Do for short torso (ladies)

**Kent Enfield** · 27th May 2006, 06:38 AM

Okay, I've gone looking, but can't find anything about women's do on e-kendo.com. Could some one give me a pointer?

And, yes, I'm a guy, but I do have women kohai.

**tantadi** · 27th May 2006, 07:51 AM

I emailed them and asked if they had it. Then there was some emailing back and forth about the options of dodai and mune. Good customers service. I tried it at practice tonight, no problems with receiving do because of the mentioned flexibility of the dodai, and not any conflict with the tsuki dare either. So I'm happy!

**chidokan** · 27th May 2006, 08:02 AM

My thoughts were a copy based on the design made from a thickish leather. That should mould but still 'give'.... the straps if similar would hold them in place.

**GreenArrow** · 27th May 2006, 08:31 PM

Absolutely.

I do archery- believe me the archery chest-guards would NOT protect against a do cut! They are designed to slide the string away and off. If you catch yourself- you still know about it but you don't hurt much. The first-line chest protection in archery is the stance/technique- basically the chest guard forms a smooth surface that stops the string taking your nipple off (sorry to be so graphic). Also keeps loose clothing out of the way. That's why most men wear them too... incidentally only in the Recurve discipline as that's the only one with relevant string angles.

GreenArrow

Originally Posted by Budo Angel

Tim, thank you for your comments.

Ladies, this kyudo mune-ate is NOT suitable, do not purchase. It is very thin leather and will not go under your DO mune. It is not designed to stand the rigors of lots of movement. It is designed to stop the string twanging. Not a shinai point heading in your direction at speed.

If you really are being whacked about the personals, www.kwon.co.uk has sports bras with hard cups. I would however personally not recommend these under a mune because it will make your chest an even bigger target, there is however one bra where each cup is insertable, this may suit those not larger than a C-D cup. Anything else and it would be dangerous on the floating rib.

Good luck

ps. not offence intended Tim.

**Myy** · 13th July 2006, 05:51 PM

Hello everybody,

Just stumbled over this discussion and I must say this is one of the most usefull ones going on.

I registered just to participate this one.

Thank You Budo Angel especially for the detailed explanations on do.
I have been so badly informed about the possibilities of custom made do. No sensei, senpai nor a bogu dealer has ever brought these possibilities up. Also I have never seen a custom made do for a C/D side lady.

I even have a senpai with this D-cup size problem on her cheast and she always just hurts her boops. Now everyone is just afraid to hit a do on her because if one misses the target it will result in scolding.
I do not want this to go on and I want at least to inform my kohai better.

So, I was hoping some one would finally have a picture of a boop-friendly-do.

Spread the light!!

Myy

**Budo Angel** · 22nd August 2006, 02:39 AM

Er...I'll try & take a photo, and see what I can do...the key issue is looking from the SIDE view - then you'll see the real difference in the DO (be that bamboo/fibre) angle at the attached mune "lining" (excuse my bad English description) that accounts for erm...our chest. From the front, a DO should look no different, its the "armpit"/ rib-cage side leather part that's cut differently too. Only the eagle eyed would notice the points of the mune (where you tie your himo (strings)) being more narrow for women putting their hands in front to hold the shinai properly (like you can do, when not wearing do)...

Wow I'm amazed at this discussion ! (as I say, only on my 3rd DO with good advice did I get the right fitting DO...) Good luck girls

**redbutterfly** · 25th November 2006, 11:09 AM

i have my own armour but it has been soemtimes annoying. it is because there hasnt been women's special custom made things when i was to get my own bogu. >.> and i dont have any money to buy a new one

**musicdropout@ho** · 2nd August 2007, 02:44 AM

Originally Posted by Budo Angel

...
In Japan, a good armourer will measure the two points between your arms. ie, arms stretched out in front of you, hands together and measure the point across your chest. If the mune is too wide at this point, you will find it very difficult to hold the shinai "properly" as you are taught, without the do. So all that good technique goes to pot when you get a do on.

The next point is whilst narrower at the top, mune then needs to be cut under the arm, to the correct depth. Again we've all no doubt had the high (bad) do cut, what this is - is where the mune part of the do is cut too low, and the sides of your boobs essentially stick out the sides (no offence to you larger than C cup). Again this is the do not being cut correctly.

Finally a good women's do, will also be more concave from the mune joining the fibre (or bamboo) part, by that I mean if you look side ways it shouldn't be as flat as a man's one....

....Don't guess with "medium", "large" - its meaningless. Send in your measurements: between your chest (two points) when your arms outstretched horizontally (as you would be at full stretch for a men cut). Couple of inches below your armpit, to the top of your waist (high floating rib). Again to the bottom of you hip (ie where you would like the do to fall/finish). Finally ask for the measurement of the intended supplied Do, from the bottom of the do, to where it joins the mune part (they're going to stitch on), this will help you gauge if they're supplying the right mune.
:

hi budo angel,

thanks for the info, i just started kendo training and wont be getting my protective gear for awhile yet but when i get it i want to make sure its right. and since i'm so new to kendo, i really don't know how anything should fit, where it should stop or start and what it deffinetely needs to cover.

i'm a little sketchy on the measurements you gave us...if you could make it more detailed i'd really appreciate that. i don't have tons of money to blow so i wanna make sure i get proper fitting gear right from the start. and i don't think its gonna help that i'm a DD and have some kicking hips too.

any advice or clarification would be great!!! ^_^

thanks in advance.

**Budo Angel** · 3rd August 2007, 05:59 PM

Hello again...

...still here are we ?! Mine (OK about 7yrs ago now, but rubbish exchange rate to Yen...so its probably cheaper now !) was about £300 (is that $570 ?) and that's classed as "custom"...

I will try and find all the measurements on a diagram and scan it. In the general budo catalogs they only show you 2 standard measurements. You need to help the supplier (if you're not in Japan in person) with the additional ones I mentioned above.

>little sketchy on the measurements you gave us

which ones exactly ??

don't think its gonna help that i'm a DD

...not being personal, there are bigger ladies doing Kendo me thinks...don't worry.

**Lady_Kitsune** · 4th August 2007, 08:28 AM

I have a question... the only way for having a do is by custom, i mean there is no store that sell you bogus for women at all?

**Budo Angel** · 6th August 2007, 06:13 PM

Yes, already made Do exist, but they are normally those are white sets ! Otherwise I don't know about others' experience, only my own.

ps. not being personal, the majority of Japanese women are not ...big chest.

Remember I think Chiba Bogu will also say...that mass produced are made to 'fit as many as possible' - that's business... when you come to detail, then things like even the tare waist part, should be cut more narrow, because women's diaphrams are placed differently - so standard wide tare often sold actually impede correct breathing from hara...but now we're getting into pedantics...just saying WOMAN and giving sizes, some bogu suppliers will make effort to note difference. Some bogu suppliers, only have "standard"...

My tare is more "youth" size, because of this issue... an adult man tare was half way up my chest ! Getting women's tare, would be custom, and I decided to spend the money on Men and Do being 'custom' instead...

Don't worry, just get what you can. Only when you have lots of time or experience or can go to Japan, or have Japanese person to help you - can you go crazy with "custom" stuff...

Good luck !

**Lady_Kitsune** · 7th August 2007, 01:43 AM

Thank you, Budo Angel

**JByrd** · 22nd August 2007, 03:31 AM

My wife recently received a custom dou from Chiba Budogu. She is too small for an off the shelf model, so both the mune and the do dai were custom built.

We provided measurements and photos and they got the size just right. The thread colors are crimson, olive green, and gold tea.

From what I heard, the dou received a lot of attention from the women at the International Budo University when it was in the Chiba showroom:

http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1659.JPG
http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1666.JPG
http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1669.JPG

**Budo Angel** · 22nd August 2007, 10:09 PM

It never ceases to amaze me, people who get custom and still plump for standard black...why o why - the world should be in colour !!! unless you're colourblind...ps. Chiba Bogu are good for personal service eh. That Suzuki san is a genius with needle & cotton... ps. Congrats to the wife on getting it whacked.

**Theodore** · 23rd August 2007, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by JByrd

My wife recently received a custom dou from Chiba Budogu. She is too small for an off the shelf model, so both the mune and the do dai were custom built.

We provided measurements and photos and they got the size just right. The thread colors are crimson, olive green, and gold tea.

From what I heard, the dou received a lot of attention from the women at the International Budo University when it was in the Chiba showroom:

http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1659.JPG
http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1666.JPG
http://csdtserver2.isu.edu/~jon/IMG_1669.JPG

I really want to see this. Good thing the Idaho kendo seminar is coming up Sept 14-16th weekend.