Choice of shinai

[Rawoo]

here is something worth discuss about instead of doing drugs during training session.
I would like to know what kind of shinai do u guys use or like to use?
talk about the weight and balance and stuff like that.
I have two pretty heavy shinais, both tend to be heavier towards the front end.
I found it hard to control but when it does hit the target the feeling is great.
I want to buy more different kinds of shiniais but sadly enough here in Melbourne Australia most of the martial art shops only have one type .

[olaf]

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=169&highlight=shinai+poll

:)

[Shazzanzzz]

yea, i personally don't like dobari shinais that much, give me a fake feeling when i do strikes, plus i odn't think it makes me faster, but i can't really tell. I like oval grip shinaias, it's easier for me to do strikes because the grip is more comfortable and I feel like it's easier to put force on the shinai with my wrist. favorite one is the one from eguchi, good balance, the way i like it. I recently broke 2 though (past 3 month), so, i'm back to the cheap shinais...

[pchen911]

How come nobody ever mentioned carbon fiber shinais?

They are sturdy and very consistent.... you don't have to rotate through different bamboo shinais from practice to shiai so you always know what to expect.

I went to carbon fiber about a year ago and have never touched a bamboo shinai since... Which also brings up a cost savings aspect.

Before the carbon, I would break a shinai about once a month... considering that they are $50 to $70 apiece (Eguchi's Fudonshin and ebogu's issho) ... over the course of a year, it would have cost me $600 to $800 in shinais. Instead, a carbon shinai only cost about $300 and will last for way more than a few years.

I will have to say that they do feel a bit heavier than bamboo though (Tip heavier)... but it feels so good and flys as straight as an arrow when you throw it out for a big men strike.

[Andoy]

Actually i have two oval grip shinai(my brother doesn't use his anymroe) and it really is great. It helps me when i go for yoko men or do and that the fact that it's dobari helps my strikes become a little quicker. But basically it's something i use for shiai or tournaments.

For regular keiko I prefer to use a carbon. It can take alot of abuse and if properly maintained...can last you a decade or two. I've only been using carbon for 3 years but i've heard some users say it can last that long.

But if i only had to stick with one i'd have to go with bamboo.They feel better at impact and it absorbs shocks very well.

[Rawoo]

I think Carbon shinai is expensive, my sensei had one.
I think Bamboo shinai can hold up just fine if used correctly
I tend to like the thicker ones, better grip I think.

[hobbit]

I use 39 dobari bamboo, I'd be interested to hear others experiences of carbon shinai, I've heard various second & third hand reports of vibration & elbow problems - or have these become exaggerated in the retelling?

[Andoy]

I use 39 dobari bamboo, I'd be interested to hear others experiences of carbon shinai, I've heard various second & third hand reports of vibration & elbow problems - or have these become exaggerated in the retelling?


I've been told the same thing about carbon shinai. Like i said before I own one and you can actually feel the difference between a carbon and bamboo. Carbon shinai's are poor shock absorbers so i guess the vibration travels all the way to your elbow. Anyways, if you use carbon shinais over a long time, you might experience some elbow problems (though i'm not sure).

[Shazzanzzz]

carbon does give you elbow problems. I had one that i used regularly for about 8 month until I broke it. My left elbow used to hurt sometimes when i was using it. Now that i stopped using it because i didn't feel like spending $70 to replace the slab, my elbow never hurt anymore. Plus, carbon shinais are stiffer, I've heard compaints from people i practice about how much more it hurts when i use the carbon shinai.

[isi]

Before the carbon, I would break a shinai about once a month...

Might that not suggest a problem that you are simply masking by using CF?

[Eldritch Knight]

It'll usually depend on your size and your personal style. I do joudan, so a long, sturdy dobari works for me (they don't sell carbon fiber shinai where I lived in Japan).

[Shiro]

Before the carbon, I would break a shinai about once a month...

I think this means you're hitting way too hard, I got my cheap (made in Japan) bamboo shinai for almost a year now and it's still fine.

Before that, I did a couple of lessons with a carbon one. I didn't have problems with it, but the general feel I have with bamboo beats it quite easily.

[olaf]

Folks,

Despite the talk of elbow problems and the like, I don't think there is anything inherently "bad" or "wrong" with carbon shinai. I find it hard to believe that a company like Hasegawa, specializing in niche budo products, would manufacture something that is damaging for one's kendo and remain so popular in Japan.

That said, I think it's all a matter of how you use the piece of lumber/CF. It's true that CFs have a distinctly different feel to them, and depending on the way you use a shinai, it may feel more or perhaps less comfortable than a bamboo.

For me, I think the difference in flexibility means a harder time for beginners to develop proper tenouchi. I don't know if this analogy makes sense, but for those of you who play tennis, have you ever used one of those rubber vibration dampeners on your racket? With the dampener, all shots feel roughly the same; it's difficult to tell whether your're hitting the ball correctly or in the right place. Without the dampener, it's very obvious when, say, you're striking the ball with an off-center part of the racket surface.

As far as shinai breaking, don't forget, your local climate and the conditions of where you store your shinai matter a great deal too!