Need a padded sword

Zem

Hey, can anyone recommend any reliable place in Ireland to get a padded training sword, i've been working a lot with wooden bokken the only thing is that i'd like to get something which will allow me to train with a bit more force. Even if anyone could give me an idea of where to get a flexible bamboo shinai like in kendo or something that would be good and i could cut and pad that myself.

The basic requirements are that if i'm practicing with someone and if something goes wrong or either of us end up being thrown or something the sword breaks before any part of the person. I've been looking around and i can't seem to find anything here although it could just be that i'm blind but any help would be much appreciated.

blondie83

Have you considered using the pipe insulator stuff to make your own? It's easy enough to get the length, although harder to get the shape obviously! Would be good for sparring though

Dyr

Place in arnotts sells various types of padded weapons, dunno of they have bokken shaped ones. Shinai are kinda tough to be sparring with sans protection, kendo players dont pay good money for that armour just to look cool

MrO

Zem - as Blondie said I think your best bet is make a wrapping for a shinai from foam and maybe leather or plastic. But if you want to spend the money these people do nice ones (i've bought from bothe of them):

http://www.timbathurst.net/tombo.html
http://www.bujindesign.com/weapons_bamboo.html

All the best!

Clive

Well whatever you do, don´t use a metal pipe covered in insulation, because TwoKingMick will appear to find the only dangerous part and stab you in the face with it.

Colm_OReilly

That wasn't a metal pipe Clive, it was bogger pipe, that hard black plastic piping found on farms all over Ireland. All those swords rocked!

Clive

Well whatever it was, it damaged my beautiful, beautiful face.

Colm_OReilly

Chicks dig scars man

Zem

Thanks a lot for the help everyone, i suppose it's time to try some D.I.Y, now to find the materials i may even make some padded bo and jo.

MrO i've seen the ones from Mr. Bathurst and they are good quailty and he was suggested to me before but his equipment is a bit out of my price range at the moment. I will however keep the bujindesign site in mind if the attempted sword would turn out to cost as much, so thanks.

pearsquasher

Howdy,

If you want some padded bo/jo then we have some for sale. PM me.

These have been used by Tim Bathurst and other Shihan when they were doing seminars here and so have been put through the mill, so to speak.

Of course it is best to make them yourself:
- bundles of garden center bambo
- insulating foam
- leatherette from Hickeys fabric store
- double stitching.

For fukura shinai, a friend made one out of normal shinai and foam/leatherette. Simple.

Are you Bujinkan? We don't spar much with these by the way - though it can be fun (if shortlived!)

Zem

Cool i'll send you a pm thanks

yeah i train in bujinkan only started a while ago though

Dave Joyce

This is what we use in our blade simulator competitions, only we use the 31" version since we are doing an Atienza Kali blade simulator. They are very good for the very base level compeditor.

http://actionflex.com/

Zem

Thanks a lot for the link

Dave Joyce

Hey Zem, I was just wondering what kind of sparring you guys do and what kind of rules do you spar to?