Bokken - a special sword with many advantages
If you have been practising martial arts for a while, you have probably heard the term bokken or used it yourself. The wooden training swords used in various martial arts are known as bokken. The term is made up of the Japanese words boku for wood and ken for sword. In Japan, wooden training swords are also increasingly referred to as bokuto. In Western countries, however, the term bokken has become established.
A bokken was traditionally used for everyday martial arts training. Professionals, but especially beginners, particularly benefit from the lighter weight of a bokuto compared to a traditional sword. This protects the joints during training and makes longer training sessions possible. To ensure that the training sword is robust, solid types of wood such as red or white oak are traditionally used.
Plastic training swords - offers several advantages
Due to the global rise in the price of wood, fewer wooden bokken are used today and more plastic training swords are being used. At that time, samurai had no other materials than wood at their disposal. However, this is not a disadvantage for training.
On the contrary, with a plastic training sword you can train wonderfully for the various martial arts. With the modern bokken made of plastic, you can authentically learn the various movements in martial arts, as the plastic training sword is identical in shape and size to the original swords. With a new bokken you will improve your performance in martial arts.
In addition, the Plastic swords The advantage of plastic swords is that they are more durable than wooden ones. The plastic of the swords is very resistant, so you can experience many training moments and exercises with the bokken. A wooden training sword needs to be replaced more often than a plastic training sword.
Buying bokken - plenty of choice for your training
Would you like to buy a new bokken for your training? In our Online shop you will find various bokken, for example a katana wood. Wood from the USA or Canada is used for the training swords, so no rainforest has to be cleared in Asian countries such as Indonesia or Malaysia and sensitive ecosystems are preserved.
You are also welcome to buy a bokken made of plastic. The selection of plastic swords is much larger, as the swords offer many advantages over those made of wood. Plastic training swords are also available in different sizes.
The history of bokken and bokuto
Originally, the bokuto was used by the Japanese elite soldiers. The samurai used the sword made of wood for your training. Over time, the defence and attack purpose of the swords changed into a sport. The martial arts spread from Asia, so that today many people around the world practise various martial arts.
The bokken are used for various martial arts. They are used in these sports, among others:
- Iaido
- Aikido
- Jujitsu
- Ninjutsu
- Kendo
- Kenjutsu
However, training swords are not only used in sport and martial arts, but also in special forms of therapy. The movements with the swords are not only good for the body, but also have meditative elements. Martial arts training contributes to the overall health of body and mind. With a new bokken, your training will be even more fun and lead to a healthy lifestyle.
