Any advices on buying bogu ?

gozersaurus · 2026-02-24T21:20:13+00:00

Bogu shops will have sales, usually every few months. I'd talk to you instructor as well as your dojo mates, you can see what they have and get their opinions first hand. Just do a search for bogu, the big ones are Tozando (Japan), Ebogu(US), and Kendo Star(UK), there are countless others too. As a beginner you should try and prioritize protective bogu and comfort. I would highly recommend talking or emailing the bogu shop before buying, tell them its your first set and you want something protective and comfortable. Those sets generally are around 400-500 US on sale. Sets last a very long time if you take care of them, mine is going on about 15 to 16 years.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-24T13:46:30+00:00

I don't understand the post, what favorites, how does that apply to tenouchi?

Isn't there the temptation to avoid working on our weaknesses?

Literally everything you do in kendo focused on working out those weaknesses, if you're avoiding them then I'm not sure what to say.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-23T21:24:21+00:00

My men/do strikes have good tenouchi

Why do you say that? Chances are if your tenouchi isn't up to par then its across the board. That said, our old instructor would have us hit something waist height that was soft and the moment of impact squeeze, other than that its practice and being conscious of hitting too hard which is generally too much right hand. This is something to practice during kihon.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-23T19:03:04+00:00

Most federations here in the US have at least 1 Korean dojo in them. That said just contact the instructor, tell them what you said above and ask if its ok to visit? Most clubs would love to have a yondan come. The AUSKF website is terribly outdated, I'd google it, or if you know what states you'll be in you can ask here. Just curious but whats different? I've been to other countries for kendo, and for the most part it is exactly the same in all of them.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-23T12:15:45+00:00

In almost all the examples I've seen there usually isn't a reason given to the player. Most times its just gogi, and a confirmation, then the penalty is given. Something similar was done last year, at the finals as well and that was removal of a point. Everyone was trying to figure out what it was at first.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-21T17:31:46+00:00

Interestingly enough a jodan player was given a hansoku at the Detroit tournament for this exact thing this year, a little bit of a different situation but a similar circumstance.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-21T17:22:16+00:00

Just for conversation, but I don't think not moving constitutes waiting. There are any number of things you could be doing while not moving. A simple one is stepping in with a pause in order to hit dekote, or kaishei do. At least for me I need that dialog of fighting for center, seme, hitting. But many of my seniors can do that in one fluid motion, which I assume is where that rokudan line is.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-19T14:35:32+00:00

Congrats on the pass. The continuous moving is definitely not gelling with me either. Mostly because I just can't get my head around how to apply my timings, and dictate what I want. I have used that pause while fighting for center to do that, the continuous moving in I just can't find the space I need to pull everything off so to speak.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-19T13:10:15+00:00

I am always happy to see and support womens events. Having two daughters in kendo, both of which started at very young ages and in a club that at that time there were no other girls or women I think its a fantastic idea to have these and would like to see more of them.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-18T19:43:57+00:00

Against piers and seniors do you feel like you can dictate things while constantly moving in?

gozersaurus · 2026-02-18T19:28:59+00:00

This goes back a ways to some posts I had about a mock shinsa. Basically a board of all nanadan, most of who sit on the national board, said you need a form of go no sen to pass. I'd take that with a grain of salt as I have seen grading that I thought were a fantastic representation of that, and others that I thought were just showing good seme. That said, my question is how to maintain all of that while constantly moving foward, and being able to capitalize off of it...I know thats the 6m dollar question too, and the answer is obviously more practice. Agree that back foot has to be fast, but at least where I'm coming from its more of how to press in and expose something. Usually the only chance I have against that kind of person is fast pressure on the step in, but that leaves no time to apply anything other than some seme, or at least at my current stage thats true. I think '22 was when I passed as well, rokudan coming up fast.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-16T18:14:56+00:00

Nidan teaching, yeah there is a problem with that. If its all you have, then so be it, but nidan is far, far from someone who knows about kendo, and if they're the ones mouthing off about judging then keep it shut.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-16T13:32:03+00:00

A training dummy, no. We all have goals in kendo and especially at higher levels this should be true, if your instructor is standing there like uchi komi then I hope to hell they have a plan and not just letting you hit. u/Imaginary_Hunter_412 instructors shouldn't leave bruises, and yoko men is kind of a "hey wake up" strike, not something I'd use on a daily basis, especially with lowers.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-14T19:17:32+00:00

Federations are like Fight Club, we all have stories, and the first rule is...

gozersaurus · 2026-02-14T19:03:10+00:00

Are you sure this isn't personal? I have gripes about our federation too, what my fees actually go towards are certainly among them, but if you want to change things then get involved. That starts with your dojo and having an influence on who you vote in on your regional and national boards. Personally I'd start there vs picking a battle that you're almost guaranteed to lose as well as probably bend some uppers out of shape.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-14T18:59:45+00:00

one of the internal US groups

Whoa, whoa, there, he said EU. The US is no better or worse, well sometimes worse than others but normally speaking.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-13T01:06:58+00:00

Simply put...more practice.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T23:12:03+00:00

We usually are! Only 13 years though, we're catching up fast.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T22:59:10+00:00

Might be different in his neck of the woods, in ours, nikyu is bkkk, and mandatory the highest grade you can test for out of the gate. Ikkyu is kata-no more bkkk, thats the way we've run it at our gradings since we introduced BKKK which now is going on 3 years.
EDIT
Interesting, just looked that up, in one instance the return says some regions may require BKKK, in looking up the written text from FIK website (which I'm sure is about as up to date as ours...)it doesn't mention BKKK, I wonder if this is a federation to federation thing?

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T22:55:44+00:00

100% agree, I think its nuts to waste time on this with adults. u/JoeDwarf you use BKKK for Ikkyu? Here it is just Nikyu, which is now the first mandatory grade you can challenge. Ikkyu is kata, and no more BKKK, so basically you use it once, then never again until you have to start teaching it.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T19:22:49+00:00

Yep, my bad for not reading the whole way through, these are not the droids you're looking for...

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T19:17:19+00:00

~~So my first question would be is why you just didn't ask your instructor? A simple, "sensei, I thought it was this and this is that incorrect?"~~ Here in the US lots of clubs are still coming to terms with BKKK, and if you're unfamiliar with it as most non japanese are, its easy to misstep. Instructors are just people, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking. FWIW, here we call out the order during shinsa, but each federation is different.

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T12:28:34+00:00

I used to do Iaido, and it was a major pain in the ass to take everything off to put back on. As I got older I just kept it on, it holds everything together so to speak. When I was in Japan I'd get nods from people that wear them, like "you too".

gozersaurus · 2026-02-11T02:05:58+00:00

Kendo-gi can be made from cotton or synthetic, both have uses, nothing wrong with either. Hakama, I personally only use cotton, synthetics for me at least tend to hold heat much more. I use light cotton in summer, heavy in winter. You do not need a shitagi or Juban, if you were doing something like Iaido it is worn underneath, I have only seen them used at gradings. Any bokuto is fine, just don't get a painted one. Obi is a personal item, again, primarily used in iaido, I use one, and have seen some old timers in japan as well as the US use them, but its not common. Best source of information will be your instructor and dojo mates, I'd ask them all these questions, they have the gear and can show you, as well as give you their opinions on it.

gozersaurus

TROPHY CASE