Bokken
The bokken (木剣, literally saber (剣) of wood (木) ) or Bokutô (木刀, name generally used in Japan) is a saber Japan board in Bois taking again the size, the form and the feeling with the use of the Katana. It is used mainly for the drive but its effectiveness in combat is real: famous the Samurai Miyamoto Musashi gained its famous duel against Kojirō Sasaki with a bokken. Formerly used by the Samurai S, it is nowadays used in particular in Aïkido , Kenjutsu and Iaido .
It can be used with the guard (" tsuba") who protects the hands, or without the guard. With the kendō, it is used for the Kata.
Like the Katana, the bokken followed their time, and each historical traditional school - Tenshin Shoden Katori Shintō Ryu, Kashima Shinto Ryu, Yaggyu Ryu, Yaggyu Shinkage Ryu, Nitten Ryu, etc - has a " style" adapted to their technique: weight, curve, length, point, thickness.
Best the bokkens is made in white Chêne of Japan. It is a clean variety in Asia, in which one cuts weapons. The tree must be at least 45 years old of life, and have dried 5 years.
In the beginning, the best qualities sought for a bokken were found in wood " flottés" , in particular in the old oars of boat in oak: wood dried very slowly in or in contact with water, of sizeable age and slightly twisted by the effort (and not cut in arc). The main part of necessary qualities is solidity, the homogeneity and that unit of fibers go of end with other of object, which gives a solid weapon, which, when it breaks, does not make a glare or of dangerous point for the two protagonists. Reason for which, for example, the ebony or the Buis, in so far as they make beautiful bokken, was never employed by the traditional schools because dangerous with use.
Surface " active" (blade) of a bokken must be smooth so that the contact with another bokken reproduces the contact of the steel blades of the katana. Like this last, a bokken must be adapted to its user. It can be recut and repolished. One can maintain it, for a longer life, by impregnating it with Linseed oil.
A habit, which is to receive in gift the bokken somebody, is a mark of great regard - especially on behalf of a Master - had regard to the sweat of the drive whose owner impregnated the handle.
The bokkens can be cut in two ways: either they have a relatively marked side slicing (as on the illustration), or this side was left completely round what confers the advantage to him of a very great shock resistance and of a better safety at the time of the drives. Note that for the white bokken, it is the interior side which was planed, this with an aim of bringing back the center of gravity of the bokken towards the handle, for a greater handiness.
There exist bokkens conceived for the work of right striking (shomen), the suburi bokken or suburito . They are heavier sabers, making it possible to develop the Musculature, but being able to be at the origin of Tendinite S.
Certain samurais preferred the bokken with the katana because of its solidity; a bokken practically does not break, whereas a katana is relatively more fragile. The exit of a confrontation of both - bokken/katana - was always dubious. The bokken is also regarded as more dangerous for the often irremediable damage - more difficult to look after - that it causes on an human body.
Shoto
The shoto is a Wakizashi out of wood.
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