So i ordered bogu.

[sarge127]

Hey guys, just this morning i ordered bogu but i wouldn't know the sizing... for my Men i put 70cm not 68cm because my sensei says i need space to yell or something, and for my kote i have ordered 21/20 but my hands are 23/20 hands which i find huge for some off reason. And everything else is ok... Other than that bogushop was a good deal as far as low prices. anyways am i doing something wrong? as far as sizing? maybe i should have got help... who knows! but ill wait until they arrive.

[Neil Gendzwill]

You absolutely should have gotten help with the sizing. If your head measured 68, you should have ordered 68 not 70. Same with the kote. Call up the supplier and put a stop on that order until you can get the right measurements. Get Corie or David to help you with the measurements.

[sarge127]

Ok so i emailed them... about sizing correction and errors, hope it goes through.

[Cailin Coilleac]

There's a reason why a lot of shops take a rough dozen of measurements. Please do get stuff to spec. I got my men from Mikyako to my exact measurements and there's plenty of room for shouting. Don't worry! It's even a tiny smudge loose.

[jjcruiser]

You've seemed pretty careful to think things through and ask on here about all manner of issues in the dojo, and then you come to the biggest purchase you will make in kendo for years, spending hundreds of dollars on something that above all needs to fit right, and you ignore your measurements and just guess?

[sarge127]

Lol accidently Jjcruise i indeed guessed... but just recently i found measuring tape and decided to measure and found my size's... yes they corrected my errors. and now are processing it...

[Toecutter]

Lol accidently Jjcruise i indeed guessed... but just recently i found measuring tape and decided to measure and found my size's... yes they corrected my errors. and now are processing it...

Still a mistake, if someone in your club has experience measuring have them do so. Its very easy to get an incorrect measurement when doing around your chin to head if you don't know what you are doing. When I first stared and did my own to when I got a nice set I was off 2 cm, no small sum, and I measured more than a few times. Whats a day or a week in the grand scheme, especially considering you'll have this set for at least a few years.

[Cailin Coilleac]

Agreed! My wife helped me and we did each measurement twice

[dillon]

Just to put it out there, from what I understand, off the shelf bogu more often then not are sized to accommodate a range rather than a specific measurement. So hypothetically speaking for a given off the shelf men, whether you give the supplier 67cm or 68cm (as an example) you'll get the same men because it's sized to that range. You'll then get an acceptable fit though a custom made set to your exact measurement will fit even better. This may also be why some brands will feel more comfortable than others as they may have off the shelf which comes closer to your "perfect" fit (it's difficult to compare unless you can go to a shop with lots to try). Nevertheless, for an off the shelf set it's still important to get your measurement done correctly so the supplier can pick out the best suited set for you.

As in previous threads, once you get it, test whether it fits well enough before getting it to a point where you can't exchange it if the size doesn't seem suitable. So don't get it scratched up it in practice until you're sure to keep it and ask the sensei if there are any doubts. If the fit is generally acceptable, you can play around with certain "settings" to fine tune the fit such as tightening or loosening the himo, where to place the men himo knot, how to wear the tenugui (I find this makes a slight but appreciable difference that can be felt if the men is kept on for more than 90min) or using a men-pad if the men is slightly on the large side (try to borrow one for a practice before buying, I found using one upset the balance of my men despite making it feel more snug).

[rfoxmich]

..and when you get it bring it to the dojo and have someone who knows what they are doing check the fit.. if it doesn't fit...send it back!!!
The biggest risk for impact injury in kendo IMHO is improperly fitting bogu.

[sarge127]

yeah had a hell of a time getting hit on the head using a kendokas bogu... injuries suck.

[Dezza]

Also, men loosen up over time. I panicked when i first received my new men from Miyako, it seemed really tight and the monomi was too low. I was assured it would bed in. After 3-4 months of sweat it became the best fitting men ive ever owned.

I suppose the degree of 'bedding in' depends on the material and stitch used.

[sarge127]

Yeah so i got an email stating they have.
been updated from In Packing to Order Shipped on March 13, 2012 05:43
But im not so sure, i was given tracking numbers but it wasn't in the tracking database's yet... so i'd give it 2 days before they really ship the thing.

[sarge127]

So my bogu set came in this morning, and was suprised how fast it got here just in one week... So tonight i will test out the guns.

[sarge127]

http://sarge127.deviantart.com/galle...44499#/d4tdnrz
You can see a picture of my bogu here, i have deviant so i post pics of my works in graphic design...