Shinai Totally Explained

Everything about Shinai totally explained

ť For the village near Anjar, Kutch, Gujarat, India, see Shinai village.

A is a practice weapon used primarily in kendo and is used as if it were a sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently than kendo shinai and are represented with different characters.
   Sizes and style of shinai vary. For example, an adult male may be able to use a shinai that's too heavy for a female or a younger person, so shinai with different characteristics are made. Shinai are available in many styles and balances.
   In kendo the majority of students use one shinai; this style has its roots in the tradition of itto (one sword). However, some kendoka use two shinai, in ni-to, a style that has its roots in the traditional two sword schools of swordsmanship. A ni-to player uses a longer shinai (daito), usually held in the left hand and a shorter shinai (shoto), usually held in the right hand.
   A Shinai shouldn't be confused with bokken, which is actually made from a single piece of wood. Both are used in Kendo, however.

History

The origins of the shinai are found in the Edo period where swordsmen, or kenjutsuka, developed a practice weapon that was less dangerous than the hard wood bokken, to reduce the number of practitioners that were being seriously wounded, maimed or even killed. This is also the motivation behind the development of bōgu. The word "shinai" is conventionally written with the characters 竹刀, meaning "bamboo sword". The word derives from the verb shinau 撓う, meaning "to bend, to flex", and was originally short for shinai-take (flexible bamboo).

Construction

The shinai is made of four slats (take), which are held together by three leather fittings; a tsuka-gawa (handle); a saki-gawa (tip) and a nakayui (a leather strip). All are secured with a tsuru (string). The two or three small (usually) red small strings tied around it need to be removed after purchase and before practising.
   The slats of a shinai are made from dried bamboo, some may also be treated (smoked or resin soaked) or made from carbon fibre reinforced resin or other approved alternative materials.
   The nakayui is tied about one-third of the length of the exposed bamboo from the tip (kensen); this holds the slats together and also marks the proper kendo striking portion of the shinai (datotso-bu).
   Inserted between the ends of the slats, under the saki-gawa is a plastic plug, saki-gomu and inside the tsuka-gawa there's a small square of metal (chigiri), that secures the slats.

Care of Shinai

A shinai must be properly taken care of or it can pose a danger to both the user, and the people around it. Shinai should be inspected for splinters and breaks before and after use, and taken care of in the manner considered most appropriate by one's style, dojo, or sensei.
   Many people believe that oiling and sanding a shinai prior to use, and periodically during use can greatly extend its life. However, even in Japan, people disagree on what is considered proper shinai care and there's much lore and myth surrounding various methods.
   To properly inspect a shinai, one first examines the area around the datotso-bu, looking on all sides of the shinai for splinters. Bamboo splinters infect easily, so care should be taken. The saki-gawa should be intact and the tsuru should be tight so that the saki-gawa can't slip off the end of the shinai while in use. In addition, the nakayui should be tight enough as to not rotate easily.
   When not in use, shinai may be properly placed against a wall with the handle pointing downward. When a shinai is placed on the ground it's also considered improper etiquette to step over it.

Regulations

In kendo competitions that follow the FIK rules, there are regulated weights and lengths for the use of shinai.

Specification	Gender	Junior High School (12-15 yrs)	Senior High School (15-18 yrs)	University students and Adults (18yrs+)
Maximum length	Male & female	114cm	117cm	120cm
Minimum weight	Male	440g	480g	510g
Minimum weight	Female	400g	420g	440g
Minimum diameter of sakigawa	Male	25mm	26mm	26mm
Minimum diameter of sakigawa	Female	24mm	25mm	25mm
Minimum length of sakigawa	Male and Female	50mm	50mm	50mm

Shinais are weighed complete with leather fittings, but without tsuba or tsuba dome. Maximum diameter of tsuba - 9cm.

Specification	Gender	Daito (long shinai)	Shoto (short shinai)
Maximum length	Male & female	114cm	62cm
Weight	Male	440gm minimum	280~300gm maximum
Weight	Female	400gm minimum	250~280gm maximum
Minimum diameter of sakigawa	Male	25mm	24mm
Minimum diameter of sakigawa	Female	24mm	24mm

Shinais are weighed complete with leather fittings, but without tsuba or tsuba dome. Maximum diameter of tsuba - 9cm.

Size	Length		Size	Length
92 cm	36	44"	112 cm
97 cm	37	45"	114 cm
102 cm	38	46"	117 cm
107 cm	39	47"	120 cm

Fukuro-shinai

The ancestor of the modern kendo shinai is the fukuro-shinai, which is still in use in koryū kenjutsu. This is a length of bamboo, split multiple times on one end, and covered in a leather sleeve. Some traditions cover the entire bamboo in the sleeve and add a tsuba. In Shinkage-ryū, the sleeve is lacquered Kamakura Red, and rather than covering the entire length, is tied off at the non-split end. This particular kind of fukuro-shinai is also called a hikihada (toad-skin) shinai. The name comes from how the leather looks after lacquering; the sleeves are actually made of cow- or horse-hide.

Further Information

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