawa is the covering that is placed over the tip of the weapon. A string runs from the tip down the symbolic "top" of the shinai shaft. About one third of the way down, the staves are bound together by a leather tie known as the nakayuki. Finally, the handle, or tsuka, also of leather, serves as a place to grip the stave and to hold the base together. The shinai is both a practical and aesthetic object, and there is a specific way of tying the various components together. A basic guide is replicated on page 20.
Trainees should take the time to maintain and care for their shinai. The bamboo staves that are the weapon's main component will splinter after hard use. Before every practice session, the student should carefully examine the shinai and its fittings to make sure that no jagged splinters are exposed. Use a piece of sandpaper or a sharp knife to trim jagged edges. Small cracks that develop in the individual staves can be repaired using carpenter's glue.
The leather ties and string that secure the sakigawa, nakayuki, and tsuka in place should also be routinely checked, tightened, and replaced when necessary. Finally, the shinai should be oiled to keep it from drying out. With proper care (and good technique) a shinai can last the Kendoka for a year or more (although it is always a good idea to have an extra handy, particularly during matches). In recent years, graphite shinai have been produced for serious practitioners. They are flexible and strong, and do not wear like more traditional shinai. They are, however, considerably more expensive than bamboo foils and, because these graphite models are relatively heavy, some Kendoka prefer using bamboo shinai in sparring.
Through the use of the shinai, Kendo students can also replicate the fast-paced, emotionally charged experience of a duel. As anyone who has experienced this sort of competition can tell you, it is a grueling test of an individual's ability to apply the basics of what he or she has learned to a fluid situation.
Ideally, Kendoka should train with all three types of swords. It is particularly important as the student progresses that he or she gain some familiarity with the use of the katana, since handling it effectively is a very different matter from using the shinai. This conviction has led to the well-known saying in Japanese swordsmanship that Kendo and iaido form two wheels of the same cart—both are necessary to go anywhere.
Bogu
body armor
Kendo bogu was modeled on the battlefield armor of the feudal samurai. This armor was lightweight and flexible, compared to that worn by European knights, and this tradition has endured to influence modern Kendo's protective coverings.
Bogu today consists of four pieces of equipment: a face and head protector made of metal and fabric that serves as a modified helmet and is called a men, a lightweight chest protector called a do, a cotton hip protector, or tare, and a pair of mitts, or kote, to protect the Kendoka's hands and wrists. Clad in the sweeping training uniform of a hakama and keikogi and swathed in protective bogu, a kendo trainee cuts an exotic figure that is reminiscent of Japan's feudal tradition (and also seems to have influenced the futuristic costumes of Star Wars).
Bogu represent a significant investment for a trainee—even a set of inexpensive beginner's bogu can run around four hundred dollars—and should be appropriately cared for. As in the rest of the art, there are certain "do"s and "don't"s regarding bogu.
When donning bogu, the student sits in the formal position known as seiza. The kote are placed side by side (palms down) in front and to the right. The men is laid face down on the kote. The tare, or hip protector, is put on first. The cords are wrapped around the back, crossed, and brought to the front. They are tied underneath the central flap of the tare.
The chest protector is then put on. There are two cords on each side of the do. The top cord, which is longer, is brought up and across the back and then tied to the loop on the front of the do (the left-side cord tied to the right loop and vice versa). The shorter cords are tied loosely behind the back in a neat bow. When tying the do, the right-hand cord should be tied to the left loop first.
The next step is to put on the men. To absorb sweat and prevent the himo (cords) that secure the men from catching the hair on the back of your head, a cotton cloth known as a hachimaki or tenegui is worn. Tenegui are often given as souvenirs when Kendoka participate in tournaments or visit other dojo.
The student puts on the men, being careful to fit the chin in the rest in the front of the face mask. You should also make sure that the ears lie flat and are not creased inside the men: apart from being uncomfortable, you also run the risk of creating enough pressure to rupture an eardrum if a strike goes astray and hits the side of your head.
The cords attached to the bottom grill of the face mask (the fourth row from the bottom) are brought around each side, wrapped around the back of the head, and then stretched up to the front of the men, where they are put through the top of the iron grid, criss-crossing and leading once again to the back of the head, where they are snugly secured. It is considered good form for the cords not to be twisted and to lie flat. You should also attempt to make sure that the ends of the bow you tie when securing the men are even. A simple way to do this is to pull the loops of the bow out until you can see them in front of you, and make adjustments accordingly. Once the bow is completed, toss the ends back over your shoulders so they hang behind you.
The kote are the last piece of equipment put on. Always put the left mitt on first, then the right. When taking them off, always remove the right mitt first. The pattern here echoes that of stepping into the hakama. It is considered good form to put on your kote this way, since any time you are wearing your right-hand mitt, you are considered ready to spar. Making it the last thing put on signals a definitive readiness to engage in training. In the same manner, by removing the right kote first, when you are ending your activity, you make a clear statement about your intentions. Since the Kendo dojo is, in many ways, a psychically charged environment, clear signals are needed to signify individual readiness.
Removing your bogu in a formal training or contest session is a process we will discuss under Etiquette (see below). When you get your equipment home, however, some special care is needed A vigorous training session wearing bogu tends to make you perspire. When you are finished, you need to permit your armor some time to dry out. The fabric part of the men will often become sweat-soaked. After taking it off, you should lay it face down and let the air get at it, wiping off any surface moisture with your hachimaki. The palm part of the kote will also be wet. The mitts should be placed face up to dry. Be careful to let your bogu air in a place that avoids direct sun or moisture, since these can damage the pieces.
When storing your dried bogu, there is (as in most things in Kendo) a method.
First the cords of the tare are folded up neatly and secured. The tare is a placed upside down and wrapped across the front of the do. The long do cords are wrapped to the front and crossed over. One cord is drawn up and over the top of the do. The other is drawn under the bottom. These cords are tied in a bow in the center of the do's back. The shorter cords are wrapped around the bottom of the tare and tied in front of the do.
Particularly when the men is new, the side panels (or "wings") formally known as men-buton need to be bent up when stored so they will fit correctly when worn. The process will be familiar to anyone who has ever broken in a baseball mitt. The kote are placed with the hand portion in the bowl created by the face mask. The wings are bent up and forward and tied in place by the strings. The men then fits inside the do for storage.
Bogu, tangible symbols of the heritage of the samurai, should always be treated with care and respect. Especially in the dojo, bogu should be neatly placed in the appropriate manner. Kendoka should be careful never to step over the armor or hit it with their feet, nor should you ever touch anyone else's bogu