equipment innovation/evolution

[akihiro]

A question for all: What do you think will be the next innovation/evolution in kendo equipment?

Hasegawa has introduced the carbon shinai, a clear visor men and kote with individual finger pockets; a heel pad with Sobothane on the market; CoolMax keikogi...what's next?

Please discuss.

[stakenaka]

The only thing that I can think of is an HUD in the men that tells you the time. Being that some dojos do not have any clocks, and wearing watches is forbidden, it wouldn't be such a bad idea. :)

[KhawMengLee]

Hmmnnnn...maybe the mengane will evolve into face masks like with the old kabuto. It'll be more individual and some pretty scary and interesting face masks could be used. eg. Oni, Tengu etc

MENG

[KhawMengLee]

for reference its called a men yoroi:

http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/10.menYoroi.html

or

how to make a kabuto:
http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/katchu/09.makeKabuto.html

MENG

[David J]

Right now, a self-tieing tenugui would be nice :(

[Kuri]

Originally posted by David J
Right now, a self-tieing tenugui would be nice :(

There's one close enough to a self tying tenugui, but I couldn't find it on the web or a decent picture to scan. Think of a piece of cotton that's one piece that would fit perfectly on the inside of the men (top and sides) and comes around to the front of your chin. Instant tenugui.

I think (I don't really remember) there are similar ones that look like the winter hats that cover your ears (the really wooly ones), except it's cotton and you tie it under you chin.

Hope someone else can confirm these.

[alexpollijr]

Yea Kuri, they're for sell at Kendoshop.com. They call it 'Men padding' I think, makes you look like an astronaut .

[Kendoboy]

Companies like Nike and reebok are starting to make martial arts uniforms. I wonder how long it will take before all the tradition is fazed out of kendo (like no rei or sonkyo) and people are all wearing clear visors, with clocks, and hey, why not a computerized visor that spots open targets for you and then puts crosshairs (the gun target thingy) on the men/kote/whatever? Then people will be allowed to jump in the air, wave a fist and yell "YESSSSS!" when they score a point.

In short, how long before things go too far?

[Kuri]

Thanks Alex. I should look harder next time. If anyone evr sees me wearing one of these, please hit me. Maybe you'll know some sence back into me :D

[Ares2907]

I'm sure it will be just a matter of time before we see a do with some sort of holographic print. I can't wait - it will make do cuts my new favourite target :)

[Matthew Lagden]

Judo has been an Olympic sport for about 30+ years right? How did that change? it still looked pretty untechnologised to me when i saw it at the commonwealth games recently.

and fencing has escaped pretty much inscathed it seems to me. apart from those electronic scoring things which aren't really applicable to Kendo....

although a heat seeking shinai which beeped when you were on target for a good Men Cut might be cool. and a display on the inside of the Men screen showing whats going on behind and to the sides....(like a kind off all round vision thing)...

only joking!

[David J]

Originally posted by Matthew Lagden
and fencing has escaped pretty much inscathed it seems to me. apart from those electronic scoring things which aren't really applicable to Kendo....

Ah, now, you say that, but what's to stop that being introduced if people wanted to make Kendo into a tv sport?

Personally, I cant see that better bogu would affect Kendo, even for those with "spiritual" reasons for doing it. I like the whole hakama-tying thing, but would the value to me of pursuing the Do of Kendo be changed with a zip-up hakama? Doubtful. Lose Sonkyo, Reigi, allow fist-in-the-air behaviour...we're on a different track.

Hold on, I thought this was sounding familiar....

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=218

If things did go "too far" I'm sure there would be "traditional Kendo" dojos popping up in no time.

<rei>

Dave

[kendo_chick]

I remind everyone of what happened after Judo was announced as an Olympic sport. There are still clubs starting that boast "traditional judo" training.

[Matthew Lagden]

That is what i wanted to know in a way - how did 'sport Judo' diverge from 'traditional Judo'?

Did it lose elements such as a rei? or did the nature of the moves themselves change?

In any case i personally think there is less danger of this kind of change in Kendo than some other martial arts because people are drawn into it in part because of the traditional elements, and many Sensei would simply ignore any changes and carry on as they had before. No?

[stakenaka]

The day they replace the tenegui with a hair net, I think I would kill myself! :)
More seriously, beside the innovations to make kendo more safe (eg: men shield), the bogu and equipment more durable (eg CF shinai), and kendo a more enjoyable experience (eg, bogu deodorant spray, which I don't use, or glasses that you can wear under the men), I think that kendo should not change. Unless someone convinces me otherwise that some improvement is absolutely necessary or practical, I think that some of the weird things in kendo that are popping up nowdays are novelty items. Just my humble opinion.

[alexpollijr]

Scott

Well said. I've been thinking about this subject ever since I saw the 11 wck with the black striped koreans and so on.

I believe that some of the techno changes have been incorporated into kendo and people hardly noticed them, because as you said the core of the art remained the same. That goes for the high-performance plastic DO's that the vast majority of people use today (due to the cost of bamboo ones), light alloy and titanium mengane instead of iron/steel, sorbothane padded kote and clarino leather palms instead of deer leather, and so on.

Additionally, I believe that cosmetic changes are also OK, like the striped hakama of the koreans, or colorful DO, and so on. To me, the important thing is that essential aspects such as etiquette (rei, sonkyo, etc) and technique remain basically the same. This way, years from now our sons will be able to have the same rich experience that we are having today.

It's somewhat subjective I think.

Cheers

Alex Polli

[akihiro]

stakenaka, alexpollijr:

Thanks for pulling the thread back on track. I was curious to know what people thought would be the next change or development in kendo equipment (e.g. kote shaped to facilitate proper grip), not about the innovation/evolution of kendo itself.

[MRaymond]

1. Hakama with permanent pleats which never-EVER need to be poorly re-ironed by me, or horribly mis-pressed by incompetant drycleaners.

2. Keiko-gi made with those new anti-bacterial fabrics which prevent/suppress bacteria/body odor from stinking up the fabric.

[Will]

I was about to say what MRaymond said about the new fabrics... But i'm going into more detail. German scientists used some kind of silver and fabric blend to make a shirt that does not stink, period. One shirt, 20 bucks. So like a stinkless keikogi would be sweet.

[S. Takamori]

Dear,

If you don't agree with changements...why are you accepting mobile phones, microwave ovens or central heating.
Changements in gear, especially for people's safety or comfort are always interesting, don't you think so? Of course, not always the innovations are excellent, but people are thinking about it...

S. Takamori

[Confound]

Scott, maybe you should be using that spray...

On a more serious note, I'm not going to line up for a new kind of kote with seperate fingers, but a keikogi that doesn't come untied under my dou would be nice. My sempais are almost all men, and having my gaijin breasts oogled when my dou comes off and the bloody tie has come undone again is irritating. i've tried double knotting it, but the stupid thing is always loosening.

c

[Ares2907]

Confound - a little bit of velcro should make all the difference. It's not going to stop the dojo sukebejiji trying to look, but it should limit what he's able to see.

[ben]

S. Takamori - (amazing to see where these old bushi pop up) : That's such a dumb argument. Speaking of dumb... What about frikkin men with frikkin lasers attached? They'd be expensive thoough... I estimate about one MILL-I-ON dollars.
*wince*
b

[ben]

One of the reasons I do kendo is to get away from the flood of largely mindless technological innovations I'm swamped with in my everyday life- so my phone can take photos now - big f***ing deal! I never knew I wanted that.

Most of these so called innovations are marketing ploys that are phased in over time to incourage greater consumption through planned obsolescence.

b

[Confound]

I would, however get in line for those perma-press hakama. that's a great idea. quick. someone get those into development. we could all use them!

c

[ookamiotoko]

I had a conversation with my Sensei last Sunday, & he was admiring my new Kote, & really surprised me with this comment! Kote maker's don't know how to make Kote!? I thought it was a language barrier thing, but he reiterated that since they don't play Kendo they don't know how to make a decent pair of functional Kote? He did say that you should spend more money on Kote than any other part's of bogu. You commented on Kote with finger pocket's, but I can't locate them anywhere? Do you know where I can see them?




A question for all: What do you think will be the next innovation/evolution in kendo equipment?

Hasegawa has introduced the carbon shinai, a clear visor men and kote with individual finger pockets; a heel pad with Sobothane on the market; CoolMax keikogi...what's next?

Please discuss.