Kendo. Geoff Salmon

spirit at this stage in my life.

      When I became 80 years old, I achieved the state of the immovable spirit. However, there are times when a random thought will enter my mind. I am striving to eliminate these random thoughts.

      Cross generation Kendo—the late Oshima Hideharu Sensei with his grandson

      Very few of us will come close to Mochida sensei’s level of accomplishment, but we can take comfort in the fact that kendo does not need to be abandoned as we get into our later years. In fact for many kendoka, their kendo career really takes off after retirement.

      For people who take up kendo after they reach 50, it is still possible to advance into the higher dan ranks. A sensible approach to how hard and how fast you train is essential, as is correct warm-up and cool-down exercise. Nevertheless, good strong technique can be developed that works against younger, faster opponents and if you can come anywhere close to developing Mochida sensei’s state of “the immovable spirit” or Fudoshin you become invincible.

      Fudō Myō-ō,the Buddhist guardian deity that personifies Fudōshin

      Equipment and How to Choose and Wear it

      Kendo requires more equipment than many other sports. Over basic clothing of hakama and keikogi we wear bogu (armor), consisting of men, dou, tare, and kote. In addition we need at least one shinai (bamboo sword) and a tenugui (men towel).

      Chakuso

      Chakuso or the way we put on our equipment and present ourselves in kendo is an important indicator of our attitude to training and our technical ability. Bogu is expensive, so there is no problem in using old, well worn equipment. It should, however, be kept in good repair. Hakama and keikogi should be clean and pressed and wherever possible should retain the original color. I was given a lesson on the importance of good chakuso as well as one on Japanese tact early in my time in Osaka. My dojo’s shihan explained that the cut-down judo jacket I used had been “stolen” and that I would have to wear the purpose made keikogi that he gave by way of “consolation.”

      Keikogi

      Keikogi is the kendo jacket, a thick kimono style garment. Most people wear blue (indigo or synthetic indigo dyed) keikogi, although white is also common. The original reason for using indigo as a dye was because of its antiseptic qualities should the wearer be wounded. The color of the keikogi has no real significance, but children and women sometimes wear white. White is also the preferred color of The Imperial Palace Police. Keikogi come in a wide range of qualities and thicknesses, from thin summer weight to double thickness. Double thickness keikogi tend to last longer and give more protection against off target hits.

      Keikogi are simple to put on, just ensure that you wrap from left to right and tie the munehimo in a horizontal bow. The keikogi should fit so that the collar does not show a gap at the nape of your neck and the back of the keikogi should be smoothed down so that it is free from wrinkles. Keikogi sizes vary from maker to maker, so it pays to take the advice of your equipment supplier. It may sometimes be necessary to move the munehimo, or tabs that hold the keikogi closed at the front, to ensure a close fit at the collar.

      Hakama

      Kendo hakama also come in blue or white. The hakama has five pleats at the front and one at the back. The five front pleats are said to represent the Gojo or five virtues Jin-Gi-Rei-Chi-Shin

      Jin - Humanity

       Gi - Truth and Justice

       Rei - Courtesy

       Chi - Wisdom

       Shin – Faith

      The pleat at the back of the hakama symbolises Makoto or sincerity.

      Hakama are available in tetron, polyester, or cotton. Cotton hakama are available in various weights designated by a thread density number ranging from 5,000 to 10,000. As a rule cotton is preferable to synthetic materials as it is absorbent and the weight makes it hang better. It is also wise to buy the heaviest quality cotton you can afford as it retains its pleats better. When you buy a hakama the pleats are normally tacked with cotton. It will never look as good again, but the cotton has to come out before you use it.

      Putting on the hakama takes some getting used to. You should always put your left leg in first and take it out first when taking off the hakama. The only rationale I have heard for this is that if you are attacked, you can easily drop the hakama and move forward with your right leg.

      When you have both legs in you should pull up the front of the hakama so that the top edge is just under your belly button. You then pass the long tapes from the front of the hakama around your waist and cross them under your abdomen at about six inches (15 cm) below the top edge of the hakama. As you do this, turn the tapes over so that they “lock” in place. Then keeping the tension on, take the tapes round to your back and tie in a bow. At this stage, pull your keikogi down so that it does not bunch up at the back. Once the front is in place, you should find a plastic tag on the inside of the hakama below the koshi -ita. Push this inside the bow and then take the rear tapes and cross them over and take the top tape under the point where the front tapes cross. Tie a flat knot and tuck each tape over the tapes at the sides of the hakama, ensuring that they are pushed down tightly. When worn, the front of the hakama should come to just above your toes and be slightly higher at the back.

      Both keikogi and hakama should be folded after practice as per the diagrams. Before first use they should be soaked in cool water with the addition of either a cup of salt or white vinegar to help set the indigo dye. Even when this is done they will continue to bleed color, so they should be washed separately by hand in cool water. A useful tip to keep in mind is that if you pull them into shape immediately after washing and hang them in sunlight it will minimise the need for ironing. You should hang the keikogi inside out to avoid sun bleaching and use a clip type hanger to keep the hakama’s pleats in place.

      How to fold a hakama

      First straighten the back pleat and then turn over to ensure that the front pleats are in place. Fold in the outside edges so that the hakama forms a rectangle. Make two even folds, taking the hakama to a third of its length. Now double up each of the long rear obi ties to form an even X shape the size of the folded hakama. Take the two short front obi ties over and under the center of the X and loop over the ties nearest to you. Finally secure by pulling the loose end on the left through the top right loop.

      Folding Keikogi

      Bogu

      Selecting bogu or armor is even more baffling. The choice of styles, qualities, and brands is enormous as is the price range. You can buy hand-stitched, machine-stitched, even machine-stitched to look like hand-stitched bogu. Dou are available with traditional bamboo dou plates covered in leather and lacquer or made from synthetic material. So you need to think long and hard about what quality bogu you need and how much you are prepared to pay for it.

      The two main types of bogu are hand-stitched and machine-stitched. The former is vastly more expensive and a top class handmade bogu may take several years to make and equates to the price of a new car. Both hand-stitched and machine-stitched armor is classified by the closeness of the stitching. Machine stitching normally comes in.24 inches (6mm),.16 inch (4mm) or .12 inch (3mm) whereas hand stitching uses the traditional Japanese measures