I want to buy a new Kote, could you please give me some advice? Like with the Menfuton, it’s good to get a Kote that is properly padded, where the padding is adequately thick and properly dispersed throughout the Futon and has good moisture absorption. Such a Kote will properly Read More
Can you repair a Kote by yourself? Generally speaking in terms of Bogu, it’s said that by the time your Do has reached the end of its life-time, you will have gone through two Men, and three pairs of Kote. That shows how fast a pair of Kote can be Read More
In Budo, appearance and the way you dress is a very important element, and it’s often said that your appearance is a mirror of your mind. If your appearance is disorderly, it shows that your mind is disturbed. Always remaining well dressed and tidy, this is also something that requires Read More
The most important aspects of preserving Japanese swords are to protect them from developing rust and scratches. Here are three simple precautions that you can take to make sure that long term storage does not damage your treasured shinken. Please note that these guidelines are for ferrous swords, not for Read More
How often your perform maintenance depends on what sort of blade you have and what you use it for. If you have an iaito from Japan that is made from Zinc/Alluminium you do not need to use uchiko powder because it will not rust. If you use it for iaido then you should oil it as and when is needed. However if it is for decoration only then once every two months should be fine.
It goes without saying, that Japanese swords are precious cultural treasures, but if it is handled roughly it might be damaged or might cause injury to yourself or someone else. If that happens, the value of such a precious treasure might be lost and we don’t want to embarass our Read More
Jōdan-no-kamae (上段の構え) is one of the five kamae in Kendo and is also called hi-no-kamae (火の構え), meaning “the stance of fire.” Jōdan does not allow for retreat, it is intimidating, and it is a technique that requires you make a one-hit-kill, lest you find yourself in a less than ideal Read More
Why are Bogu dyed with Indigo-dye? Bogu are traditionally dyed using Aizome (indigo-dye) and in the past Aizome was something that the Japanese people could find all around them, the indigo-dyed color being a natural part of their everyday life. The famous Edo period Ukiyo-e master Andō Hiroshige, best known Read More
First of all, the point most people would prioritize would be to choose a Men that doesn’t hurt too much when you are hit. However, this is hard to know, so let me explain from the beginning. The Men Futon is usually stuffed with varying layers of cotton and felt, Read More
In the last article about shokko, we looked at the wonderful patterns that adorn many mune and ago of bogu. This time we are going to take a closer look at the patterns with which most kendo practitioners are familiar, such as Kozakura (Cherry blossoms) and Shobu (Japanese Iris) Read More
