AKANE and Tournament Bogu

[Kankurou]

I am currently looking for my second set of bogu. I am using the 5mm/2mm bogu from www.e-bogu.com. I haven't had the set for a year and the set is not holding up to the 5 day a week practices. I was told that normally kendo players have two sets of bogu, one for practice, and one set for tournament and testing.

I was currently look at these two interesting sets from Tozando.
The 6mm AKANE set http://kendo.tozando.com/bogu/tak60.html
The 4mm I-Leather Tournament set http://kendo.tozando.com/bogu/cm201.html

I'm not going to lie I do enjoy unique good looking bogu that is also effective. I was wondering if anyone had bought the AKANE set or the I-Leather Tournament set and any feedback on either bogu sets. Or does anyone have a suggestion for bogu under $1,000 USD

[nodachi]

"I was told that normally kendo players have two sets of bogu, one for practice, and one set for tournament and testing."

Wow... must be nice... in reality I think most people may have a spare set of kote, but a whole extra set sounds like a lot...

Not trying to be confrontational, but most people I know have a nicer set that is more durable and just replace things as they wear out over the years, but of course whatever works for you is great.

I would say that one nice 3 or 2 mm set will do you much better service than having two sets that are around 5mm. You could always upgrade the pieces that are wearing out to better quality piece by piece, but that is just my opinion...

[Hai_hai]

I am currently looking for my second set of bogu. I am using the 5mm/2mm bogu from www.e-bogu.com. I haven't had the set for a year and the set is not holding up to the 5 day a week practices. I was told that normally kendo players have two sets of bogu, one for practice, and one set for tournament and testing.

I was currently look at these two interesting sets from Tozando.
The 6mm AKANE set http://kendo.tozando.com/bogu/tak60.html
The 4mm I-Leather Tournament set http://kendo.tozando.com/bogu/cm201.html

I'm not going to lie I do enjoy unique good looking bogu that is also effective. I was wondering if anyone had bought the AKANE set or the I-Leather Tournament set and any feedback on either bogu sets. Or does anyone have a suggestion for bogu under $1,000 USD
Normal kendo players have one set of bogu. Some may have two pairs of kote. Some have an extra show-off dou. Some have two or more complete sets. Get whatever you want. It's not like it's going to matter.

[mark]

I am currently looking for my second set of bogu. I am using the 5mm/2mm bogu from www.e-bogu.com. I haven't had the set for a year and the set is not holding up to the 5 day a week practices.

Your bogu should hold up very well to 5 days a week practice after a year. After 5 years mine still looks new. Talk to your sensei/sempai about how to maintain it, you might be doing something wrong. If not talk to your retailer you might have received a dud.

I don't think it is a good idea a second low quality set. As others have suggested it might make more sense to put that kind of money into a better pair of kote and rotate them with yoiur normal pair.

[Shazzanzzz]

one bogu should be ok... just buy some stuff that helps with soaking up the sweat, like gloves and the thing that you put inside the men.

[Ignatz]

when you get around to testing for higher dan you might want to have a "special" keiko gi and hakama. I know of one person who failed godan because his hakama had a patch on the knee where it wore out.

As for bogu I think you are better off buying a good set for more money.

[Sirsmokesalot]

Hello!

Well, if your 5/2mm Bogu Set is not able to resist your 5-Day´s a Week training what do you think will the 6mm Akane Bogu do?? It has a really pretty nice looking but 6mm is something for Kid´s or people who practice 1 Time a Week. Because of only 6mm it´s not a progress, buying this is a backstep!

And No, normal Kendoist have 1 Set of Bogu regardless of Competitive Playing or just normal Practice, 2 Pair of Kote is what many Kendoist got and that usually for Tournaments or Gasshuku´s.

If you´re looking for a Bogu that has the Ability of Longlivity then buy one not under 2mm they gurante longlivity, a well choiced color of the Do and the Embroidery Pattern can make your "Normal" 2mm Bogu also Unique.

Unique Looking or your Bogu come´s last, longlivity comes first!

Regards
Sirsmokesalot

[ben]

I'd go for something like this http://www.onlinekendo.com/htm/products.php?pid=193&typeid=54&sorting=3&display=12

b

[ender84567]

if looking for something more durable for 5 days a week, dont go with such wide stiching, 6mm? even 4mm is fairly wide, a good 2mm or 3mm set on the machine side will be more durable.

[Kankurou]

I know that obviously 2mm will last longer and hold up better then say 5mm. But then why does everyone buy that insanely expensive 6mm Mine bogu from chiba bogu

[nodachi]

Different companies stitching intervals are not exact matches in quality so you have to do your homework before you make your decision.

[mark]

Different companies stitching intervals are not exact matches in quality so you have to do your homework before you make your decision.

I doubt that he can do his homework.

When I bought my first bogu. I found that it was extremely difficult to find the information needed to compare bogu. I really searched quite a bit. I read articles on the arcane differences that can exist ( triangle needles over round needles...). I even remember reading the technical description of various strength tests that are used by an association of Japanese bogu magnufacturers. I then discovered that the ratings or differences that I had uncovered were almost never mentioned for a specific bogu model or documented by the retailor.

At the end of the day, all of my research was a waste of time. I ended up looking at what other people in my club wore and what they liked. Years later, I still think that I would end up picking something that I had seen in the dojo or recomended to me by a sensei. I suspect that even most sensei don't think about bogu all that much. Once you have something that works ....

Have you been able to find reliable information on the bogu that is sold? Can you judge the relative value over time of one magnufacturers model without someone you know wearing one ? Have you found a way to rank various bogu?

Generally, I find that retailers and bogu manufacturers have not being doing there job very well. They tend not to provide the type of information we need to evaluate and compare bogu. We need some sort of consumer review.

Apart from sticker price (and even that more often than not is hidden within sales or bundles) and stiching size the buyer is left pretty much in the dark.

It reminds me of car manufacturers sales campaigns targetting women in the 50's that focussed almost exclusively on the color of the car and the mirror under the passengers visor.

To answer his question, some people find that the 5mm bogu sold by that retailer might be a better quality than the 2mm sold by other firms. Why?

[ben]

... I still think that I would end up picking something that I had seen in the dojo or recomended to me by a sensei...


I did. See my post above.

b

[Hoogoos]

I agree with Mark. I've been trying to pick a bogu for the last month. Looking at all the web sites that everyone here has posted and looked into a lot of the forums here and nothing really tells us that one bogu is more durable than another, protects you more, lighter, etc...

It doesn't help that none of the manufacturers really give you the full info on the bogu. They all give out partial info and us as consumers must pick what we think is important.

For my bogu, I'm taking a shot in the dark and going for a bogu from AOI Budo just because the price is good and the company is based in Canada.