Bokken bashing

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[jk]

Since I'm hanging around the supplies section, some of you folks might want to take a look at this EJMAS article by Uncle Kim Taylor:

Bokken Bashing (http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_taylorcol_0603.html)

I've certainly been guilty of looking for the strongest, hardest, most macho wood...

[Ron Tisdale]

Excellent post! Thanks for the link. This should be added to the thread on Hickory/ebony, etc...

RT

[TheFallGuy]

Very interesting article! I'll pass this one on to my friend looking for Bokken. (Although, I'm sure he's set on the macassar ebony.) Personally, I would like to try an Ash bokken. I've worked with it before and the smell of ash is very pleasant.

You're right Ron, this would go great in the other thread. I'll try and link it to this.

[sanosuke]

interesting, but what I search is the wood suitable for suburi-to, you know, the bokken made special just for suburi training.

[jk]

Reza, if a bokuto is meant for practice of basic sword strokes (suburi) only, I don't think the type of wood would matter as much. Most suburito you run into are made of red oak, because that wood is reasonably cheap and does the job. Many of the locally available woods in Indonesia or Malaysia would be suitable; just get one made in a wood you like. I think the weight and balance of the suburito should be more important considerations. That, and tennis elbow... :)

[sanosuke]

that's what i meant John, i mean, what type of wood that has most ideal weight and balance for suburi to

[jk]

Generally, the denser the wood, the heavier the suburito can be for a given size; otherwise, does it really matter? The more important thing is how heavy do you want the suburito? 1, 2, or even 3 kg? What about he point of balance? 15, 20, 30 cm from where the tsuba should be? For what purposes are you using a suburito? To strengthen your upper body? To swing something that more resembles the weight and balance of a shinken? To impress women? :) It all depends...

If what you're after is something close to the weight and balance of a shinken, my guesstimate is a weight of 900-1400 g, with a POB 13-18 cm from where the tsuba should be. Getting that POB may be pretty hard with a single piece of wood; you'll probably end up with a POB a bit further out than that. Just my opinion of course...

[Abasan]

I've tried bokken practice with this almost suburito thingey i got from japan... and i wish i hadn't gone and bought that thing.

It may have been a sound idea at the time, that i should practice with something heavier so that when i do the real thing it would be light. But it sure kills your fingers in the process.

[sanosuke]

For what purposes are you using a suburito? To strengthen your upper body? To swing something that more resembles the weight and balance of a shinken? To impress women?

impress women?? I don't know which woman can be impressed by whacking your suburito to a rubber tyre:D the result won't make your body muscle-shaped though.

I just want to practice my shomen to be more focused, well maybe try the swing closest to shinken would also be fine.It may have been a sound idea at the time, that i should practice with something heavier so that when i do the real thing it would be light. But it sure kills your fingers in the process.
it's all in the grip, abas-san....

[Thalib]

It's all in the natural movement, Reza-san.

[sanosuke]

natural movement, that's correct, Kamal. but i heard that suburi exercise also help in strengthening your posture and centering. by whacking rubber tyre, you can feel the resistance from the tyre, if you grip it wrong your shomen will be not aligned with the center line, same occurs if your movement isn't natural, though.