akatsuki shinai

[kendokan]

So.... I have an 11 year old cousin who got interested in kendo because of me. He likes the akatsuki bamboo shinai, but is wondering what size he should get. This question has already been asked, but not for this certain age. He is turning twelve in May. What size, I was debating 34, 36, 37. Where can I find akatsuki shinai with certain heights? E-bogu has them, but they don't say what sizes.

[Paikea]

So.... I have an 11 year old cousin who got interested in kendo because of me. He likes the akatsuki bamboo shinai, but is wondering what size he should get. This question has already been asked, but not for this certain age. He is turning twelve in May. What size, I was debating 34, 36, 37. Where can I find akatsuki shinai with certain heights? E-bogu has them, but they don't say what sizes.

E-bogu has a selection of custom Akatsuki shinai, and there is a table here: http://www.e-bogu.com/customer-downloads/akatsuki.pdf showing what they have. From what I can tell, there is nothing there suitable for an 11-year old. Akatsuki shinai are high-end, and really not for the beginner. A hundred bucks would go a very long way toward a good-quality hakama and keikogi that would last longer than a hundred-dollar shinai in a beginners class.

[Will]

yeah, i second what Paikea said. As an 11 year old, the quality of shinai won't really matter that much, it's not until you're shodan or nidan that you might start realizing the difference in quality. So unless your cousin is an 11 year old prodigy that can already understand the balance of shinai (which i doubt simply b/c it's highly unlikely, no offense) you're buying the shinai for no reason. I think your cousin just wanted it cause it was expensive, and kids always want the most expensive things to feel better.

[Masahiro]

I think you should certainly encourage your cousin's interest in kendo. After all, kendo is good for everyone, but not everyone is going to be succeed at it. With that said, I'd just like to point out a few suggestions without telling you blatantly "what to do"! I would not advice getting an akatsuki shinai for your 11 year old cousin. For 2 reasons, first~ I have have owned and practiced with akatsuki shinai(s). And I can tell you from experience these akatsuki shinais are a little heaver than the usual/beginner shinais. Because they are made out of better quality, thicker fiber bamboos. I am currently training with kids that are around 11 years of age, and they can barely lift up a typical beginner shinai after 15 minutes. I would doubt they enthusiasm if I asked them to train with a heavier shinai. On the other hand, you can always get the akatsuki shinai for your cousin only after some time of dedicated practice as encouragement of some sort, or for special occasion. It really isn't meant to be an everyday practice type shinai. Good luck!

[kendokan]

Yeah, I tried getting him ou7t of buying one of those, but he wouldn't really listen... so.. something like a 34 36 inch shinai??

[adfrost]

According to my catalog, Akatsuki are only available in 38 & 39. And yes, they are a higher end chokuto-style shinai. The weight is distributed more evenly over the length of the shinai, instead of being toward the handle, like a dobari, so it has a heavier feel to it.

Secondly, it really would be a waste of money at this stage. Better buy a "cheap" practice shinai since he'll break it sooner than later (as we all do when we start out.) I started out with a 38 practice shinai and now I'm using an e-guchi Aun. I'm in no hurry to purchase expensive shinais.

And I agree with Masahiro. He probably won't care as much for it after a few hundred suburi!

[Will]

Just lie then, if he's not going to listen, just lie...

it doesn't hurt if they don't find out the truth.

[taganahan]

yep, make your own akatsuki logo and stick it on the "cheapo" shinai then tell him it's an akatsuki. he won't know the difference, probably...

~taganahan

[kendokan]

he'll probably only last six monyhs, he saw the last samurai, and that's what got him interested, and rurouni kenshin manga...

[Paikea]

he'll probably only last six monyhs, he saw the last samurai, and that's what got him interested, and rurouni kenshin manga...

Then, consider not contributing to the "immediate gratification" problem so prevalent among 12-16 year olds? Why consider wasting a quality piece of hand-crafted shinai just because it's what little Johnny wants today?

[kendokan]

heh.. His mom's huge about getting him involved with stuff. what size of shinai should I consider?

[Neil Gendzwill]

11 years old, 36 unless he's unusually big or small.

[kendokan]

that sounds right, he's average height so that should do fine. thanks!

[kendoindia]

hello dear friend,
if possible you can meet the Japanese kendo master in Dhaka for more details,
good luck

[Big One]

Wow, you live in Bangladesh where one hundred dollar is very big and you seem not to concern. I am just impressed.