Shinai
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- For the village near Anjar, Kutch, Gujarat, India, see Shinai village.
A shinai (竹刀?) 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 is 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 should not be confused with bokken, which is actually made from a single piece of wood. Both are used in Kendo, however.
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[edit] 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).
[edit] 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 is a small square of metal (chigiri), that secures the slats.
[edit] 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 is 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 cannot 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 is also considered improper etiquette to step over it.
[edit] Regulations
In kendo competitions that follow the FIK rules, there are regulated weights and lengths for the use of shinai.[1]
| 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 36" | 92 cm | 36 | 44" | 112 cm | |
| 30 | 38" | 97 cm | 37 | 45" | 114 cm | |
| 32 | 40" | 102 cm | 38 | 46" | 117 cm | |
| 34 | 42" | 107 cm | 39 | 47" | 120 cm | |
[edit] 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. This explains the name fukuro which means bag, sack or pouch. 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "The Regulations of Kendo Shiai and Shinpan". Revised 7 December 2006, International Kendo Federation, Tokyo, Japan.
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