Naginata equipment Differences

[dwebb]

Hi everyone,
When describing the differences between the equipment in naginata in kendo, there are the obvious; sune-ate, split finger flexible kote. When describing the difference with the men I don't know the name for the flaps on either side of the men which are shorter for a naginata men. Could someone let me know the correct vocabulary. Also, how many naginata practitioners out there actually have a naginata men?

[berghaan]

In the Netherlands I believe noone uses a real naginata men.
I havent personally ever used one so I dont know the difference regarding how it feels.
Most people over here who do naginata also do kendo so that might be the reason...

[Phil]

Hello derrick!

i wear a Naginata men. for me the difference is when you do hasso the naginata men flaps are not in your way to strike .
i don t know for the name...

++

Phil

[paty.]

Flaps are known as mendare. The grill is also slightly wider to allow more vision.

[alepto]

Hello

For me the biggest difference is furikeashi (followed by hasso-men). Though most straight naginata people that I know ( not many I will admit!) train the flaps so as the difference is fairly minimal. Though the technique seems to differ ( roll vs straight up )

[Phil]

Hello

The "do" could be also different in kendo and naginata

i have seen Naginata do who are "Flat" so it s easier to change kamae and also to take kamae like gedan and hasso...
i didnt found a place where i can buy it...if someone know...

++

Phil

[Ando]

Two more things about men.

For naginata men the throat flap is (sometimes?) wider since your body is mostly in a lateral position with your head turned. In this position a tsuki could pass by a flap of usual width (kendô men) easier than in the case of a frontal stance (as taught in kendô).

The naginata men I have seen had very long himo in order to tie them around the upper back of the head and around the lower back of the head (about the heigth where throat flap and grill meet), too. This procedure makes the men less susceptible to moving when you turn your head around.
I think some kendô dôjô also teach the usage of such long himo.

[kendophx]

The naginata men I have seen had very long himo in order to tie them around the upper back of the head and around the lower back of the head (about the heigth where throat flap and grill meet), too. This procedure makes the men less susceptible to moving when you turn your head around.
I think some kendô dôjô also teach the usage of such long himo.

You are correct. This style of triple tying the men-himo is not specific to naginata. My kendo sensei uses this style.

The only person I know with a "naginata men" is a sempai from So Cal. I asked her about it as my men-tare (kendo) catch frequently in hasso {and while a good samurai never blames his/her/its failures on their equipment, it does drive me nuttier than I normally am :rolleyes:}. She said that she had bought a standard kendo men in Japan and had it customized (by shortening the men-tare) at the bogu manufacture before she came home.

As I will not have access to Japanese bogu shops for the next few years, I was hoping to have one customized (in the US) at either a cobbler or saddlemaker. If anyone has tried this route and has had a bad experience with such a customization, please let me know.

The advice of my kendo sensei was to get a seperate men for each sport, when I could next afford it. The outward flare of the men-tare is a very important safety feature in kendo and the "naginata curl under" which I seen people use to get the men-tare out of the way, is not a good thing for people who do both budo.

[Bruce Mitchell]

Hello,
Another diffrence is the stiching on the naginata mendare is diagonal.