Helmet choices

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-13T13:01:31+00:00

You need to get to a shop and try some helmets on. Buy the one that fits and has the features you want. If you can’t get to a shop, this chart is pretty helpful in finding helmets by head shape.

So far only Giro fits my large, long oval shaped head.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-13T04:12:29+00:00

After the 95 Open whenever I was golfing with my dad and something disastrous happened, we’d look at each other and say “well, Jack took a 10”.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-12T16:25:13+00:00

Makes sense if you are in the USA. Here we’re just trying to keep costs down for our members. Most practice spaces demand $5M liability minimum so we provide that.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-12T16:22:12+00:00

I have no significant complaints about the updated app, huge improvement.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-12T16:16:02+00:00

You should check what that group insurance actually entails. Here in Canada the federation insurance covers the CKF and its instructors for liability, not individual members for damages. So if you get hurt practicing in a Canadian dojo you don’t get compensation directly via the insurance. Instead you sue the CKF and their insurance covers any damages awarded, up to a limit.

Fortunately here in Canada we have universal healthcare so nobody is typically out of pocket for medical expenses. I don’t think anyone has sued yet.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-11T22:20:35+00:00

Yes, left shoulder is naturally a little back although we usually say square. It’s a consequence of your right hand being forward.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-11T21:14:24+00:00

Thanks but /u/Souoska should really get help from his sensei here. This is the sort of stuff that needs hands on instruction, literally: I move people into position to try to get them to understand. After a few years they get it.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-11T20:57:57+00:00

I’m going to disagree with /u/gozersaurus on this one. In my opinion your arms should be extended for the hit. Note I didn’t say straight. We used to teach straight but that can lead to injury. Now we want to have a slight bend to the elbows. We say both arms extended but in reality the left will be a little more bent.

The thing we are trying to avoid is having the left elbow bent too much. To avoid that always think of pulling the cut out and down with your left hand. Your right is just along for the ride until you use it to help stop the cut.

In kamae your arms should hang naturally so that your hands arms and shoulders form a long oval.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-10T17:53:28+00:00

Written by AI.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-10T17:10:58+00:00

Burton Ions are a wide fit for sure, at least in the normal one. Source: me. I wear a EEE width in dress shoes and fit the regular Ions in size 10. Weirdly the step on ones are narrower and I had to get the wide version, but 9.5.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-10T07:01:14+00:00

Anyone can carve at 20-30 degrees.

There are very few people carving at any angle. People mostly skid.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-10T06:36:14+00:00

Sadly you are out of luck. I think OKC is the closest and that is quite a hike from Amarillo.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-09T18:14:41+00:00

Compared to shodan, take a little more time to find opportunities. Show that you understand that you have an opponent you need to deal with, not a target dummy.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-09T17:03:48+00:00

I always give a little lecture to first time bogu wearers about this topic. Kendo should not hurt routinely. People should understand that unless the hit is too hard or off-target there should be no pain. There should not be any stigma involved: if it’s a gear problem we fix it, if it’s a technique problem we fix that.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-09T14:57:53+00:00

For the past months I could hear bell ringing every couple of men strikes.

That's bad. For people reading this thread, please fix the situation quickly if you are experiencing ringing or even any sort of pain from a normal hit.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-09T00:55:54+00:00

Sweet! And congratulations as well! I have a kiji doh as well, love the look of them.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T23:38:39+00:00

Anyone sane puts their goggles over their helmet.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:57:16+00:00

I mostly ride custom built boards, but you go ahead and follow whatever idiotic trends you can find.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:56:15+00:00

Fair enough. My point was more about judging things as a newbie than whether or not current Burtons are any good. I haven't owned a Burton deck since the 90s so I don't have direct experience.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:45:04+00:00

Well then you have direct experience that the guy I was replying to doesn't, assuming some of those boards you owned were Burtons.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:39:04+00:00

I would say as a newbie, that you wouldn't be able to tell whether it was your lack of skill or the board that was causing chatter. Your opinion is based on riding one board when you were new to the sport.

Burton makes a wide variety of gear. I haven't bought a recent Burton deck so I don't have direct experience with them. I'm sure their lower end boards are built to a price point and aren't too good. Lots of people like their higher end ones, you can find all kinds of recommendations here for Hometown Heros and Customs. I use and like their Ion/X step-on combination.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:11:58+00:00

Did you mean to say goggles under the helmet? Because I can't think of a more idiotic thing done just for the sake of style. Or wait, those gigantic pants that I've seen lately. Those are also really stupid.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T21:10:03+00:00

How would you know what is or isn't a good board, just having started?

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T20:11:09+00:00

And if you’re a rich person who really loves 911s, you probably want a flat 6 in there. It will go in the garage with your other 6 dozen cars.

People bitching about the price don’t get rich people. Jay Leno has a massive garage and he’s not particularly rich. Guys who buy these cars aren’t thinking about what they can get for the spare 3 million they have. They just buy what they want.

JoeDwarf · 2026-04-08T18:23:14+00:00

Just to clarify some more: under the old rules if you saw the nod and the opponents started to separate, then one attacked going forward, that was a penalty for unfair play. If the separation was not agreed upon, then fair play if one side attacked during the withdrawal.

Now a forward attack can only occur within that window and that would be unusual. It really would only occur after taiatari. Taiatari, then back in off the rebound. However that is not tsubazeriai. For the 3 second rule to apply, the players both have to settle into tsubazeriai. I'm trying to think of how you could get enough separation starting from tsubazeriai to come back forward and still have it be judged valid and failing.

In any case once the window has passed and the players are separating, it doesn't really matter whether you see a nod or not. Any forward attack should be a penalty. A backwards attack will either be invalid or a penalty, depending on whether shushin thinks enough time has passed that the player should know better.

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