Bokken NIDOME
Sunuke Yagyu Ryu Bokken -Japanese wooden sword
Bokken weight: 400g
Length: about 102cm
Tsuka Length: 26.5cm
Tsuka size: 3.0 x 2.1cm
Yagyu Ryu wooden katana is slightly curved, light and thin.
It is easy to handle for beginners, women and even for a person interested in mastering Oji-waza ( counterattack) techniques and kobudo (ancient Japanese martial arts). As this wooden sword is relatively light-weight, you can manage the bokken very easily in terms of speed and timing. If your bokken is too heavy for you, you can not realise some techniques at the good moment, at a good distance (Maai). In this case, it is more difficult to learn techniques correctly. It has a slightly curved blade, you can learn Hasuji (the angle of blade) correctly; in other words, you can learn your cutting forms and the way of gripping bokken (tsuka) correctly.
Sunuke: It is a little bit heavier and more solid than oak and it has a beautiful surface. This material comes from the core of a tree called distylium racemosum of about 300 years old. However, because it has no stickness, it is more vulnerable to shocks than oak. So if you practice kata with heavy contact, it is better to use white oak or laquat.
These bokken are made from Japanese oak in Kyushu (the southern part of Japan ) by NIIDOME Bokuto Craft Company at Miyakonojo in Kyushu. This company keeps the traditional way of manufacturing, such as drying the materials (wood) naturally in order not to destroy the fibers of oak; therefore our bokken are solid and robust and can be used for a long time. NIIDOME Company uses the materials which come from a 70 years old tree. If it is a young tree, it does not have the same quality and hardness as one of 70 years old.