In the period spanning from 1751-1764, about fifty years after the Shinkage-ryū bōgu was completed, Nakanishi Chūzō Tsugutake of the Itto-ryū school engaged in full contact uchikomi-geiko using a “men made of metal and bamboo armour.” In Nakanishi Koresuke’s Itto-ryū Heiho Tōhō Kigen (treatise concerning the Ittō-ryū - 1861 edition) it states “The Nakanishi Clan first employed the use of training with shinai in the Hōreki Period (1751-1764).” In Shirai Tōru’s "Heihō Michishirabe" (1834 edition) it makes reference to how Tsugutake, after his father died, excelled in the art of kenjutsu by branching out and experimenting with shinai, rather than confining himself to more traditional methods of training.
The reason why Nakanishi Chūzō Tsugutake trained using the shinai in uchikomi-geiko is recorded in a text written in response to a letter by Yamaga Takayoshi of the Tsugaru clan Ittō-ryū in the twelfth month of 1775. The letter asked Nakanishi Tsugutake eleven questions about the training methods used in the Nakanishi branch of the Ittō-ryū. The reply is clearly recorded in "Ittō-ryū Gokui". Nakanishi was stimulated by Yamaga’s interest, and he replied to the questions, but refrained from commenting on the use of the shinai until the third day of the first month the following year. Yamaga had asked his mentor, Ono-ha Ittō-ryū Headmaster Ono Tadao the same question concerning combat with bokutō and shinai, to which he replied, “Training with a shinai is unbearably forgiving, and is no more than child’s play. If anything, it is a way of avoiding the depth of real combat.” In contrast to this, Nakanishi retorted that this was a complete misunderstanding of the objectives of the Nakanishi group in employing shinai for training. This point of contention concerning the use of shinai in ful- contact training as opposed to only doing kata would remain a major point of contention within the Ittō-ryū, as well as in many other martial traditions. It is from this point onwards that we see a gradual shift from traditional kata training methods using live blades or bokutō to training with the shinai akin to modern kendo.
Concerning the changes in bōgu from the end of the 18th century there is a reference in Zokukoken Koon’s "Nishō Gogo-no-Ben" (1794 edition), which describes the state of equipment at the time. “The so-called armour is no more than cotton or leather packed with stuffing then stitched up, and pieces of bamboo strung together.” In Yamazaki Toshihide’s treatise on kenjutsu, "Kenjutsu Giron" (1791 edition), it states “There is no better way to grasp the principles of combat than by putting on a men and kote, and practicing techniques with a shinai without any worry of injury.” Similarly, in Kenjutsu Hiden Doku Shugyo (1800 edition) by the same author, it is recorded “Firstly, both adepts don men, kote, and bamboo body protection so as not to sustain injury…” These passages indicate that utilization of protective training armour was fairly widespread by this time. The armour depicted in Diagram 9 from Hokusai Manga (1808) is representative of the bōgu used during this period.
Diagram 9
However, upon closer inspection, one notices the lack of throat protection, as was the case with the bōgu shown in Diagrams 6, 7, and 8. This seems to indicate that tsuki techniques were not employed, and the basis for training revolved around strikes to the kote and men.
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