Practice Swords

Practice swords “bokken” are made from wood or bamboo, and shaped like real swords. They are usually used in the early stages of training for extra safety. Many Aikido are derived from use of the Japanese sword, although Aikido is primarily an empty-handed art. The focus of the bokken in some aikido dojo is not that of a weapon, but that of a tool to enhance focus. These wooden swords often have a smooth transition between handle and “blade” and are not used with a tsuba. Other bokken are made to accept a tsuba and have a clearly defined transition between the handle and the “blade”. Aikidoka practice a form of sword work known as Aiki-Ken that is slightly different from other Japanese arts. The bokken is used in Aiki-Ken to learn proper body placement and distance (maai) from the attacker, in an attempt to be in the safest and most powerful position. Philosophically, Aiki-Ken stresses the importance of moving into the safest killing position, allowing the Aikidoka the option not to perform the killing blow. There are several types of bokken- katana, wakizashi, tanto and suburito. The quality of the practice sword depends on type of wood. The Asian red oak and Japanese white oak are the strongest and will last longer. The practice swords were used historically for the training of warriors. Miyamoto Musashi was infamous for fighting with bokken against the real swords.

CLICK TO BUY THIS ITEM >>>>