Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Daniel Ha: Looking Out Week 9

Bokken and Shinai
By: Various people (not an uncommon thing...)

     Bokken are wooden swords. They are generally used within certain martial arts such as Kendo, Aikido, Iaido, and other forms of Kenjutsu (Japanese swords practices). They are made out of wood. Why is that? Well, using a real sword to learn is pretty idiotic, so these will hurt less. But even these can be deadly in the correct hands.
     Shinai are bamboo swords. They are almost exclusively used for practicing Kendo in modern times. So why would they make a bamboo sword for Kendo when they already had Bokken? Well, getting hit by a solid piece of wood that is shaped like a sword isn't exactly pleasant either. So in order to make it less painful, the Shinai was developed. The material as well as the construction (four slats as opposed to a solid sword) made the impact hurt less and prevent people from seriously injuring each other.

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