bokken style

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[AaronSmajda]

I am new to aikido and I was wondering if there is any signifigance to the different sytles of bokken, colour, tip, length. I imagine that the different thicknessess and lengths are purley personal preference, however, is there any deeper meaning to the colour of the bokken? I do not want to show up at my dojo and offend or assume anything. Perhaps this questions mearly exposes my immaturity in aikido

[Jory Boling]

this in no way helps answer your question, but

http://bokkenshop.com/eng/style.html

is a link to pictures of various style bokken. otherwise, i'm no help. sorry!
Jory

[Nick Simpson]

No bokken would be offensive, the different types are just favoured by certain different styles and schools, eg the yagyu bokken, the twin niten bokken. For the majority, thickness and length is a personal prefference, although the very heavy suburito bokken are mainly for improving your suburi and making sure that your technique is correct and not too strength orientated. Or so I believe.

[rottunpunk]

best thing to do would be to buy one through the club if they do that.

otherwise just a standard white oak should be fine.

i wouldnt go for a niten unless you are doing partner work with someone else who has a niten bokken as they are thinner and chunky bokto bash dents into them. though they are grand for lone work as they are more sword shaped.

get a nice tough wood. and avoid suburi bokto as they are too big.

ninecircles offer a good range too.
:p

[Jorge Garcia]

Larry Reynosa has a nice tape explaining the Bascs of the Bokken that I think is helpful. He shows all the different kinds and makes some good recommendations. It was sold before through his dojo Makoto dojo in Ventura. I don't know about now.
Best