What is the best material for padding inside bogu?

[Pichit]

Hi

Do anyone know what is the best material for padding inside bogu? Wool or cotton other material?

Thank you inadvance

Pichit Hongsaranagon

[xvikingx]

Inside bogu? Do you mean inside the men? You can use an extra tenugui, also a shoulder pad from a womens sport coat works really well.
If anyone has any advice for padding your knuckles I would like to hear it.

[JSchmidt]

Xvikingx, I had a period where I was getting whacked over the knuckles alot too...it reached a stage, where even the smallest touch would make my knuckles swoll up to over double size.
While it (for me anyway) was a technical problem rather than my opponent, I got through it by taping up my knuckles pretty much like a boxer would do (although not as severe) and that really helped.

Jakob

[xvikingx]

I and my right hand thank you. Its getting a little unbearable. Definitely a technical problem on my part. I am not quite sure what I am doing. I wish I had myself on video so I could watch. But this week my entire right arm even up to my shoulder is black and blue. This time I think my partner had a little bit of trouble with kote. ^_^

[alexpollijr]

A sorbothane sheet will work wonders.


- Alexandre

[Phlebas]

Funny I should read this thread... I only just finished adding some extra padding to the new men this morning. The uchiwa, ten and chi (padding around the face, forehead and chin) seem to fit well, so all I did was cut a piece of a thick mousepad that will affix to the inside of the men on top of my head. I attach it to the buton with two-sided carpet tape and the men fits really nicely now... and now strikes to the men are more comfortable and sound like a dull thud rather than a loud CRACK!

I have heard people recommend using glue but I opted to make it less permanent for now. There are varying toughness/adhesiveness grades to this kind of tape, and it appears to be firmly in place but I haven't practiced with it yet. If I find the padding squirms around or I have to use the tape every time, is there a "gentle" glue that chould be used? Something that won't damage the material and one whose residue can be removed? I have seen something called "insulation glue" that won't even damage styrofoam but I would prefer a recommendation by someone who has actually tried it. If someone knows of a good glue, please post.

[nodachi]

I always found that when I was getting my right hand bashed, it was because I was not holding center. My sensei forced me to do lots of ai-men with them to fix it. If you hold center well, both shinai knock aside a little and no ones hands get mashed. If you don't hold center, it will result in hands getting mashed, and also allowing the opponent to hit men as well.

[xvikingx]

By not holding center do you mean that I am leaving my kote open or do you mean that I pulling the shinai to the right. If I am leaving my kote open I still dont understand how I end up getting my knuckles cracked instead of my wrist. Please explain, I still do not understand entirely. :confused:

[nodachi]

I am not sure how to correct you, xvikingx. I can only elaborate on my situation which might be similar to yours. I'm still a little new so please forgive me.

What was happening to me was two things. A bashed thumb from my grip being twisted and not holding center. I also got my knuckles bashed quite a bit. I think I was pulling my shinai ever so slightly to the side on the down swing and I was getting bashed in the knuckles. I can't really visualize how I was getting hit there either, but I was. When I did it correctly and held center very nicely, didn't get touched at all. When I held center correctly, the opponent's shinai doesn't even come anywhere near hitting my hands.

Disclaimer, I am not sure if I was also swinging slower than my opponent or if my screwed up maai contributed to it happening as well. I think it may be a combination of things, but fixing my center stopped the hurting of my hand.

This only applied to me getting hit on the hand. As for being bashed on the arm, leave that question for the more experienced kendoka, because I don't know.

[xvikingx]

Thank you, I will keep that in my thoughts at pratice tomorrow. As for the rest of my arm I think those are just botched kote shots. Its actually kind of funny to look at there is big purple mono uchi print on my bicep. ^_^ Thanks again.

[kendomushi]

The best padding is proper technique. Even in uchikomi or yakusokugeiko, learning how to present the opening goes a long way in preventing injury and pain.
For example, if I have a clubber practicing men, I tend to step back about 1/3 of a normal step as he swings. That makes sure he hits on the forward most part of the men and avoids increasing my suffering while he learns.
Receiving do, turn the body slightly into the cut as they attack, this helps keep them on the do itself unless they are off by a mile to start with.
Receiving kote, make the opening smaller and don't simply offer the whole thing as a target.
Of course none of this helps in jikeiko or shiai since you don't want to be hit. But at least it can reduce some of the damage during practice.