Whether you are already experienced in Kendo or not, let’s skip those boring stories about the origin of the Shinai, the bamboo swords and get straight to the part that will always confuse you. Not everyone needs to be a Kendogu master, but trust me, being familiar with your Bogu and Shinai and taking good care of them will make your Kendo career easier.
Fig. 1 An overall view of a Shinai
Basically a Shinai consists of a lot of components not mentioned in the figure above such as Sakigawa (tip leather), Tsuru (string) and of course Tsuba & Tsubadome. However, when you try to select a good Shinai, you don’t really need to pay close attention to all the details. Now follow me and start the dating with your dream Shinai.
Fig. 2 Tsuba and Tsubadome
In fact, the most significant attribute of a Shinai is the weight distribution, or to be simple the balance. However, other than trying it out, there is no way to accurately describe the balance design of a Shinai (that’s why I always recommend people to check the stall when they attend a seminar or competition). Even so, you can still expect the performance of a Shinai from some of its specifications. Let’s begin with Tsuka, the grip.
Three basic attributes of the grip are: length, thickness (diameter) and shape. Regarding the grip length, most Shinai suppliers simply use their machines to adjust the length of the grip leather, so the centre of gravity of Shinai doesn’t really change. For this type of products, grip length is strongly related to how you hold your Kamae and the way you strike. More sophisticated manufacturers will adjust the balance of Shinai and the grip length at the same time to make the Shinai more coordinated. Let’s cheer for them!
The grip thickenss is a decisive factor in determining the weight distribution of Shinai. Think about it, for a Shinai of a certain weight, the more you hold in your hand, the less you need to swing. Brilliant! But always remember, choose the appropriate grip thickness based on the size of your hand. A grip that is too thick or too thin will seriously reduce your grip strength, as well as the Tenouchi.
Fig. 3 Different types of grip based on their shapes
Preference for the shape of grip is personal. My personal view will be, no matter what the Kendogu retailors say, stick to the shape you like. Some of the grip types might cost more, but never compromise on this issue! There are not many options to choose from, so maybe give all of them a try is reasonable as well.
Then let’s move to the body type, which is a more complicated topic to explain. Kendogu brands provide us with a variety of choices and name them by combinations of a series of terms. To be simple, all types of Shinai can be divided into two broad categories based on the shape of main body (the part between the grip and Nakayui): Dobari and Koto.
Fig. 4 Dobari Shinai and Koto Shinai
By adjusting the size of Dobari, products of different shapes such as standard (all-purpose) type can be derived. The shape of Dobari will not only change the distribution of weight, but also affect your technical orientation. Generally speaking, the Koto Shinai is good for centre control, and also makes it easier to finish a sharp cut with your wrists. Shinai with big Dobari has an advantage in operating Oji-waza via the offset function of Dobari.
People often overlook the part of Monouchi (scoring area). As part of the main body of a Shinai, it also plays an important role in regulating the overall balance. Dobari Shinai usually has a thinner tip while Koto has a thicker one to keep the body straight. Currently, according to the new regulations, extremely thin-tip Shinai is allowed to be used in competitions (for safety reasons, we do not recommend using these Shinai in practice either). The specific limitations can be found in the chart below.
Fig. 5 Standards of Shinai used in competitions (latest version)
Having discussed the most significant part, the following can be considered as less important factors in the choice of a Shinai (however, they can greatly affect the price of a Shinai). First let’s have a rough view of the material used to produce Shinai:
Keichiku: Most popular and commonly used material. Idea choice for practice and frequent competitions. Generally Keichiku is less flexible and easy to break but actually we found that the manufacture design (especially the surface curvature) is the key to determining the durability.
Madake: Softer and more elastic material used to produce premium Shinai. Based on its origin of production, the flexibility and appearance might vary a lot. The more important thing is, it’s expensive.
Kunchiku: Also called smoked or BIO Shinai. By smoking Keichiku, we get something totally different in its appearance. Experts believe that Kunchiku is strengthened, but don’t expect too much from it. It’s just good-looking Keichiku.
Carbon: Carbon fibre Shinai is said to be durable and easy to maintain (also extremely expensive). We don’t recommend carbon Shinai for personal use at any situation. From a more realistic perspective, carbon Shinai is designed for schools and juniors for safety reasons. At the same time, they do have ample budgets to replace these expensive products rather than maintain them.
Regarding the Shinai accessories (including a series of leather and strings), people don’t often change them. The two mainstream leather options on the market are Gingawa and Yukagawa. Gingawa is taken from the top layer of raw cow leather, which is thin and soft. The second layer and third layer are used to produce Yukagawa, which is rougher and much thicker. From a perspective of long-term use, the cost of replacing these two types of leather is close, as Gingawa is easy to break while Yukagawa turns to be slippery.
To summarize, we highly recommend that you give priority to choosing a Shinai with the balance feature matching your techniques, and then consider other details. For example, if you are used to hitting Men without lifting up the Shinai too much, Koto Shinai (maybe with a bit shorter grip) will benefit the process you finish the cut by Tenouchi. For people who prefer to hit Kote, especially from a close distance, Dobari Shinai with a long and thick grip contributes to better control. For practice only, then maybe a balanced one with thicker body can live longer and reduce the cost of maintenance.
At the end, whether you find the information you need from this blog or not, please feel free to contact us to customize your own Shinai. We will also recommend the current specifications for you based on the products we have customized for other Kendoga in the past.
(This blog is supported by Y.Yoshida Kyoshi 7th Dan. Personal view included.)
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