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

Ignorance is blister.

I have been practising Kendo for two thirds of my life, which, being a European kenshi, puts me safely in the category "Survivors".
I have been travelling a lot, thanks to Kendo, too, and I can surely say I have seen much.
Now that I live and work in Japan, though, I discover myself prey of strange and unusual fits of fury. I cannot find a better word to describe my reaction to the daily, continuous discovery of new equipment items, be they custom-made shinai, high-tech summer kendogi or shiai-hyperspecialised kote.

It is a fact that in Japan the availability of new items is not something of today. In Europe we were still struggling with finding a bogu (any bogu) to start practice, while here the master craftsmen were creating all possible variation of  armour. Now we think that globalisation and internet shopping have changed all this, but believe, from where I stand, this is NOT true.

There are two main reasons: both of them are cultural and, in my opinion, both should be corrected, because they are in the way of our Kendo progress.

The first reason can be summarised in the "I-am-not-good-enough-for-it" Syndrome. "Would I look arrogant if I buy a bamboo Do?" "Will my sensei get angry at me if I buy a hand-stitched Bogu?" these are REAL questions I had to answer in my daily work. Apart for giving me a lot of thought regarding the moral standing of a sensei with an envious side, if the economical aspect is within your possibilities, striving to have the best equipment possible would be considered obvious in any other physical activity, make it ski or tennis, but even simple WALKING (would you go for too small or too large shoes?).
In Kendo, for some strangely ingrained attitude, it is good to suffer with wrong sized Bogu, it is healthy to bleed in badly padded and worn out Kote, it absolutely reasonable to get epicondylitis using too heavy, wrongly shaped shinai. Yes, because we are the descendant of the Samurai and suffering is our destiny.
Let me immediately tell you that the real descendants of the Samurai use equipments that fit their needs perfectly and if they have to show endurance you can be sure that is about fighting with all their heart and their might against the opponent, not against their equipment. Suffering because we have been sloppy (or extra-money-tight)  in selecting or sizing our Bogu is NOT GOOD.

The second cultural reason is, appropriately, lack of culture, meaning lack of information regarding what is available out there. There is A LOT. And be warned, there are also fashion items and badly thought-of inventions, but that is part of the game in a mature and extensive market, that offers so much.
When I started Kendo, oh gosh, it was lucky to receive one of the second-hand, student bogu the AJKF would donate every year. The Men was too big? a bit of padding et voila`! The Kote were torn? Endless afternoons of fun, punching your fingers with a needle. The Hakama was too short? Naked ankles are sexy after all. THOSE TIMES ARE OVER!
Just ask, the information are available, if you are searching for the right item for you, probably it is already OUT THERE! Ask, and do not buy blindly: there are reason why items have different prices even if they look the same, there are possibilities of customisations that not necessarily are reserved to kenshi millionaires, there is even room for some quirkiness, because we are individuals, even if we are all striving to hit Men-uchi in the same way.

Housen in the spotlight

When I came to Kyoto for the Enbu Taikai, last year, I met Housen for the first time. Actually, I did not know they were Housen - I just stopped in admiration in front of their stall, close to the Butokuden.
I was really impressed by the beauty of their shinai and bogu bags: the colours, the patterns and the obvious quality of the fabrics. No, at the moment I did not need a bogu bag or a shinai bag, but I wished I had an excuse to buy something. Mr. Hatano, the owner of this small family run company, took a picture of me, carrying around a fantastic, traditional patterned bougu/shinai set and told me it would be published on the new catalogue, together with those of  young, fierce looking Japanese kenshi and famous Hanshi sensei.
He kept his word. I became a fan.

It was therefore natural to enclose Housen products into Kyoto Budogu collection. Living in Kyoto and having keiko here, Housen bags immediately started to spring to my eyes wherever I went - and they were everywhere. How could that be, that I did not know about them before last year? I have an average of three shinai bags, full of shinai of course, in every place where I keep a bogu - that makes no less than 12 shinai bags, why I never got an elegant Housen one?
Being store manager of Kyoto Budogu, I felt the need to know more about these beautiful items and about the company itself. This year, again at the Kyoto Taikai, I took an appointment and together with my colleague Sara I devoted a Saturday to this little expedition.
Housen is based in Tatsuno, in Hyogo Prefecture and was established 27 years ago. Mr. Hatano came to pick us up at Himeji station and drove us to the factory. The company still retains the workshop feeling, since all items are order-made. I was hoping to find some ready assortment (I had my eyes already on a beautiful Ichimatsu shinai bag), but that was not the case. Each item is cut, embroidered and finished according to the specifications of the order. We sat in the showroom and we had tea, while we were introduced to the Hatano family (Mr., Mrs. daughter and son) and to the philosophy of the company.

First of all, we spoke about the embroidery, which plays a very important role. Housen offers very handsome bags, but also embroiders names, character and symbols on them, in a very high quality. The Kanji are made in a way that shows the "stroke of the brush", as if the calligrapher himself would have taken control of the computerised sewing machines that are used for this task. The name of the owner is never sewn on top - it would not be considerate respectful, since the body of the bag would carry usually the masterpiece of the calligrapher or some inspiring sentence, that should be pondered by the owner of the bag. Housen also takes responsibility to select the thread colours that would go together with the fabrics: no flashy contrasts are allowed, since - in the words of Mr. Hatano - "Housen bags are meant to last for decades and a flashy  look would bore and wear out the owner, who would abandon the bag well before the end of its lifespan. This is not desirable."
Housen bags are meant to last. The policy of the company is to create sturdy, beautiful objects that the Customer would buy again, not out of necessity, but out of admiration.

Mr. Hatano showed us the factory: the sewing machines for the embroidery, the stacks of leather and fabrics and the cutting templates, but also the details of the crafting of some items that were laying on the working tables. The painful care of each little detail left us in awe. He showed us also the prototypes - those which passed into production and those which didn`t - the new fabrics that will enter next year collection, the ways to optimise this manufacturing process, which remains time- and material-consuming. A special treat was to assist to a photo session, in a professional photographer`s studio. The pictures are used to create the new catalogue, but also to put the items in context, together with the kenshi who order them - high quality photos that appear in the advertisements on the celebrated Kendo Jidai pages.

We came back to Kyoto impressed by the thoroughness of their care and expertise, and more convinced than ever that offering Housen products on Kyoto Budogu is a privilege and a real honour.

The signature Ichimatsu fabrics

Housen label

Four of four: Furinkazan

The first question I wished to answer with my test was: why is Furinkazan by far the most popular shinai in Kyoto Budogu?

Well, for sure it is a beauty. The smoked bamboo has such an attractive colour that makes it a joy to see. 

It is also pretty clear that the quality of the bamboo is very high. 

I have in mind a parallel with red wine: only the best vintages are selected for storing and keeping and aging... only the superior grapes can be refined by time and by a further process. 

The same for bamboo: only the highest quality can become Furinkazan. No frail, stained or inferior bamboo would be economically viable for an additional treatment. This is simple, financial, common sense.

One factor is the look - then maybe the name. I quote from Wikipedia:

Fūrinkazan (風林火山), literally "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain", was the battle standard used by the Sengoku period daimyo Takeda Shingen, quoting chapter 7 of Sun Tzu's The Art of War: "as swift as wind, as orderly as forest, as fierce as fire, as unshakeable as mountain."

Kagemusha has always been my favourite Kurosawa`s film, obviously I can instantly connect with the meaning of Furinkazan. Well, it is only a shinai, but the endless rows of ashigaru carring the 4 banners with the four colours of Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain on their backs is still an image I cannot shake.

Good, all this for the looks and the folklore. Let`s concentrate now on the function. 

Technically, Furinkazan is still a Dobari shinai. But... if I were to define the feeling of handling a Furinkazan, I could not find a better expression than "ZERO GRAVITY SHINAI".

Furinkanzan simply disappear in your hands. After testing the other shinai, I was always conscious of their main feature: the weight in the hands, the fast tip, the size or the shape of the grip. 

With Furinkazan none of the above applies. It is the NEUTRAL shinai. It does not offer any distraction, it is perfectly balanced, you simply forget about it. You only have to worry about your aite and about doing your "thing". It does not take your attention, it follows your movements without stressing your arms. It is like a docile, well trained dressage mare that makes every figure look natural and effortless.

The beautiful Furinkazan has definitely the gift of obedience. Very recommended for all.