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Shinai and its parts

The importance of the shinai (and therefore of Kendo) is that it permits trainees to engage in simulated combat without fear of serious injury. No Kendo sensei would say, however, that this freedom means that the proper attention to proper form and to basic techniques should be overlooked by any serious trainee.

The shinai is made of four bamboo staves bound together. The saki-gawa is the covering that is placed over the tip of the weapon. A string runs from the tip down the symbolic "top" of the shinai shaft. About one third of the way down, the staves are bound together by a leather tie known as the nakayuki. Finally, the handle, or tsuka, also of leather, serves as a place to grip the stave and to hold the base together. The shinai is both a practical and aesthetic object, and there is a specific way of tying the various components together. A basic guide is replicated on page ssss1.

Trainees should take the time to maintain and care for their shinai. The bamboo staves that are the weapon's main component will splinter after hard use. Before every practice session, the student should carefully examine the shinai and its fittings to make sure that no jagged splinters are exposed. Use a piece of sandpaper or a sharp knife to trim jagged edges. Small cracks that develop in the individual staves can be repaired using carpenter's glue.