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WABUKAN Arsenal · Training tools · Japan

Shinai

Four bamboo slats held together with leather and cord. It lets kendo fighters strike at full speed without injuring each other.

Shinai
Shinai WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

竹刀 · fukuro-shinai (leather-covered ancestor)

Origin and history

The bamboo practice sword is credited to the Edo period: the fukuro-shinai of split bamboo in a leather sleeve is attributed to the Shinkage-ryū, and the modern four-slat shinai spread in the 18th century with protective armour, making full-contact sparring possible.

Martial arts that use it

Kendo

Construction

Four bamboo (or carbon) slats held by a leather cap (sakigawa), a leather grip (tsuka-gawa), a string (tsuru) marking the back and a leather band (nakayui). Length and minimum weight are set by the All Japan Kendo Federation by age and sex; adult men use a 39 (about 120 cm).

Basic techniques

Training

Training tools are used in short, regular sessions: correct technique first, then gradual increases in load or contact so that joints, skin and tendons adapt.

Safety

Increase load and contact gradually, stop if joints hurt (as opposed to normal muscle fatigue), and check the equipment and its fixings before each use.

Legality (general information)

This is training or traditional equipment, not a weapon, and is generally free to buy and own. Clubs and federations may still set rules on approved models and condition. General information, not legal advice.

Did you know?

The string marks the “back” of the blade: a strike with the string side does not score.

More weapons

Makiwara Chi ishi and nigiri game Wooden dummy Gada Feder Espada preta (black sword)

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Shinai
  2. Wikipedia — Kendo