Loose strings on kote.

[Charlie]

What's the best way to tie up the loose ends in your kote-strings?

This is gonna be a hard one to discuss online, but there ya go.

Thanks in advance!

[Hai_hai]

Why don't you ask someone in your dojo?

[Old Warrior]

I hate to admit this but I cheated. I tied mine in a proper bow and then took some black nylon thread and sewed it so it can't come undone. I am sure I will be flamed off the board by the purists - but I did it anyway.

[Lynn]

u mean there's a proper way to tie kote strings??

haha....i never knew......
i just tugged all the loose ends in when i wear the kote coz the sleeves of my gi is kinda long, it all covers up!

am not sure bout this but can we cut the strings if they are too long? coz sometimes it's really irritating. :)

[alexpollijr]

Check out that kendogu manual in .PDF format that everybody talks about. It has a section on tying kote himo. It's actually pretty simple.

[kendomushi]

Most people just wrap the loose ends around the other sections of string and try to leave the end inside it all. This lets you untie and retie it with ease should the need arise and works pretty well to keept them out of sight and maintain a good choshi.

[Charlie]

Kendomushi, this is pretty much what I have done in the past. I got a new pair and the ends are longer than what I have been used to. I don't think cutting them is a good idea, just in case.

Hai_hai: I had indeed planned on asking some of the people in my dojo, particularly one of my sempai who is more knowledgabe than most about the care and feeding of bogu. With something like this, it wouldn't be unexpected to get a couple of different answers. I wanted to ask the folks here so that I could get a read for what others are doing and make a more fully informed decision. That is, after all, part of what a message board forum is for: to get a wider range of feedback.

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Charlie
Kendomushi, this is pretty much what I have done in the past. I got a new pair and the ends are longer than what I have been used to. I don't think cutting them is a good idea, just in case.

Hai_hai: I had indeed planned on asking some of the people in my dojo, particularly one of my sempai who is more knowledgabe than most about the care and feeding of bogu. With something like this, it wouldn't be unexpected to get a couple of different answers. I wanted to ask the folks here so that I could get a read for what others are doing and make a more fully informed decision. That is, after all, part of what a message board forum is for: to get a wider range of feedback.

Get the tension correct - test that you can insert and remove your hands, tie both cords together in a neat knot, then about 1-2 inches below the Knot tie another knot in each seperate cord and cut off the remainder. If you have tied the second knot the cords should not fray.

That is safe.

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by Charlie
Kendomushi, this is pretty much what I have done in the past. I got a new pair and the ends are longer than what I have been used to. I don't think cutting them is a good idea, just in case.

Hai_hai: I had indeed planned on asking some of the people in my dojo, particularly one of my sempai who is more knowledgabe than most about the care and feeding of bogu. With something like this, it wouldn't be unexpected to get a couple of different answers. I wanted to ask the folks here so that I could get a read for what others are doing and make a more fully informed decision. That is, after all, part of what a message board forum is for: to get a wider range of feedback.

Secure the loose strings with Hello Kitty clips.

[Charlie]

Why? Do you have something against Batz-Maru or Karope? WELL, DO YOU??!! :D

(Thanks, Kendoka.)

[m_french]

If you attach bells to the end you will dazzle your opponents and be able to score points while they are mezmerized by by the melodic jingly sound that is ever so softly hypnotizing them into a zombie like trance........ah the Jingle Waza!:beard:

[Inouye02]

singe the ends and they will not fray after cutting ,

so thats what i was hearing the other night ..

[slidercrank]

Originally posted by Inouye02
singe the ends and they will not fray after cutting ,

so thats what i was hearing the other night ..

That's what I did. Works well. My kote string is synthetic material, though. Don't know how cotton or other natural material burns.

Rotate and move the string around in the flame a bit so all sides get equally singed, but don't leave it in too long. You don't want to end up with a huge ball of melted nylon at the end of the string.

[Hai_hai]

Cotton does not melt like nylon.

[Inouye02]

yeah not with cotton , the flaming kote waza ...

[m_french]

Is that what that smell was at JCI tonight Jamie, flaming kote waza??? We had that in San Francisco to but it was a bit different!:beard:

[Inouye02]

yup, from tenken's shinai screaming thru the air so fast lighting up my kote and others also ..

wah ! kusai ne

[Hai_hai]

Hello Kitty is the only way to go.

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by Hai_hai
Cotton does not melt like nylon.

it burns really well though !

[Hai_hai]

Cotton is flammable.