Shinai
The Shinai [ ɕi.na.i ] ( Japanese 竹刀 , dt. "Bamboo Sword") is a piece of sports equipment and the weapon used to fight in Kendō . In Korean Kumdo it is called juk do ( 죽도 ).
The Shinai is a sports and competition weapon modeled on the katana . It is made of bamboo or carbon and was invented as an alternative to the bokken in 1760. Together with the bogu (armor) hits could now be carried out without seriously injuring the partner.
construction
The Shinai consists of four bamboo or carbon struts which are held together at the lower end by a tsukagawa (leather cover ). Under this cover is the tsuka (handle) of the Shinai. The tomegana (iron plate ) is located on the lower part .
The tsuba and tsuba dome (rubber ring) are located above the tsukagawa . At the upper end, the Shinai is held together by a sakigawa (leather cap).
About 25 cm below the Sakigawa is a nakayui (leather strap), which ensures the strength of the individual take (bamboo struts).
The dimensions of a Shinai are regulated in competition. A Shinai must weigh at least 440 g for women and 510 g for men. In addition, it must be at least 25 mm or 26 mm in diameter at the tip and may be a maximum of 120 cm long.
The Tsukagawa above the Tsuka with the Tsuru ( nylon strap connected) with the Sakigawa. Furthermore, the tsuru represents the blunt back of the sword, which is why hits with the tsuru-strung side of the Shinai are considered invalid in kendo.
The tip of the Shinai is also called Kensen .
The valid hit area in competitions is the area between Sakigawa and Nakayui .
Variations
The most original variant of Shinai is Fukuro shinai , in which a bamboo tube was only split in the upper area and then covered with leather.
In addition to the typical round shape of the four bamboo struts, there are also oval-grip Shinai , which have a handle shape similar to the katana , which is the model for the construction of the Shinai. Many users appreciate this because the Shinai is more secure in the hand and easier to control, and it is more similar to the traditional sword of the samurai.
The handle thickness can also vary. Some Kendoka prefer Shinai with a rather thin handle, others prefer those that have a thicker handle, similar to the hilt of a real sword. Users with large hands in particular can transfer more force to the Shinai with a firmer grip and thus handle it more easily. The focus of these Shinai is also closer to the end of the handle, which makes the weapon easier to control. This affects so-called "small" techniques without a large backward movement, as well as the hit to do and the larynx stitch ( tsuki ).
There are also particularly heavy Shinai Suburi-Shinai consisting of six to eight bamboo struts . These are not meant for the competition, but at the stroke exercises ( Suburi the handle and more arm) muscles to strengthen. A variation are Shinai carved from solid wood, which do not consist of several struts, but of one piece and are also much heavier than bamboo shinai, but at first glance they cannot be distinguished from them. There are also special weights that can be attached to the shinai tip to achieve the same effect.
For women, men and children there are different, fixed dimensions and weight guidelines for the Shinai. The unit of measurement is the old Japanese shaku ; 1 shaku = 30.3 cm. Colloquially, the comma is not spoken, so a 3.9 shaku long Shinai 39 Shinai is called. The most common lengths are 37; 38 and 39, whereby the 39 Shinai are usually used for the adult male. There are also very short Shinai, which are based on the Wakizashi . They are used when fighting in kendo nitō ( ni = "two", tō = "sword"), ie with two swords. A 37 Shinai is held in one hand and a small one in the other.
The position of the bamboo knots ( Japanese 節 , Fushi ), i.e. the thickest parts of the bamboo struts, varies a little with every Shinai. It is advisable to buy Shinai with bamboo knots positioned roughly the same, because the struts can serve as spare parts for the other Shinai. Many users appreciate Shinai, the center of gravity of which is close to the end of the handle due to the bamboo knots, because the Shinai appears so lighter during punching exercises; this brings about the same advantages of the headlong weight distribution with a Shinai with a particularly thick handle.
maintenance
The Shinai is usually exposed to high loads when it hits the hit points permitted in Kendo or other Shinai. If it is made of bamboo, it therefore requires special care by the user in order to prevent the risk of injury during training.
The Shinai must be examined for splinters or breaks before each use. If it is made of hard bamboo, the risk of splintering or splitting lengthways is higher, while soft bamboo tends to break through across the board. If splinters are discovered, they should be scraped off with a sharp knife in the direction of the Kensen, the area should then be smoothed with sandpaper.
Furthermore, a bamboo shinai must be oiled before the first use and also regularly afterwards in order to keep it supple and flexible and to prevent it from drying out, which would lead to an increased risk of splinters. Due to the open wood structure of the bamboo, you can use ordinary vegetable oil for this. This treatment is especially important for Shinai, which are used in drier areas, as the bamboo actually needs a high level of humidity.
A splintered Shinai poses a serious health risk during training, especially if it is hit in the direction of the head or on the head protection ( Men ), as the splinters can dig into the skin or the eye of the victim. In this way, the kendō teacher Kunihiro Goto also had a fatal accident on December 22, 1977 while training in Germany. To commemorate this, the Kendo-Verein Düsseldorf eV annually organizes the Dr. Goto memorial tournament organized.
Carbonshinai do not require any special care.
Web links
swell
- ↑ Competition rules of the DKenB (pdf) ( Memento of October 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Instructions for the Kendo armor ( Memento from August 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 2.3 MB). Instructions for kendo armor - handling and care of Shinai, kendo clothing and armor page 2