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What is a bokken?

What is a bokken?

A bokken (木剣, bok(u), “wood”, and ken, “sword”) (or a bokutō 木刀) is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a katana, but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tantō.

What is a good bokken?

The classic Bokken or 24 mm Jo (8 BU) are the most widely used, both in Aikido, Kendo, and Iaido. The weapons have an average but reasonable weight, and are primarily intended for beginners and casual practitioners.

Can you fight with a bokken?

A bokken is a wooden sword used for training that is basically a mock-up of a real sword with a tsuka or handle and a tsuba or guard. A word of caution, though, bokken aren’t used for sparring (practice fighting) because they can inflict serious injury.

What is a practice sword called in fencing?

Foil. The foil evolved from the short court sword of the 17th and 18th centuries, and started as a lighter and more flexible weapon for the practice of fencing.

What is the difference between a bokken and katana?

As nouns the difference between katana and bokken is that katana is a type of japanese longsword, ) having a single edge and slight curvature while bokken is a wooden katana, used as a training sword.

How long should your bokken be?

The various lengths of classic and stylized Bokken (Koryu)

Model Total length Tsuka length
Standard/Deluxe Bokken 101.5 cm 26 cm
Iwama Bokken 103 cm 27 cm
Iwama Takemusu Bokken 101.5 cm 26.5 cm
Niten Ichi Ryu Bokken 101.5 cm 25.5 cm

What is the best bokken material?

Camellia is an excellent wood and makes Bokken of superior quality. Its weight is relatively close to oak, but is still significantly lighter than Sunuke.

How thick is a bokken?

The various thicknesses of classic and stylized Bokken (Koryu)

Model Tsuka thickness Weight in white oak
Standard/Deluxe Bokken 37 x 26 mm 600 g
Iwama Bokken 38 x 28 mm 700 g
Iwama Takemusu Bokken 39 x 29 mm 750 g
Niten Ichi Ryu Bokken 33 x 20 mm 330 g

Do Bokkens break easily?

It can be. I mean, it’s essentially just a chunk of wood that has a rounded edge, so it can easily break bones. In fact, the reason they even switched to Shinai (the bamboo swords) was because of how potentially dangerous Bokken could be.

How heavy is a katana?

Katana

Katana (刀)
Specifications
Mass 1.1–1.5 kg
Blade length Approx. 60–80 cm (23.62–31.5 in)
Blade type Curved, single-edged