Iaito or shinken?

[Charles Mahan]

Charles, do you guys do tameshigir?

No. It is officially forbidden within our organization to do tameshigiri.

[Bruce Mitchell]

When I was studying MSR, we were told that an iaito was fine, but that you should start saving for a shinken as soon as you start iaido. The consensus was the sooner you trained with shinken the better.

Of course, when I started training in the early '90's (not all that long ago), there were no paul chen blades out there and most folks at the dojo I was at were paying $800. min. for an iaito. The few students who did have shinken had WW2 blades of varying quality that either had traditional mounts or had been remounted.

[John Tee]

I don't even trust you with a bokken....

Shinken banned from following situations:

big seminars (too many distractions and if teaching you can forget if people have them even though they tell you coz there are so many there)

when tired (easy to make mistakes)

as a junior (you can make a hell of a mess of the sword or saya if you make a mistake, and to ruin an antique is just NOT acceptable)

a new shinken and grading type situation (under pressure with new sword hurts when you cut yourself)

teaching (people forget you have one)

so.... for personal solo practise use in safe situations. It does stop me being 'careless' when practising....

I thought Roshukai insurance forbids shinken use in dojo. So its academic as far as I am concerned.

[rottunpunk]

you can try and get your own non roshukai insurance
or just train and live (or die) with the consequences)
i can definately see the need for banning them at big seminars when lots of folk are around and a lot is going on.
build me a dojo, then anyone can come along train with their shinken on their own, in a large space with a nice sprung polished wooden floor
put in a panic button for incase oopsies do happen though (i will be living at the dojo) and i will stock up on the cutting mats

[John Tee]

Sod the insurance.Come to Burnsey House, Nun Monkton and let's cut ourselves a storm.

[I_am_Cthulhu]

Is that an open invitation?

[John Tee]

Is that an open invitation?

No. You're on hedge cutting duties

[John Tee]

Hedge!!! Not heads..... ure Seppuku is just fine....down tiger!!

[rottunpunk]

so you wont build me a dojo then?
ill ask tim about visiting nun monkton sometime. what nights do you train?
will you be visiting ours ever?

[I_am_Cthulhu]

ure Seppuku is just fine

Maybe I'll remember this next time I bump into you while I am holding a bokuto...

[sirius1906]

still using my first iaito. probably won't go to shinken until yondan.

[Dave Humm]

I'm using a steel blade from Nine Circles with its ha dulled so techically its no more dangerous than an iaito.

Regards

[John Tee]

so you wont build me a dojo then?
ill ask tim about visiting nun monkton sometime. what nights do you train?
will you be visiting ours ever?

No! Don't bring Tim! I want a quiet night in practising my ku-ji and ju-ji.

[rottunpunk]

tims my taxi.

[chidokan]

Oh so I'm not wanted am I??? you know how to hurt me you lot... Now the only way to make me feel better is to definitely give me a free shinken. Not that I'll use it in the dojo of course. (like hell I won't!)