bokken

[Abris]

what is the main purpose of a bokken?

[piggy]

the bokken is used for kata.

[Abris]

is a bokken used in iaido?

[HokiIaidoka]

In the beginning stages, the bokken is used in Iaido, eventually you will want to get an iaito though, as most bokken do not have a saya (scabbard).

[filter]

A bokken doesn't just have to be used for kata.

In our dojo this last week we have been using bokken for suburi, to show us more about the path of the blade.
Sometimes you can lose sight of the shinai as a sword because it is round, and the bokken gives you a lot more feedback about the angle of your cuts.

I found it quite useful as a beginner, and anything that can prevent me from reinforcing bad cutting technique is great!

[piggy]

A bokken doesn't just have to be used for kata.

In our dojo this last week we have been using bokken for suburi, to show us more about the path of the blade.
Sometimes you can lose sight of the shinai as a sword because it is round, and the bokken gives you a lot more feedback about the angle of your cuts.

true but they requested what the main purpose was. so i figured that it was for kata because 99.83 percent of the time, i do suburi with a shinai.
but you are correct. it helps show the angle of the cuts. especially because the handle of the shinai i use is round.

[kanti_kun134970]

I thought a bokuto was for Kenjutsu, like any kind, 'cept Satsujin-ken though, 'cause it would be to hard to do that with a bokuto.

[ShinKenshi]

I think any sword art that uses a katana most of the time starts you off on a bokuto for safety reasons. Seems like a good idea to not have a lot of beginners cutting their hands off or something using a shinken.