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
When looking at kendo bogu, whether it is online or in catalogs, you often see the word “Shokko” in the description of the bogu. Shokko is part of the kazari or “decoration” on the ago and on the mune (though it can and has been placed elsewhere as well), and Read More
Written by Hayashi Takahiro, Kendo Kyoshi 7-dan(Tozando) Important points to take note of when taking the promotional examination Last time we spoke about the Shodan promotional exam, so this time we will talk a bit more in detail about how to approach the promotional exam. For this post, I have Read More
MUKOKU, based on Shuhei Fujisawa’s novel, will be going up in theaters all over Japan on the 3rd of June! The movie is about Kengo Yatabe (Ayano Go) a 5-dan Kendoka who stops practicing after causing an accident, now he spends his days drinking and working as a security guard. Read More
Passing the Shodan examination The first real obstacle to anyone who starts Kendo is passing the Shodan examination, during which your most basic Kendo knowledge will be put to the test. Depending on where you are taking the examination, the actual contents of it might vary. However I believe that Read More
We had some questions from Kendo customers about the SSP and SG seals on Shinai and if the SSP seal will become a requirement for competing Kendoka from now on. The short answer is NO! The requirement of SSP seals on Shinai won’t affect Kendoka overseas at the moment. If Read More
Tsukidare (Ago) is a part that we pay much attention to as craftsmen, since any strike to this part comes with a lot of danger. When wearing the Men, many people tend to grab it by the Ago and wear the Men, however, it’s not good to do so, as Read More
Red (vermilion) is a color that makes your field of view feel brighter. Japanese traditional tableware and bowls are often painted with red Urushi, the reason for this is that the red colors accents the contents of the bowl making them look brighter and more appealing. For example in clear Read More
Tozando has developed an attachment for the Men, called the “IBB Safety Guard”, which comes attached by default on many of our newer Bogu series and Men, and protects your throat against Tsuki. To confirm how effective the IBB Safety Guard can be, we asked Tozando’s Hayashi Kyoshi 7-dan to Read More
