virginia tech kendo
equipment
As some of you may know, the equipment in kendo can be quite expensive. Luckily, the bogu (padding, see below) isn't needed in the early stages of practice. The only thing that is needed is a shinai (bamboo sword, see below). You can order these online (see the links section), or possibly borrow one from the club. However, right now we only have 3 or 4 extra shinai, so don't expect too much. They cost around $25 each. This isn't too much to ask, because they will last you for a while, and since kendo is based on the sword, you can't really do anything without one. Once you have the basic equipment, kendo is generally much cheaper to practice than most other martial arts.
What about the bogu? A full set, including the uniform, carrying bag, and shipping, will run about $450. This is a heck of a lot of money to expect college students to pay. We are working on getting the university to possibly buy the club a few sets, which of course would be property of Tech and have to be stored here on campus. We aren't sure how soon this will be, but most likely not until around next semester. Members are welcome to buy bogu if they wish. However, we encourage those who are considering this to try kendo out for a while (at least a month or two) before they make this kind of investment.
Practices are conducted on a wood floor (usually dance studio floor or gym floor) in bare feet. In the beginning, your feet will get sore and blistered until you develop a callus. But, once you practice for a few weeks, it will feel like second nature. In the photos, you see people wearing the special pleated skirt (hakama) and shirt (keikogi), but you won't need these initially either. Just wear something comfortable that you would exercise in. Also, one of the functions of the hakama is to hide your footwork from your opponent. So we discourage newbies from wearing this, so as to avoid using wrong technique and developing a bad habit.
Shinai, made of 4 bamboo pieces and leather. The design allows for some give when the shinai strikes something, making it less painful. Nicer ones can also be made of carbon fiber, which are essentially the same except they don't break and will last longer than you. However, they also run about $100 and up. Bamboo shinai are more than adequate for beginners. Very rarely a shinai will crack or break, and this usually happens if you are swinging it too hard. There are some other options when buying a shinai such as handle shape and overall length. Standard shinai (the ones most members of the club use) are bamboo, round-handled, size 39. Some handles are oval shaped to mimic the feel of a real katana. There are also variations in size for children and women.
Keikogi (commonly called simply "gi") on the left, and hakama on the right. The hakama might look cumbersome, but it actually quite comfortable. It also helps hide your footwork. The keikogi is very similar to the shirt used in things like karate or judo, but this one is made of heavier fabric and the sleeves are slightly longer. Both of these differences help in absorbing stray blows
Bogu - consisting of helmet (men), gloves (kote), breast plate (do), padded skirt (tare). The bogu is tied together using heavy strings (himo). The kote are made of heavy leather, and the do is fiberglass in cheaper sets and bamboo segments in nicer ones. Bogu is nice in that is relatively light and allows for easy movement, but provides the necessary protection. It also looks really cool.
