Here are the various parts of the bogu (kendo armor):
Sometimes folks can get a little lax in displaying proper kendo etiquette in the dojo.
Recently, Memphis Kendo has been concentrating more on this very, very important aspect of kendo and so I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to list 20 items of importance.
Kendo reigi is not limited to just these 20 items, but these are very common and every kenshi should be well-versed in how to properly behave in class (and out).
1. When entering or leaving the dojo, bow to the front (shomen).
2. After you put on the keikogi and hakama, examine your appearance. Be sure to straighten the keikogi so that it is as flat as possible and not hanging over the koshi-ita (the small stiff section of the lower back) of the hakama.
3. Stack all your personal items neatly against the wall as not to take up too much space on the floor.
4. Many dojos have everyone line up in seiza (kneeling) with bogu immediately in front and to the right. Because Memphis Kendo Club has so many people and our floor space is not overly wide, it has become our custom to line up standing without bogu, preferring instead to keep all bogu off to the side. When setting up your bogu, first place the kote on the floor with the kote heads pointing to your RIGHT. Next, place the men face down across the wrist joints of the kote. The men should stay in place and not rock over. Place the men himo (strings) INSIDE the men. You may optionally put your tenugui (head towel) either inside the men or across the top -- at some dojos, this is not an option. It's either one or the other. If you visit another dojo, watch everyone else and follow their lead.
You should be wearing the tare and the dou by the time you line up for class.
5. Always carry or hold the shinai or bokken properly. Do not lean or rest on it; do not use it as a cane or walking stick.
6. If your bokken or shinai is not in use, store it, or alternatively, you may rest it against a wall. If you do this, be sure to do so with the tip pointing UP.
7. Do not step over anyone's equipment -- including your own.
8. Do not TOUCH anyone else's equipment (even to move it out of the way) without first asking permission.
9. Do not step over a shinai or bokken that is on the floor. If your shinai or bokken is not in use, it is probably better to refer to rule #6 above so that people do not have to maneuver around the equipment area trying to avoid stepping over anything.
10. Do not walk in front of anyone, but if this cannot be avoided, politely bow and extend your hand slightly forward, saying, "Please excuse me" (in Japanese: "Sumimasen!" or "Gomen nasai!")
11. When you put on full bogu for class, follow these rules --
a. Put on the tenugui such that when you tie on the men, there is no "flap" sticking out from the back of the men. This is affectionately referred to by some as a "rooster tail."
b. After you have tied the men on, examine the men himo such that they are together, parallel, and not twisted.
c. When putting on the kote, put on the LEFT kote first, followed by the RIGHT.
12. During class, after you have finished an exercise with your partner, return to the center, pause, return your shinai to the sheathed position (osame to), take 5 steps back, and bow, saying "Thank you!"
13. If you MUST take a break during class, politely bow out. Take a moment to catch your breath or cool down if necessary and then work your way back into class. It is perhaps more proper that you ask permission to bow out AND bow back in, especially if you are visiting another dojo and are unfamiliar with their customs. No matter what, though, DO NOT take off the men unless you absolutely must do so. If you have to leave the floor for any reason, please let someone know.
14. During class, refrain from idle talk. Pay attention and concentrate on the lesson. If you are waiting for your turn to participate, much can be learned by simply observing others.
15. If you are sitting in class, sit in seiza (kneeling). If you are unable to sit in seiza (try to do so as long as you can), then sit properly. Do not "lounge back" with your legs extended.
16. When lining up at the end of class (as well as at the beginning of class), do so QUICKLY. Make sure the line is straight by checking the person immediately to your right.
17. The head instructor will call for the instructors to seiza, but the student line should wait for the head student to call, "SEIZA!" before kneeling. Start to kneel when the person to your right starts to kneel (much like a domino effect). Kneel quietly without moving until the head instructor calls for everyone to remove the bogu.
18. When removing the bogu at the end of class, follow these steps --
a. RIGHT kote is removed first, slightly to your front and right, with the kote head pointing to your RIGHT.
b. LEFT kote is removed and place IN FRONT of the right kote.
c. Remove the men. Do NOT let the men himo flail about haphazardly. When finished, place the himo INSIDE the men.
d. Before placing the men on top of the kote, hold the men with one hand in front of your face. Remove your tenugui with the other hand and use it to wipe away any sweat from your face. Finally, place the men on top of the kote (as previously described). Place the tenugui either inside the men or across the top. REMEMBER -- at other dojos, this may not be optional. Watch others and follow their lead if you are visiting another dojo.
e. Remove the dou, placing it in front of the kote and men. Be sure that the dou himo are not scattered about, but rather are neatly concealed.
f. Remove the tare. There are at least a couple of different methods of folding the tare obi, but the point is, do not just set the tare in front of your dou, leaving the tare obi lying out.
Although some people at Memphis Kendo Club (myself included) occasionally tie the dou and tare together at this point, the traditional custom of the club is to place the tare in front of the dou (which is in front of the kote and men) so that your name --- if you had a zekken with your name on it --- can be easily seen by the instructor.
19. After removing all the bogu, remain in seiza with your back straight.
20. After class has been dismissed, it is customary to come forward and bow once more to the instructor(s) individually. Also take the opportunity to bow to your dojomates individually. Again, this is customary and should always be done from seiza.
Memphis Kendo has been blessed to have so many new people take up kendo, and more importantly --- stick with it.
The purpose of this post is to help those who are still relatively new to Kendo.
Etiquette:
Reiho // Reigi (respect/manners/etiquette) is vitally important in kendo. Respect is demanded when entering/leaving the dojo and throughout practice. This means that when instruction is being given, we need to be attentive and cut out the side chatter. While practice can be fun, it needs to be conducted and received with a manner of respect and seriousness. Take full part in practice -- even in warm-ups --- with good energy and loud voice. Please refer to this post for more detailed information on Kendo etiquette:
http://beginningkendo.blogspot.com/2010/07/kendo-reigi-etiquette.html
Excercising more etiquette will make practice much more serious and fulfilling for you and your dojomates.
Terminology:
A few terms which you have heard in class but may be unsure of...
GENERAL:
Shugo! or Seretsu! -- the command for everyone to line up
Seiza! -- the command to adopt a kneeling/sitting-on-the-heels posture
Mokuso! -- meditation/"quietude"
Kiotsuke! -- attention!
Shomen ni rei! -- bow to the front
Sensei ni rei! -- bow to the sensei
Otagai ni rei! -- bow to each other
Onegashimasu! -- "Please practice with (teach) me!" or generally, "Let's please begin!"
Domo (arigato gozaimashita) -- "Thank you very much"
Sonkyo -- a crouching posture (noticeably used prior to beginning free fight with a partner)
Osameto -- to put away the sword (or to sheath the sword) following practice/excercise
Sumimasen (or) Gomen nasai -- "Sorry!"
Hajime! -- start or begin
Yame! -- stop or end
PARTS OF BOGU (Kendo Armor):
Men - the head
Kote - the wrist
Dou - the trunk/body
Tsuki - literally, "thrust," but it typically is used to refer to the throat
Tare - the hip protecting skirt
DIRECTIONS:
Mai - forward
Ushiro - backward
Migi - right
Hidari - left
DISTANCE:
Ma-ai -- the distance between opponents
Issoku-itto-no-maai -- the distance at which you can strike the opponent by taking one step forward
To-ma -- far distance, i.e., a distance greater than issoku-itto-no-maai
Chika-ma -- close distance, i.e., a distance shorter/closer than issoku-itto-no-maai
Yokote-no-maai -- the defined, specific distance at which the tip of your shinai and the tip of your opponent's shinai are just crossing.
SPARRING/FIGHTING/BASICS:
Kihon - basics
Ai-te - opponent, generally during shiai-geiko or jigeiko.
Kakarite - attacker
Motodachi - the person who acts as a receiver to kakarite's attacks, typically during kihon practice
Sho-men(-uchi) -- the center of the men; a strike to the center of the men
Sayu-men -- a strike to the sides of the men at (approx.) a 70-degree angle
Taiatari -- body contact/crash after an attack
Kirikaeishi -- practice with a partner where the attacker strikes the men, performs taiatari, then proceeds to strike sayu-men four times forward then five times backwards.
Kikari-geiko -- attacking-without-pausing practice
Ai-kikari-geiko -- kikarigeiko practiced by both partners at the same time
Ji-geiko -- free practice/free sparring
Shiai-geiko -- tournament sparring
Ippon-shobu -- in jigeiko, this refers to "last point" (before stopping)
TECHNIQUE (WAZA):
Waza is divided into two categories: Shikake waza (attacking technique) and Oji-waza (defensive/counterattacking technique). While this is not meant to be an exhaustive list...
Shikake waza can be sub-divided into:
Harai waza - technique of striking the opponent's shinai off center to create an opening for attack
Debana waza - technique of using seme to force the opponent to move to attack, then attacking first (debana kote is very common)
Hiki waza - striking while moving backwards
Oji waza can be sub-divided into:
Suriage waza - warding off the opponent's shinai as it attacks with a sweeping, upward movement
Uchiotoshi waza - striking the opponent's shinai downwards
Nuki waza - technique of luring an opponent to strike, then dodging it and following up with an attack
Kaeishi waza - technique of receiving an opponent's strike on your shinai and using that energy to launch your own attack.
FOOTWORK (Ashi-sabaki):
Suri-ashi -- "sliding feet"; the standard way of moving the feet in kendo, i.e., sliding them on the floor as opposed to picking the feet up from the floor
Okuri-ashi -- standard kendo footwork whereby the right foot moves forward first, followed by a strong/quick bringing up of the left foot. With this footwork, there is no crossing of the feet. Graphically, this footwork looks like this:
Starting from the basic position (right foot in front, left foot in back, left heel slightly raised from the floor), your okuri-ashi looks like this:
The attached link is an extremely handy resource with easy-to-read/understand instructions and "how to" illustrations related to putting on and wearing keikogi, hakama and bogu for kendo practice. There are also some helpful hints on cleaning, folding, and storing your gear included.
Keep this link handy. If you opt to print it out, be advised that it's about 25 pages in length.
http://www.senshinkandojo.com/uploads/8/2/8/8/828841/kendo_equipment_manual.pdf
The information is copyrighted, so do not print it out and sell it.
Some of the things we at Memphis Kendo teach our beginners is the importance of footwork, moving forward, basic seme, big swing techniques, big voice, and ki-ken-tai-ichi. On top of all that, there is the old addage: THERE IS NO DEFENSE.. THERE IS ONLY ATTACK.
When beginners start to transition into a more active participation in class (read: wearing bogu and taking part fully in jigeiko) they sometimes tend to forget everything they've learned the first 3-6 months. Many times, people get into bogu and fall back to a basic human instinct of defense only. Some people are able to effectively carry over the concept of "ONLY ATTACK!", and they do so without regard to the consequences of their attack. In essence, they attack without fear (which is good at that level), but one of the drawbacks of this --- especially when they face someone of equal experience and rank --- is that one side attacks using a big men strike from always the same distance and with always the same timing. When this happens, the other side typically falls into the same pattern and the end result, usually, is that both sides continue to hit each other's shinai before reaching the men and a successful strike eludes both players for, seemingly, an eternity.
It is important that beginners use what they learn in regular practice, attacking without hesitation or fear, however, they cannot learn opportunities for attacking by repetitively using the same technique from always the same distance and with always the same timing.
Keep in mind that jigeiko is not "regular/kihon practice". Jigeiko is a real opportunity to work on what you've learned in class in a very practical way. It's not enough to simply kiai, push seme, and attack.... you will soon learn that that doesn't always work when the opponent is not acting simply as a target for your practice, and some real frustration can result from this.
Once you know how to do a very basic men strike in regular practice, try to use jigeiko to experiment with how to actually pull off a very basic men strike. Pulling off a very basic men strike is not as easy as some think!
PART II:
So, you know how to do big men... you have great voice... you have decent timing and ki-ken-tai-ichi. Works great in practice, but now you're having trouble in jigeiko.
What to do?
Gain the center and create an opening to attack!
Whoa. What does this mean? What is center?
In case you don't know, "center" is perhaps most simply described as "keeping your shinai pointed at the opponent" (i.e., your shinai is "in the center").
Great. Now that I know what center is, Why do I need to break it?
Basically, if your opponent controls the center, then you will not be able to attack.
Why?
Because --- without going into greater detail --- if you move to attack without getting your opponent off center, the opponent can do a number of things to nullify your attack, one of which being if he doesn't move at all and just holds his kamae, you could just kill yourself on the tip of his sword.
Ok, so how do I break the opponent's center?
Well, now you're starting to think like a kenshi. HOW to break the opponent's center is the basic, most important tactic in kendo and, regardless of how simple the concept is, pondering the "how" is what develops into more complicated and effective waza (technique) as you advance in kendo.
There are several ways to break the opponent's center, but the simplest way is to physically move the opponent's shinai off the centerline by using your own shinai. For example, you can attempt to push the opponent's shinai down/to the side (called OSAE-WAZA) or you can attempt to push/knock it left, right, up (called HARAI-WAZA).
This particular concept of manipulating the opponent's shinai is known as "Killing the Sword" or "Killing the Kensen"...
If you regularly kiai, push forward, then attack.... You can attempt to ALTER YOUR TIMING. Try: kiai, kiai, push forward, kiai, push forward, then attack. Or you might push forward, kiai and stomp your front foot to see what kind of reaction you get from the opponent. This is what is meant by "changing your timing".
If you experience some frustration with your attacks in jigeiko (Can't Seem to Land ANYTHING!), try experimenting with timing variations.... alter your footwork, play with your kiai (when you attack, is your kiai significantly different from when you're NOT attacking?), attack the opponent's shinai (Kill the Sword!), try to avoid the same patterns (1-2-3-GO!) of attack and change it up a little (1-GO!... 1-2-3-GO!... 1-2-GO!... etc.)
PART III:
As you progress in kendo, you will start to develop a better of sense of reading the opponent, recognizing his patterns, recognizing opportunities for attack, and so forth. You'll also learn different types of waza and over time, you'll get better at knowing what to use and when to use it. You'll discover that you can use some waza better than other waza. The kendo learning process is neverending, so, don't get too ahead of yourself.... there's plenty of time.
High-level kendo players use the same kendo basics that beginners use. The difference comes in their understanding and application of those basics which are ONLY able to develop through experience over time. There is no "quick path" to strong kendo. If such existed, 1.kyu-level players would defeat 5.dan players on a regular basis. So in the early stages of your kendo journey, continue to work ONLY on what you know and try to perfect it. THAT is the natural progression to "advanced kendo."
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Some of the items in this post were taken from Dr. Sotaro Honda's article "Learning of Tactics for Kyu-grade Holders". Honda-sensei is the head coach of the British National Kendo Team.
If you've ever wondered about rank in kendo, the general bottom line is that (achieving) rank is not the ultimate goal of kendo. The ultimate goal is just to get better at kendo. Perhaps you've noticed that no one in kendo wears any outward sign to denote their rank. Why?
When you go to practice, things like rank, age, sex, weight have no true meaning because in kendo, technique will determine the winner in a match. By way of illustration, at the U.S. National Tournament in Las Vegas (1999), I saw a 5'2, 100 lb girl defeat a 6'+, 200 lb man in the team competition by scoring a beautiful men. Technique is the variable which makes all kendoka "equal".
That said, rank (and achieving rank) can be a positive thing in kendo. It can give us a sense of where we are (in terms of kendo ability/knowledge) and where we're headed or what we can look forward to. In our goal-driven society, rank can be a source of encouragement as well.
Currently, Memphis Kendo holds in-dojo promotionals for the ranks of 8.kyu and 7.kyu. While there enough instructors with the rank required by the International Kendo Federation (FIK) to hold promotions to a higher rank, the current SEUSKF by-laws mandate that all members, for their first rank testing, must test for any rank below 1.kyu at an officially-organized regional federation testing. Consequently, our practice has been to promote only to 8.kyu and 7.kyu before encouraging a higher rank (normally either 4.kyu or 3.kyu) at any one of several testing opportunities available throughout the year.
The following link provides more information about general expectations at a promotional examination: http://beginningkendo.blogspot.com/2010/07/shinsa-rank-testing-expectations.html
So... should you worry about testing? The first testing can be a bit stressful because you want to do well. You know what the judges expect you to be able to do, but you may not know how well the judges expect you to do it! In the end, it's nothing to get worked up over. Some of you who may have experience in other martial arts may have heard, witnessed, or even participated in rank testings which have lasted several hours. This is simply not the case with kendo. At best, you may be on the floor in front of the panel for 5 or 10 minutes total. The jigeiko portion of your exam is supposed to last a total of 180 seconds (90 seconds per match). This obviously may add to your stress as you feel you don't have enough time to fully demonstrate what you can do. Promotional panels have a lot of experience, though, and have the ability to see your potential even when you're not "picture perfect". So, when you go in for testing, simply do what you know how to do and let the judges do their thing. No sense in worrying about it! Whether you hold a rank of 4.kyu or shodan, you'll always find yourself practicing and sparring people with more experience and higher rank. Anyone, of any rank, can score a point or win a match against anyone else on any given day.
Regardless of rank, kendo is an ongoing learning experience. You might consider using promotionals as an encouragement to better your kendo, but ultimately, rank is not the end-all/be-all of kendo.
Something to keep in mind....
There are a number of kamae (stance; fighting posture) found in the art of Kendo. Some have more practical use than others in fighting, and others are pretty exclusive to Kendo Kata. As a brief overview, here they are:
CHUDAN-no-kamae
Chudan is the most basic, most standard kamae used in kendo.
Looks like this:
This is a short clip from YouTube highlighting a new DVD series being introduced by Jeff Marsten-sensei, Kyoshi 7.dan of the Pacicif Northwest Kendo Federation (PNKF). Marsten-sensei is a former President of the All U.S. Kendo Federation (AUSKF) and currently serves on its Board of Directors as Auditor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PngGmI0p5rg&feature=related
After looking at the YouTube clip, if you are so inclined to order the DVD, it's available at http://www.williswall.com for about $30.
Here are a few YouTube links of some older videos of kendo basics put out by the All Japan Kendo Federation. They're done in English.
Very basic stuff but very good review material, touching on subjects ranging from proper etiquette, how to put on bogu, kamae, footwork, basic excercises, kikarigeiko, uchikomigeiko, kendo kata, etc.
This is pretty all-encompassing and may be of some help for folks, regardless of experience levels.
Enjoy...
Section 1, Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHqVfoBQ7fs&feature=related
Section 1, Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRZsrVFSs2I&feature=related
Section 1, Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aczQzsifcDk&feature=related
Section 2, Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIQIrqbTQIg&feature=related
Section 2, Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O5MKKbqpQY&feature=related
Section 2, Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDy-vZx-8r8&feature=related
Section 3, Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJQ2nwhe6dI&feature=related
Section 3, Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeoE4U-Suf8&feature=related
Section 3, Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDGfcM4rKvI&feature=related
Check with the instructors before you order any kind of Zekken/Nafuda. We have a special contact who monograms our club logo onto the zekken, and so it is vital that you speak with one of the instructors before you place any order.
This film was shot in the late 1800s.
As you can see, very little has changed in Kendo Kata between then and now...
For your enjoyment:
Here is an EXCELLENT instructional video clip for Kendo Kata Ipponme (#1).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fx5Ts9i-MM
(the only error I can tell from this video is that at the very beginning, the narrator says "Uchidachi starts with the migi-jodan-no-kamae and Shidachi with the hidari-jodan-no-kamae"
...this is exactly opposite of what's correct.) Everything else in the video looks great.
And here is a video link for all 10 kendo kata for your review.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWzdIpayeFk
For now, beginners should concentrate on the first three kata. You will need to know the first three by the time you eventually test for 1.kyu. Levels below 1.kyu do not require kata at testing.
..more info/details to come on this topic...
*** WARNING ***
*** GRAPHIC PICS IN THIS POST ***
*** AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH ***
Memphis Kendo has been very fortunate in the past couple of years to have many people start kendo and, more importantly, stick with it long enough to get into bogu.
Since we have so many newbies now taking part in full keiko practice, this seems to be a good time to explore the most common type of "injury" in kendo --- BLISTERS (aka "kendo foot").
No matter who you are, you WILL deal with this at some point although you may actually be fortunate enough not to experience the full glory of the pictures I've attached below.
At the end of this, I'll provide some information on how to deal with these minor inconveniences so that you can get back to practice as soon as possible.
You can click on the pictures below to expand them. I've labeled 3 areas of the foot for ease of reference. While kendo foot is not limited to the left foot, blisters and well-developed calluses typically occur there.
(A) big toe
(B) ball of the foot
(C) the whole area of the upper foot, beneath the toes
(A) is unremarkable and typical of a well-developed callus on the big toe. By expanding the picture, you may also notice a very nice callus in the crease of the big toe. This is also a common area for blisters to form... think of that area as "(A), Jr."
(C) reflects a relatively large blister that formed and either ruptured on its own or was popped/sliced by the foot's owner. In any case, the skin has dried and this is -- in my experience at least -- the best way to deal with blisters of all sizes. Pop the blister and get all the pus out of the thing, allow it to dry and then cut away the dead skin. The time it takes for this to occur will vary from person to person. More details to follow...
Now, this is a real beauty. Every kenshi should WANT to get one like this at some point in his career. (Insert gratuitous comment about "REAL kendo people..")
The area at (A) is slightly remarkable in that the toe has a callus, yet a blister still managed to form. It is starting to heal very nicely with this foot's owner routinely removing dead/dried skin from the area. This will help in the callus-building process.
Area (C) is really choice. In the previous picture, it was obvious that a blister was formed and properly addressed when there was no significant ripping of the skin. In THIS picture, the blister may have ruptured significantly on its own such that the foot's owner needed to actually clip it off. Major tearing of the skin can happen in the course of practice and on this point, I speak from personal experience. It is NOT cool. If you experience this and there's just a small rupture, you might be best served to leave it alone and let it dry out (per picture 1). If you've got a flapper, best thing is to just clip off the skin and follow these steps:
To help with the drying process, be sure to clean your blister with hydrogen peroxide first.
Follow that up with a nice bandage, making use of an antibiotic gel like Neosporin, for example. This is good for when you have to wear shoes all day long at work. At night, take off any bandaging and let the blister dry.
Repeat this as often as necessary. You should be good to go for practice the following week.
This is a follow-up to the original (and WiLdLy popular!) KENDO FOOT entry I made back in 2007 here: http://memphiskendo.blogspot.com/2007/08/kendo-foot.html
In this sequel, I'd like to show a fairly common, albeit wimpy, blister as it goes through the healing process. The purpose of this is perhaps to give folks an idea of what to expect over time.
Much appreciation goes out to one of the newest members of Memphis Kendo who was kind enough to provide these pictures and document the progress.
______________________
DAY ONE (click to enlarge photo) - Saturday
After two classes, here we go....
So, the picture above is the aftermath of a two-hour class on Saturday afternoon.
Very, very common place for blister formation, especially for new folks who are just learning proper kendo footwork. It never hurts to state the obvious, so I'll take that opportunity now. This blister in the crease underneath the big toe of the left foot is caused by standard kendo footwork (okuri-ashi), pushing the whole body with the left foot/leg. It's also common to see blister formation(s) form in the center of the foot, just beneath the toes in the middle.
Above, the blister appears to have ruptures on it's own. The foot's owner has cleaned the damaged area (note: his foot is in the sink) with tap water, followed by hydrogen peroxide (rinse and repeated three times, I'm told). Did not immediately dress the are for the rest of the day. Later that night, the foot's owner went out to dinner, having prepared the damaged area with Neosporin, band-aid, socks (clean ones, obviously) and good-breathing tennis shoes. Upong returning from dinner and just prior to bed for the night, he rinsed the area again with tap water and hydrogen peroxide.
DAY TWO (no picture available) - Sunday
Cleaned the area again with clean water and hydrogen peroxide. Did not bandage. Left to air dry all day.
DAY THREE (no picture) AND FOUR (pictured below) - Monday and Tuesday
Repeating the same cleaning process, Neosporin and band-aid for work all day, followed by removal of the band-aid after dinner. Decided to cut away the skin flat at this point.
The above doesn't appear to portray a whole lot of progress after four days. 
This picture was taken after showering. Foot's owner reported a sharp stinging sensation in the shower (that's normal). As you can see, though, the area has healed quite nicely and the skin split is actually not at all very deep.
Please keep this in mind starting with March 2009...
We have limited bogu for rental, so please talk to one of the instructors if you are interested in doing that. We do NOT rent out kote, though. It is very important that kote fit your hands properly, so you will need to order your own! Again, though, speak to one of the instructors before ordering ANYTHING online.
