Hand-stitched Art

I really like hand-stitched Bogu. Actually, I get fixed in admiration every time I see one. From 3.00 Bu, to 0.8 Bu, the craftsmanship always leaves me amazed. It could be that I have never been able to sew anything myself (the good housewife is not exactly my call), but the sheer beauty of the indigo fabrics, stitched so precisely and neatly makes me wish to own a new set every time. 

We can discuss the merits of each type of hand stitch: actually, it would not be fair saying that the hard-working craftsman worked wonders completely different from happens with the mm-equivalent machine-stitched futon.
The tighter the stitch lines, the more compressed the padding, the stiffer the futon: this is true both for hand-stitched and machine-stitched Bogu. Nevertheless, hand-stitch futon retains a higher level of suppleness, that makes the Bogu faster to conform to the body of the wearer. I guess no one who experienced keiko with both could argue that.

I still have a beautiful 2mm. machine-stitched Bogu that is as hard as the day I bought it - when I find myself forced to use it, I try to make it more reasonable by placing my Chesterfield armchair on the top of the Mengane. Once I left it like that for three months - still, it did not really improve. From then on, only hand-stitch existed for me.
The problem is that I am spoiled. The Men I wear more often are either hand-stitched or fit-stitched (although I did not know what fit-stitched was when I bought it - I simply needed a new Men, I was in Japan and the top of my Mengane had broken - very intense training at the Summer Leaders` Seminar in Kitamoto , that year). I love hand-stitch Kote and I think they are not only more beautiful, but also more protective and supple.

Fit-stitch is a logical improvement, in terms of suppleness: it is still applied with a machine, but the stitches are longer: again, the padding is less compressed than in the corresponding "traditional" machine-stitched futon, hence the futon is easier to adapt, being "puffier" and softer. My personal opinion? It is certainly an improvement (I think of my Chesterfield armchair finally at peace), but to my eye it looks a bit untidy, if compared to the beauty of the cross-stitches applied manually.

Of course, it is still a matter of personal tastes. The only thing that really counts is that the Bogu fits your size and it is safe and tidy.
Old Bogu can be fascinating, when they discolour nicely - stained Bogu or Bogu going to pieces are a complete no-no (of course you KNOW how to remove sweat/salt stains, don`t you?)
Ageing gracefully (with proper, continuing maintenance) is exactly what life-long Kendo is all about.
Looking like tramps in the dojo, not so.

A Chesterfield armchair - a necessary piece of furniture for each kenshi.

Fashion victims

I will spare you the old story I told before, about how difficult it was, back in the 80`s, to purchase a decent bogu. We all managed to survive those days and here we are, in the time of internet abundance.
Just by chance, I happen to work for a bogu maker and retailer, so I spend my days surrounded by bogu sets and loose parts. Just turning around my head, while I sit at the desk in the office, I can see two Do and two Men and I know that, just close to my keyboard, just under a pile of Kendogi and Hakama there are at least three pairs of Kote. The land of plenty indeed.
Without mentioning the ocean of bogu I saw in our warehouse and shipping centre, I would like to concentrate on the showroom that happens to be just a floor up from where I sit.

It is a beautiful display: all the best models of the collection (Korin, Koetsu, Tokuren, Samurai...) are lined up in the glass cases on both sides... The more I admire them, the more I realise there is a glitch somewhere. I have been scratching my head for a while, but now I definitely have the issue pinned down. What do all these bogu have in common? and what makes them so similar (from a distance) to the fit-stitched models, like Fujin, Rajin or Yoroi? The answer is easy: they are ALL BLACK.





When I finally had the money and a nice excuse (I just passed Godan) to purchase a brand new bogu, all in one go (not bit by bit, maybe recycling some wrongly sized purchase of some dojo mate), the first thing I thought of was: "WHICH COLOUR?", meaning the Mune and Ago embroidery and the shade of the Do Dai. I chose a subtle red theme, nothing too visible, but for sure NOT BLACK.
When I purchased my first hand-stitch set of Men and Do (in the days in which the yen was very high, not like today...), the first decision was again: "WHICH COLOUR?". This time I went for blue: two threads in two tones for Ago and Mune and, a Do Dai in a dark shade of blue. most importantly, I finally realised my kendo-career-long dream of having a BAMBOO DO.
A bamboo do! what a wonderful item! the craftsmanship! the quality of the lacquer! the matching embroidery! the beautiful inside, with my name written in golden ink... the long wait was over: I finally made the grade.

Definitely, I am a dinosaur. Japanese kenshi are well beyond coloured embroidery and bamboo Do.

There is a sort of unwritten rule that makes BLACK the only acceptable colour for a Do in official AJKF competitions. It has to be said, though, that in Student Championships teams tend to have matching bogu, sometimes very colourful and recognisable. However, adults seem to stick to the unwritten black rule (on the other hand, it also states that the urushi around the Mengane must be red:  all black Menbuchi is not allowed, in official AJKF competitions!).
A coloured, two- or three-tone embroidered Mune is definitely musty and terribly fané.
.
Regarding the Bamboo Do, well, I had some raised eyebrows when I stated quite candidly that it is the ultimate (equipment) goal for a kenshi to possess a beautiful, traditional, all natural Bamboo Do. The comment was: "Oh really?" which in Japanese terms is the equivalent of a "WTF are you saying?" kind of reaction.
Bamboo is considered too heavy or too old fashioned. Bamboo Do is an item for celebrations or special occasions (Taikai? Examinations? Red Weddings?), surely not for daily practice. This was a discovery, too.

Are all these considerations meant for fashion victims only? Does it feel a bit like Giorgio Armani haute couture vs. Missoni knitwear ? Are we maybe forgetting that a bogu, for a kenshi, is much more than equipment, but that acquiring one is a significant (and emotional) step along the Way?
I leave it to my readers to decide. Comments are very welcome.
For sure, we are assisting to a very important shift in the Japanese market: Inner Beauty overpowers Flashy Outlook. There will a be lot more to write!

Hand stitched kinari kendogi

One thousand and two Kote

I wrote about the Tare, which I see a bit like the unsung hero of the Bogu. At the other side of the spectrum, here come the Kote.

Kote are valid targets. 

Kote are the only active, moving part of the Bogu. 

Kote are subject to a very high degree of wear and tear.

Having said so, it is pretty clear that the challenges a pair of Kote must face are multiple: supple means comfortable, but maybe not protective enough. Thick means safe, but maybe painful to break in. 

As my knowledge about Kote expanded, I realised there are more variables to take into account: why high level shiai-sha prefer Orizashi cotton to Deerskin? I have been in the National Team so long, I never considered having a specialised pair of Kote... a pair that would not sound as a valid ippon even when hit on the atama...

I started looking at my own Kote with a completely different eye.

Of course I own different pairs of Kote, because I own different Bogu, but since the wear and tear sometimes reaches levels that are beyond a reasonable recovery, I preferred have spare ones, in order to spread the fatigue caused by the friction of the Tsukagawa on the palm... I wear normally cotton gloves to absorb any perspiration and avoid the Kote getting wet: this seems to work nicely in prolonging the life of my best pairs. I would not go for anything else than hand-stitched, now, I find them more comfortable immediately and, why not, more beautiful than machine-stitched ones.

This much for personal tastes, so far. But knowledge brings consequences: there are so many customisable features in a Kote - all beyond my wildest dreams.

Ok, Orizashi cotton, Deerskin or Neo Leather: you can choose to be eco-friendly if you wish. That is the first big divide. 

Machine-stitched, Fit-stitched or Hand-stitched: I already stated my preference here. But then? 

Extra padding for the right arm is available - and in the fist, do you prefer Cotton or Deer Hair?

What about the inside lining? Bio-treated to prevent spreading Eau de Kote in your Bogu room (everybody should have a Bogu room) or with a nice pattern that you only can see? Hello Kitty patterned fabrics INSIDE the Kote seems to be a favourite among little Japanese girls - I am not joking.

And the himo? you can select the colour, to go with the rest of the kazari ito - but what about silk instead of rayon? 

I will not even mention all the aesthetic possibilities: Kazari Ito, Matsuri Ito or Yabane can have matching or contrasting colours....actually I developed a certain taste for Inden Deerskin on the Asadomegawa and on the Yukiwa. 

Asadomegawa

Asadomegawa

Yukiwa

                            

Yukiwa

Yoroi Kote are also becoming more popular, although there is no real practical difference in the flexibility of the fingers.

Yoroigata style

Finally the palm: a very sensitive topic - I saw Kote with palms so hard, torn, tattered and dirty that they would have been perfect in a zombie story. Please, do not do THAT to your Kote, there is no need and no excuse to get to that level ! Palms can be replaced or repaired before getting to the extreme horror. Neo Leather? Smoked deerskin? White, Blue or Deerskin colour? The sky is the limit.

The Thriller Kote

One last note, before the list becomes too long - THE MEASURES ! please, do not underestimate the importance of taking the measurements correctly. Have someone help you! It is not a shame, it is a MUST !

Around the palm

Palm Length

A good read for a rainy day: all the options available under the sun can be found HERE:

Kendo Kote Workshop by Tozando