To my surprise, my keiko-gi, hakama, and bogu did pretty well sitting in my garage for the past five years. I did find some crickets who made their home in my kote as well as the white streaks in my men because I didn't properly wash it before I stowed it away under the piles of dust and all ancillary bachelor gear that gets thrown out into the garage by your better half after marriage. This included my old video game consoles, my Japanese manga collection, all my old Karate training equipment, and most of my Airsoft and Paintball gear that I was able to salvage from my parents house and storage.
My shinai were the only things that were spared from the dust balls and the makkuro kurosukke that reside in garage. I convinced my wife that those needed to stay in the house for protection reasons. I don't think there's ever been a Sakaue male who didn't have a shinai/bokuto, a golf club, or some sort of a long blunt object in the house readily available for any unsuspecting intruders. Luckily, none of us have had to fend off any unwanted guests from the house unless it was a skunk, raccoon, or some other pesky critter.
During my years practicing Karate I've managed to injure my hands on numerous occasions. One notably the tendon in my left hand that's connected to my pinky finger. This was a blow for me when I returned to Kendo as I noticed my grip wasn't what it used to be. Due to this a few years ago I switched to a dobari styled large grip shinai after getting some really good advice from my kohai. (Just so everyone knows all the kohai that I keep in touch with are all sensei level kenshi now. This is a unique aspect to the senpai/kohai relationship that I will save for another blog entry)
Compared to the traditional "bulk" shinai that you can purchase from any kendo bogu-ya, such as my favorite Mazkiya (my kohai and his family run this business so I'm kinda partial), or your dojo, the circumference of your shinai grip or tsuka can range in the low to mid 20 millimeters. Due to my condition, I've been utilizing a grip that runs in the high 20 millimeters and currently utilizing a grip that is 30 millimeters.
I encourage all advanced level mudansha (non-black belt), especially those who are in the 3 kyu to 1 kyu range to start try different styles of shinai. I also encourage to start asking questions of your senpai for any advise about how they manage their bogu or gear. This is another aspect of Kendo that you are going to have get to know as you move into the Yudansha level (black belt equivalent).
Even though my father was a Karate sensei, he reminded me when I told him that I was going to return to Kendo... "Even Miyamoto Musashi explored different types of katana. Remember that he used a long bokuto, a boat oar he carved, to defeat Sasaki Kojiro." While the story of Miyamoto Musashi is legend, a kenshi must find his own path. This includes not accepting what is readily available but finding out what equipment works for their style of Kendo.
Luckily in Southern California, we have access to many options for Kendo gear. As aforementioned Mazkiya and not to mention eBogu. Both have a great selection and are used widely among kenshi on the west coast. If you are a bargain hunter, sometimes they have a buy one shinai get 50% off the next or sometimes even a buy one get one free deal! Great deals for those who have an expensive taste for handmade or smoked bamboo shinai.
I am amazed how many options we have now. The younger generation of kenshi are so lucky in my eyes!
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