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Old 01-27-2006, 12:37 PM   #1
John Boswell
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Midland
Location: Midland, Texas
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How many practice weapons do you have?

Just out of curiosity, how many practice weapons do you have?
Why so many/few?

The reason I ask is because I have an excellent bokken and a couple good jos. I'd like at least one more bokken in case mine ever breaks, though I doubt it would for a long time.

However, I find it difficult to justify spending the money when what I have does the trick!

I dunno... just thinking out loud. Comment or not, it's all good.

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Old 01-27-2006, 12:51 PM   #2
Jorge Garcia
Dojo: Shudokan School of Aikido
Location: Houston
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

John,
What is your bokken made of? If it's Japanese white oak, it will last for years. If is the standard, it will go about a year to a year and a half depending on how you use it. I have a light bokken and a heavy bokken, I usually just have one jo.

"It is the philosophy that gives meaning to the method of training."
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Old 01-27-2006, 01:53 PM   #3
Qatana
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Petaluma, Petaluma,CA
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

my bokken, named Anguish
my jo, named illusion
my tanto, named mediator, though I usually call it Faithful Companion

I want a better jo, mine is cracking
I want a katana, a Real one
I want the local koryu class not to be at the same time as my aikido classes with Sensei...

Q
http://www.aikidopetaluma.com/
www.knot-working.com

"It is not wise to be incautious when confronting a little smiling bald man"'- Rule #1
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Old 01-27-2006, 02:09 PM   #4
John Boswell
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Midland
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Jorge,

I believe it is Japanese White Oak as I purchused my bokken/jo set from E-bugo and it claimed "Master Quality" and it feels to be for the most part. I would prefer a heavier bokken for contact, but this one has not failed me.

Good luck with your scheduling, Jo Adell! There are many arts I'd like to study, if only I had the time. I haven't named my weapons as you have. Should I ever get around to hand carving my own, I might. Otherwise... *shrug* Cute names though!

And PS: Another reason I've been asking is because I've seen others with multiple weapons, and I'd like to have a variety as well. But if my wife ever saw me spend a hundred bucks on a bokken, I think she'd shoot me or beat the poo outta me with it... thus, I'm fishing for justification to give in to tempation. Not really, but I do feel I need more than just one bokken.

...or do I ?

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Old 01-27-2006, 03:09 PM   #5
Fred Little
Dojo: NJIT Budokai
Location: State Line NJ/NY
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

This weekend, my seminar buki bag contains:

two naginata
one yari
one bo
two bokken
two shoto
two tanto
one jo
one iaito

my standard aikido seminar bag would carry

one bo
two jo
two bokken
two shoto
two tanto
fukuro shinai daisho

I like having a spare in case anything breaks, plus, somebody always turns up at weapons class without having brought their buki.

But I've inherited a lot of gear from people who stopped training and just left their weapons behind.....

FL
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Old 01-27-2006, 03:46 PM   #6
Shipley
Dojo: UBC Okanagan Aikido Club
Location: Kelowna
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Canada
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Wow. I'm feeling a bit on the spare side

One jo -- japanese white oak, 13 years old
One bokken -- bujin hickory, 12 years old
One tanto -- I made it just for fun, 6 years old
Fukuro shinai, one short one long - eight years old, tired
Iaito -- 10 years old, tired

I'm not worried about any of these breaking, except the fukuro shinai. My bokken is getting a bit ragged, and oddly enough after many years just warped a bit. I may replace it with another this year.

Paul
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Old 01-27-2006, 04:05 PM   #7
Erick Mead
 
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have

(2) [matched pair] lignium vitae bokken, 8 years old

(1) anonymous hardwood "beater" bokken, unknown vintage

(2) [matched pair] machine-lathed pecan/hickory(?) jo about twelve years old

(1) one hand-shaped oak jo about 10 years old

(1) leather-wrapped shinai about 12 years old


I have never felt inadequately provided for.


"Now the assailant will attack me WITH --- a Banana!"

"What if he comes at us with pointed stick?"

"Shaddup!!"



Cordially,
Erick Mead
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Old 01-27-2006, 04:15 PM   #8
Karen Wolek
Dojo: Kingston Aikido
Location: New York
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Quote:
John Boswell wrote:
Jorge,

But if my wife ever saw me spend a hundred bucks on a bokken, I think she'd shoot me or beat the poo outta me with it... thus, I'm fishing for justification to give in to tempation. Not really, but I do feel I need more than just one bokken.

...or do I ?
Tell her it's for the baby. <grin>

I have one fine set from Mugendo Budogu....one bokken, one jo, and one tanto. And Peter from MB picked up a small size bokken for my kids in Japan. That one is actually a better length for me since I'm such a shrimp. But I think my sensei thinks it's too light. Hmpf.

I want a purpleheart bokken. Cause they are purty.

Karen
"Try not. Do...or do not. There is no try." - Master Yoda
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Old 01-27-2006, 10:54 PM   #9
Lan Powers
Dojo: Aikido of Midland, Midland TX
Location: Midland Tx
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Two Jo's one white oak from Sei Do Kai, one I turned out of Hickory
One Tanto red oak I think
one Bokken the mate from the Sei Do Kai set
Others come and go as gifts.......Even the Bujin one. (It was too big for me anyway)

Lan

Play nice, practice hard, but remember, this is a MARTIAL art!
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Old 01-28-2006, 09:29 AM   #10
SeiserL
 
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

IMHO, one never has too many practice (or actual) weapons.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 01-28-2006, 09:37 AM   #11
Lan Powers
Dojo: Aikido of Midland, Midland TX
Location: Midland Tx
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Quote:
Lynn Seiser wrote:
IMHO, one never has too many practice (or actual) weapons.
A man after my own heart. (I usually say "guitars" though)
To each his/her own.
Regards
Lan

Play nice, practice hard, but remember, this is a MARTIAL art!
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Old 01-28-2006, 10:49 AM   #12
crbateman
 
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Location: Orlando, FL
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have a room full, but only a few favorites that I actually take on the mat. Most (particularly the ironwood and macassar ebony pieces) are just for looks, because they would promptly smash most of the stuff the others were using. And not much sucks worse than splinters on the mat (or in the eyes). I enjoy making my own weapons, particularly out of beautiful exotic woods. It is a peaceful, calming process. My own way of Zen.
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Old 01-29-2006, 05:25 AM   #13
Mark Uttech
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
Location: Wisconsin
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I don't know if this means anything, but the only important thing to me was always to have back-up weapons.
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Old 01-29-2006, 08:11 AM   #14
rottunpunk
Dojo: koteikan aikido centre
Location: great britain
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

i have...
-my iaito, for use with iai
-one shinai from when i did kendo (my spare went walkies somewhere inbetween housemoving)
-one suburi bokken my iai teacher made me
-one light cherry wood shorter baokken that was made as a christmas present from an iai freind
-one ni-ten bokken i got when my shoulder was at its worst and i couldnt lift my iaito
-one wooden tanto
-one jo staff
-and somewhere my bashy white oak bokken i left at a seminar-oopsy
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Old 01-29-2006, 12:21 PM   #15
Matt Molloy
Dojo: Azami Kai
Location: Edinburgh
Join Date: Apr 2004
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Hmmmm.

One white oak jo.

One brown oak (I think) bokken (standard).

One Kodachi bokuto. (from doing the three Kodachi Kendo kata )

One Suburi bokken (ebony).

Two escrima sticks (basic rattan).

Retired are one bokken and jo (generic hardwood).

More than I thought but I still get the craving for more. One day....A Iaito!

Cheers,

Matt.
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Old 01-29-2006, 01:47 PM   #16
Don_Modesto
Dojo: Messores Sensei (Largo, Fl.)
Location: Florida
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Quote:
Fred Little wrote:
This weekend, my seminar buki bag contains:

two naginata
one yari
one bo
two bokken
two shoto
two tanto
one jo
one iaito
Jesus!

Naginata? Yari? Bo?

What seminar are you at?

Don J. Modesto
St. Petersburg, Florida
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http://www.theaikidodojo.com/
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Old 01-29-2006, 10:27 PM   #17
CatSienna
 
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Dojo: Ueshiba
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

none, but sometimes I practice with the mop or broom as a jo in my office when no one else is around .
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Old 01-29-2006, 11:51 PM   #18
Simone
Dojo: Augsburg/Haunstetten
Location: Germany
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have
one cheap jo, two japanese oak jo
one cheap bokken, one with a funny colour
one cheap tanto and a long one (I was told the naginata people use it)
one metal tanto
and two tembo (spelling?; cut my old jo because one end was broken)

We do not do a lot of weapon training. But I also like to have back-up and I also know peaple who forget their set. I carry all weapons for big seminars, for our weekly we-may-need-weapons-or-not-training I carry one set (jo, bokken, tanto) normally.
I'd like to carve my own set of weapons (my father has some nice pieces of exotic wood) and I'd like to have an Iaito (even if I do not really know what to do with it...) one day.

Simone
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Old 01-30-2006, 01:23 PM   #19
Fred Little
Dojo: NJIT Budokai
Location: State Line NJ/NY
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Quote:
Don J. Modesto wrote:
Jesus!

Naginata? Yari? Bo?

What seminar are you at?
Ellis Amdur was teaching an atemi and kenjutsu seminar at Toman Dojo (a truly splendid and meticulously maintained training facility in the gorgeous setting of Maryland's horse country).

So I just threw the "everything but the kitchen sink" Buko Ryu gear bag in the car and hoped to catch some instruction at chance moments.

My hopes were exceeded: lordy me oh my, do I have a lot of work to do.

FL
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Old 01-30-2006, 02:12 PM   #20
Nick Simpson
Dojo: White Rose Aikido - Durham University
Location: Gateshead
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have 4 bokken: 3 From Kyoto in Japan. One Heavyish, two light. 1 Standard bokken.

1 Suburito Bokken given to me by my instructor.

1 Standard Jo (we call it the 'lovely jo')

2 Standard wooden Tanto.

1 Standard wooden Wakizashi.

1 Live Tanto.

1 Blunt Tanto.

1 Live Ken.

1 Live Wakizashi.

I only really use one bokken, jo and wooden tanto regularly. The workhorses

They're all screaming about the rock n roll, but I would say that it's getting old. - REFUSED.
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Old 02-01-2006, 05:28 PM   #21
Michael O'Brien
Dojo: Nashville Aikikai
Location: Nashville, Tn
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

2 - Bokken
2 - Jo
1 - Bo

Other miscellaneous stuff left over from Tae Kwon Do, etc.

Harmony does not mean that there are no conflicts,
for the dynamic spiral of existence embraces both extremes.
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Old 02-02-2006, 07:50 PM   #22
rtist
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
Location: Wisconsin
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have far fewer than I'd like and far more than my wife thinks I should have.
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Old 02-02-2006, 09:17 PM   #23
Simbo
Location: Carbondale
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

Quote:
Michael Wroblewski wrote:
I have far fewer than I'd like and far more than my wife thinks I should have.
Isn't that how most non-practictioners feel?

You'd be surprised at how much aikido philosophy you can pick up on at the end of the party when there's just a couple drunk sempai and you.
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Old 02-02-2006, 11:09 PM   #24
Dajo251
Dojo: Aikido Downtown
Location: Rhode Island
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

I have my good bokken from kingfisher wood working.....its about 8 years old, sat idle for 4 or five but has taken a good beating, I love it....it is a beautiful piece as well.
I also have a ratan bow that I thought looked cool, I;ve never used it for anything but it is very pretty,
Also a single stander jo, nothing fancy
plus my didjurri do which I have been know to do jo kata with when I am real bored

Dan Hulley
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Old 02-02-2006, 11:43 PM   #25
Jerry Miller
 
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Re: How many practice weapons do you have?

One jo, one bo and one bokken. You need more than one because if someone visits and does not bring theirs how can you practice your kumitachi and kumijo.

Jerry Miller
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