A few too many Tenugui

[Sakabato]

So, after traveling around, meeting new people, and doing some transactions I came across a few of these. It looks like they are starting to add up and so I wondered just how many Tenagui the average Kendoka has?

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8664/picture222dl.jpg

[b8amack]

I have somewhere between one and two hundred, and frankly I'm on the low end of the scale. There was a photo here where someone laid out a box full of their own tenugui, and they had more elsewhere.


Aside: Is that a taegukgi tenugui?

[D'Artagnan]

I literally have no idea how many Tenugui I have... I have at least a couple of hundred in my house here in Japan, and even more back home in the UK... Actually I have about 5 here in my desk at the office too...

[Electronegative]

I only have 1

[FastKendo]

less than 10

[Scott H]

Sheesh, I've never counted. I reckon my missus packs them away sometimes as they start to spread around the house.

[Koban]

I just ironed 25. and they are just the ones in one pocket of my bag...

[coronzon]

So, after traveling around, meeting new people, and doing some transactions I came across a few of these. It looks like they are starting to add up and so I wondered just how many Tenagui the average Kendoka has?

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8664/picture222dl.jpg

I just started Kendo in January of this year. I have two tenugui at the moment. I can see how people end up in the 100s, though. If I ever make it to a tenugui shop in Japan, I'd probably drop a copious amount of cheese on them!

[annoraderenart@]

An option - instead of packing them away, you can display them on the wall quickly and safely. Iron it flat. Then coat the tenegui with starch. You can use the spray starch or the dip starch. Put on the wall like wall paper. If you move, all you need to do is wet it with a sponge and take it down.

[Curtis]

Probably somewhere between 400 and 500. They're mostly in boxes. People just keep giving them to me. I even have tenugui from 8 dan and 9 dan still in the cover I'm saving for special use.

There are 4 of us sharing the daily use ones, maybe up to a 70-80 of those sitting on the shelf. Generally get about 30 plus on the drying rack when we wash them.

The generosity of gift giving never ceases to amaze me. I received so many shinai during one period I did not have to buy any for about two years. When I go to Japan, one bag is gifts to take. This next time I have to take See's chocolates since I found out one of my favorite sensei likes them and they are hard to get in Japan.

[Sakabato]

Thank you everyone for all of your replies. I am actually surprised to hear some people had hundreds of these! My guess is that those who have that many gathered them mainly in Japan?

I have somewhere between one and two hundred, and frankly I'm on the low end of the scale. There was a photo here where someone laid out a box full of their own tenugui, and they had more elsewhere.


Aside: Is that a taegukgi tenugui?

Hi! I have two Korean Tenugui in there. One has Korean characters I believe. Though the other one looks a little more like a flag than a Tenugui. The person that gave it to me though I think used it as a Tenagui because it does have some yellow grease left overs! From sweat I think not food. Then close to that one I think I have the imperial Japanese flag as a Tenugui.

Probably somewhere between 400 and 500. They're mostly in boxes. People just keep giving them to me. I even have tenugui from 8 dan and 9 dan still in the cover I'm saving for special use.

There are 4 of us sharing the daily use ones, maybe up to a 70-80 of those sitting on the shelf. Generally get about 30 plus on the drying rack when we wash them.

The generosity of gift giving never ceases to amaze me. I received so many shinai during one period I did not have to buy any for about two years. When I go to Japan, one bag is gifts to take. This next time I have to take See's chocolates since I found out one of my favorite sensei likes them and they are hard to get in Japan.

Talking about gift giving. I had this awkward experience once trying to do this. A Japanese male who brings his son to practice gave my family a ride home in his car. The next day I thought about giving him a box of chocolate gift wrapped as a token of gratitude; mainly because I had read about gift giving and thought it would be a good idea. The next day when I tried to give it to him he FEVERISHLY REFUSED IT. I was really shocked at just how badly he kept refusing it. "No! no! no! no! No! No!", etc, etc; stepping back, shaking his head, and waving his arms. I insisted a couple of times because I had read that a japanese would normally first refuse once, but then take it if you insisted. He finally accepted, but said he would not have any and would just leave it in the dinner table in the dojo for others who would eat it. Granted later I gave two other people a gift and they took it with out rejection. His reaction was pretty awkward is this how some Japanese normally react to gift giving?

On another note I found this ad on craiglist today:

http://denver.craigslist.org/spo/3029293623.html

Can these really be used for practice like it is stated???

-----------------

On another note. If Tenugui stack like these with some people just how many hand guards do some people usually have? Maybe someone has a closet full? Because I have A TON of these with me.... So how many do you have? 1,000,000? 1,000,000,000?

[dillon]

Then close to that one I think I have the imperial Japanese flag as a Tenugui.

Are you referring to the "Rising Sun" flag with the rays? If so, this was and still is the naval ensign rather than the "Imperial" flag. The "hinomaru" (red sun on white field) has been the national flag since the Meiji period. The Imperial house itself uses the 16 petal chrysanthemum mon, which is placed on a red field for the Imperial standard.

In Japan a tenugui is often included as one of the things you get for entering a taikai (along with the booklet that explains the schedule, list of players and which dojo they are from, team line-ups, elimination tree, etc.). There are also shops that specialize in decorative tenugui (meant to be framed rather than worn). Then of course, there's the tenugui that are often included with entry into an onsen or bathhouse but thess aren't the right type for kendo use.

[b8amack]

Hi! I have two Korean Tenugui in there. One has Korean characters I believe. Though the other one looks a little more like a flag than a Tenugui. The person that gave it to me though I think used it as a Tenagui because it does have some yellow grease left overs! From sweat I think not food.

The taegukgi (Restrains self from ranting about Korea needing to pick a single transliteration style and sticking with it) is the South Korean flag. I've just never seen anyone use it as a tenugui before, so it was a surprise to see it in the pile.

[Lloromannic]

I am the worst kind of person, I regift tenugui.

[Sakabato]

Are you referring to the "Rising Sun" flag with the rays? If so, this was and still is the naval ensign rather than the "Imperial" flag. The "hinomaru" (red sun on white field) has been the national flag since the Meiji period. The Imperial house itself uses the 16 petal chrysanthemum mon, which is placed on a red field for the Imperial standard.

In Japan a tenugui is often included as one of the things you get for entering a taikai (along with the booklet that explains the schedule, list of players and which dojo they are from, team line-ups, elimination tree, etc.). There are also shops that specialize in decorative tenugui (meant to be framed rather than worn). Then of course, there's the tenugui that are often included with entry into an onsen or bathhouse but thess aren't the right type for kendo use.

Thanks for the correction . A while back I think I had looked into the flag and thought it was the imperial flag. That or the shop owner where I bought it mentioned it. EDIT: Never mind the shop owner would have never said that. I think I thought that it was a military flag, but that was all.

Or... it was said to me by a Chinese girl who actually blasted me for wearing it. This happened in college about 3 or four years ago. Basically, I was wearing the Tenugui like a pirate bandana. Then after class a Chinese girl stepped up to me and said something along the lines of 'You should not be wearing that'. I was like 'Yeah?' Then she proceeded to tell me that wearing that flag is an insult to every Chinese who sees it. She also mentioned that if I were to go to China like that I would get killed by the Chinese. Then proceeded to share with me the story of a Chinese model, or singer, that wore a dress with the same flag and got her career blasted; PLUS WAS SMOTHERED WITH FECES and physically abused by her own people (Chinese). I read about that story and from what I understood was that for a Chinese to wear the Japanese flag like that was a down right insult. Apparently because the Chinese seem to hate the Japanese for several things. It was very awkward and decided to not wear it to College anymore; did not want that Chinese girl to chase me with a butcher knife or something. After that I started to wear a bandana that had mixed colors, and was soon told by my professor if I wasn't 'scared'. I asked 'Scared of what?'. Then he proceeded to tell me that I was sporting GANG COLORS and that I could get shot within campus, or right outside, by gang bangers if I was not careful.

.................................................. ................................

So I just up and stopped wearing Bandanas to college XD. It was very short lived. I think I only got to wear it for less than a week at best. What is the world coming to?

The taegukgi (Restrains self from ranting about Korea needing to pick a single transliteration style and sticking with it) is the South Korean flag. I've just never seen anyone use it as a tenugui before, so it was a surprise to see it in the pile.

So I looked further into that Tenagui and it looks like it is a flag:

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3121/picture223h.jpg

and here is my Japanese Tenugui that I got blasted for:

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/982/picture224h.jpg

So I've got a question. What do the Kanji mean? The owner did mention Honor and something else, but for the most part did not know the rest. If someone knows could you let me know? Thank you in advance!