Donning your kendo equipment
As with most things in kendo, the act of donning your kendo equipment is ritualized. It is not so orthodox as to have any religious significance. However, going through the forms, as with any martial art, is an integral part of the art itself. Donning your equipment in kendo the right way is not merely matter of following the rules for the rule’s sake. It has a purpose. Granted, at times, that purpose may seem to be shown in a very roundabout manner. We, in the western world, pride ourselves in the way we approach life. We are pragmatic, straightforward, fiercely independent, outspoken, and proud. Those are all virtues that we should and do hold dear. While it sometimes it seems untrue, those who practiced and created kendo also hold the same values close to their hearts, albeit in a different manner—in a way our culture often prohibits us from easily understanding. In the long run, putting your equipment on correctly boils down to this: The correct way of putting on your equipment is the correct way. It is not so much the following of the rules that matters as much as it is what the action of following the rules teaches you. The ways of donning your equipment we suggest to you are only one way. It is the way we were taught, and it is the way we wish to teach. After all, there are several different ways of tying the knot to your hakama, and more than one way to put on the tenegui and men. So if your teacher tells you to put on your gear or uniform differently than do as he/she tells you. Donning the kendo uniformWhen putting on the uniform, it is generally up to you whether or not you would like to wear athletic shorts underneath the hakama. However, it is not acceptable to wear a shirt or undershirt beneath the gi (there is an exception for women).Putting on the gi is a simple process that involves roughly four steps. Putting on the hakama is a little more complex. Here are the first five steps. The last seven steps of putting on the hakama is where the process gets a little difficult. Donning the boguWhen donning the armor, always be in a seated position. Some dojos have rules where you have to be seated in line while putting on the armor. Others do not have that rule. In either case, remember to be seated and always start with the tare first (it only makes sense since the tare is below the do). Then put on the do, still in the seated position.When you’re in line, wait for the command “Men-Otsuke!” to put on the tenegui then the men. There are two methods of putting on the tenegui. It is up to you which method to use. From there, put on the kote left hand first. Having a kote on the right hand signifies that you’re ready to fight. In summary putting on the armor is as follows:
Please be patient with all of the photo-guides above as the pictures are rather large files and may take a few minutes to load.
|
