Rubber bokken for practice?
 

I was wondering if somebody knows where to buy (or make if it can´t be buy) some practice bokken like those on this video. Their seem to be soft and don´t produce sound at all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwQJhCIu-zI

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

That may not necessarily be a rubber bokken.... I think they have a suede cover over the shinai

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Oohps. Searching for the terms "shinai suede cover" google points me that those were sold by Bujin Design (now closed). Bad news for me :(

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

If you know what you want and have the shinai, any good local seamstress should be able to put together a suede cover.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

It´s called Fukuro shinai. That should make it easier to locate how to´s and even webshops that sells them ( ex http://www.yamatobudogu.com/Fukuro_S...-s18001-02.htm )

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Try here: http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Wooden_...ecialised.aspx

They are a little shorter than the bujin shinai.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Unfortunately the Bujin shinai are no longer available. At least for the time being. Hopefully Aikido24 will have them in the near future since they now own Bujin. I have recently seen a pretty big selection of shinai and rubber bokken on Amazon.com

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Another place to try is E-Bogu. They are owned by a kendoka and have a vast array of martial arts supplies. Good service, good prices, good selection.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

This is a "shinai", more specifically a "fukuro shinai" to distinguish it from "kendo shinai" which are uncovered.

They've been around for a long time (Yagyu Ryu and Maniwa Nen Ryu Kenjustsu, for example) but Saotome Sensei is fairly unique amingst Aikido teachers for his use of the shinai. The ones in the video are "yagyu" style and were made by Bu Jin Deisgn. Unfortuantely they are no longer available.

We get ours now from Tozando. Fukuro Shinai Not as solid as the old Bu Jin ones but adequate.

Just a word of caution... if used properly, shinai will last a long time. But if you are a "stick basher". you can literally destroy the bamboo in these in three or four days of incorrect practice.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

I am told the Yagyukai prefer to use light, thin bamboo. When you become competent at cutting, you can go an entire class without needing to replace it.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Frankly, I always hated those things. The problem was that people would be less careful (because of the perceived "softness"), and you actually end up getting whacked a lot more often and more painfully than with a bokuto.

Best,

Chris

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Actually, that was precisely why I like them. Folks are scared of the bokken... scared of being hit and scared of hurting someone else. So folks too often don't really commit. They are putting the breaks on before they ever reached full commitment. What I liek about shinai is that the vast majority of folks are willing to actually hity you with the shinai while they won't with a bokken. So, especially when doing wepons taking but even in your paired forms, you get a much cleaner practice because people aren't mucking up the energy by pulling their attacks. I figure its my problem if I get hit... at least my partner is willing to really try with a shinai.

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Weapons taking is fine - it's the paired stuff that gets me, right on the knuckles (most other places don't really bother me). That's why kendo guys (and even many koryu ken guys) wear those nice comfy gloves when they train. :)

Best,

Chris

Re: Rubber bokken for practice?
 

Even those shinai are no joke if somebody really wallops you. We were doing a basic kata and someone got me with a yokumen--I don't know where my block was, but nowhere useful--and I was seeing stars for a minute or two. Hate to think what it would have been like if he'd had a bokken...