fastest time to put bogu on

[Pokie]

im not in bogu yet..but will be in bogu soon..as soon as it gets here. So here's the question for the pros, how fast can you tie and wear everything, from no bogu..to a fully clad in bogu kendoka ? come on..well..hrmm not fastest, how about average..and if you're game..give me your fastest !

[Phlebas]

Be faster than sensei. If not you will probably find him frowning mightily in your direction. : )

[etherknot]

Originally posted by Pokie
im not in bogu yet..but will be in bogu soon..as soon as it gets here. So here's the question for the pros, how fast can you tie and wear everything, from no bogu..to a fully clad in bogu kendoka ? come on..well..hrmm not fastest, how about average..and if you're game..give me your fastest !


This could make for an interesting drill if someone had a stopwatch :)

[kendomushi]

I'd say most people I know who know what they are doing with the bogu, but haven't been at it so long that they don't even think anymore when putting it on take between 3 and 5 minutes to put on the tare, do, tengui, men, and kote.

I know I've seen my sensei do it all in under a minute when in a rush. And still have it all looking right. The advantage of about 45 years practice I guess.

[Pokie]

oh wow..that's real quick...hrmmmm it would prolly tak me 10 mins in my first time...i think id better spend half a day on the weekend putting bogu on and taking it off...but thanks for the answer guys...looking forward to getting bogu soon..wohoo !!

[Yellow Savage]

hey Pokie...have you improved on your 10mins?

[sjp]

Be faster than sensei. If not you will probably find him frowning mightily in your direction. : )
We have a game..with this ;)
The last one in bogu up and ready to go gets karageiko after each kihon practice for the night.
Sometimes it is the same person each week.. lifes a bitch aint it.
However it works. On seminars there is no hanging about, kit is on, you are already standing at the front of Sensei's line ready to go. It makes a good impression.

[jake376]

hey everyone, im new to these boards, im glad i finally found a good kendo one, anyways,
i just got my bogu on tuesday, but i brought it to practice for the first time today, i was pretty excited to be able to do the advanced class and everything,
but all the sensei had me do the whole time was take the bogu on and off. now i can do it pretty quick, except for the men, he wouldnt let me were it because it needs to be shaped.

[Kendoka]

im not in bogu yet..but will be in bogu soon..as soon as it gets here. So here's the question for the pros, how fast can you tie and wear everything, from no bogu..to a fully clad in bogu kendoka ? come on..well..hrmm not fastest, how about average..and if you're game..give me your fastest !

I suggest that, like kendo, you learn to put your kendogu (bogu) on correctly before you develop speed.

Watch the World Champiions, they don't put theirs on fast, they put it on so it's right.

Richard

[Alicia]

I find that the faster people try to put their bogu on, the more likely they will have to stop during practice to retie it. In my club there is often a bit of time pressure to put men on and it is very frusyrating to have to wait while someone reties their bogu.
ADVICE more haste less speed. If you rush, you fumble, so just take it slowly and do it properly. It is faster in the long run.

[Pokie]

I find that the faster people try to put their bogu on, the more likely they will have to stop during practice to retie it. In my club there is often a bit of time pressure to put men on and it is very frusyrating to have to wait while someone reties their bogu.
ADVICE more haste less speed. If you rush, you fumble, so just take it slowly and do it properly. It is faster in the long run.

Alicia, I learnt that last monday, I just got my bogu, I wanted to make people think that I could put my men on...i tried to keep in time with everyone...i was leading...but then my men...the cords went hay wire, oh man. But yes Alicia, I thanks for pointing that out.

[Isak]

Doing kendo one has always numerous pet projects to work on, goals that are more or less difficult to achieve. I've found that it is nice to have a couple of comparatively easy goals, to light up the otherwise grim prospect of only working on that perfect men 40 years away in the future, like for example putting on bogu fast and correct. It is very easy to learn if you think of it every time you do it. If you train 3 or 4 times a week for 40 weeks in a year you have approx. 120-160 times to try do it on. one year should be sufficient to see major progress, after all -it isn't brain surgery.
To spice it up you can set the goal of being first on out of everybody in the dojo (unfortunately I usually don’t meet that goal since I am in the same dojo as Nils).

Other easy projects:
breath correctly during mokuso
Always have the loudest kiai during suburi
Always volunteer at being the first to do kakarigeiko
Always try to choose the one you have the most troubles against in free jigeiko

[Winter_Wolf]

Phlebas- you described my first time putting on bogu perfectly! The really bad thing is when you tie an untieable knot behind your back and when class is over can't get your armor off...sometimes I wonder if I ever really wanted to be in bogu, but back on topic...
My fastest time so far is around two minutes, but I couldn't get it off in less than three...

[Eldritch Knight]

My fastest is a minute (during taikai - it wasn't perfect, but it was serviceable for the match), but my average is about 1.5 to 2 min. I can get it off in about 30 sec. if that counts for anything, though

[Phlebas]

I'm still too slow putting my men on. I'm almost always the last one to stand up with my shinai in hand, ready for practice. I have noticed some people leave the men himo already tied in a bow and just slip the loop over their heads. I never do this, but it sure is a great deal faster! I just need more practice... meanwhile, I get frowned at but not admonished. It's a good group I train with. Nice and patient. :)

[Paburo]

21 seconds flat.

ok just kidding. truth is, wearing your men in a hurry can be disastrous. i once had to do it in taikai(they yelled my name and told me it was my turn all of a sudden) and after the second attack the men got loose, turned 50 grades and obstructed my vision field.

needless to say, i lost miserably to an opponent i could had probably beaten otherwise.

[Kendoka]

.. one other thing, as a new student you should make sure that your kendogu is put on correctly and that you are ready before your sensei and the senior people in the dojo.

They will understand, if when you are new to kendogu, that you may take a little longer, but your aim should be to show that you are ready before they are.

Richard

[Andoy]

Putting on bogu shouldn't be rushed. In someways it might even be dangerous! An incorrectly worn tenegui can obstruct your vision. In taikais, properly worn bogu is essential (as well as keiko-gi and hakama) so that you don't have to stop your match. If you're in a rythm and suddenly your do himo loosens, you throw yourself off! Besides, beginners don't have to worry as they will most likely be given some slack when putting on their bogu. Always ask for advice from senior students or senseis when in doubt!

-One question. How many people out there use the Kansai method of tying their men? Just wondering!

[kendokamax]

you should see at what speed some of the student put their mens on at the practice here, right after the mokuso and the last bow, 2 seconds after it they already have tied their men on.

I dont even have the time to put my tenugi on that most of the students already went off running towards the senpai. Of course most of them are cheating with making the small tenugui (sorry for spelling?) hat, and they already have they men himo fixed so they just need to squeeze the nods.

but still very impressive!