Post by Admin Kendo on May 12, 2009 14:25:54 GMT 7
As part of "living" kendo, the shinai as your weapon is the most important part of you equipment. It is therefore very important that you maintain your shinai properly. You can find a kendo manual at the Yahoo Groups site for download so the items listed below will be general.
1) When you receive a new shinai you will need to take it apart and prepare you shinai for use. This requires disassembling your shinai as shown in the manual, oiling your shinai, and reassembling it for use.
2) To keep your shinai in good usable condition you should always check for splinters or other damage to the bamboo. If you find any, you should immediately cut off any splinters and then sand down the affected area. Small splinters can get into the eye and cause a lot of trouble. Afterwards, you may wish to wax the shinai.
3) Check the shinai strings (tsuru) frequently to make sure that it is taught not tight. If you tie the tsuru too tight, the tip of the shinai will bend upwards. The tsuru only needs to be tight enough to keep the leather tip (sakigawa) and grip (tsukagawa) from moving.
4) Check the condition of the sakigawa (leather tip). There should be no holes in it.
5) If the tsuru becomes frayed (looks like it will break) it is time to change it.
Keep in mind that the weather conditions in the country where the shinai was made can vary greatly with the more humid conditions in Indonesia. Weather does affect your shinai so proper preparation and maintenance will go a long way to ensuring that your shinai is safe to use and that it will last longer than if completely untreated.
1) When you receive a new shinai you will need to take it apart and prepare you shinai for use. This requires disassembling your shinai as shown in the manual, oiling your shinai, and reassembling it for use.
2) To keep your shinai in good usable condition you should always check for splinters or other damage to the bamboo. If you find any, you should immediately cut off any splinters and then sand down the affected area. Small splinters can get into the eye and cause a lot of trouble. Afterwards, you may wish to wax the shinai.
3) Check the shinai strings (tsuru) frequently to make sure that it is taught not tight. If you tie the tsuru too tight, the tip of the shinai will bend upwards. The tsuru only needs to be tight enough to keep the leather tip (sakigawa) and grip (tsukagawa) from moving.
4) Check the condition of the sakigawa (leather tip). There should be no holes in it.
5) If the tsuru becomes frayed (looks like it will break) it is time to change it.
Keep in mind that the weather conditions in the country where the shinai was made can vary greatly with the more humid conditions in Indonesia. Weather does affect your shinai so proper preparation and maintenance will go a long way to ensuring that your shinai is safe to use and that it will last longer than if completely untreated.