For new Kendoka selecting your first Shinai can be a bewildering task as you navigate fresh Japanese terminology and flashy sales offers from suppliers.

This guide is here to help you cut through the confusion and give you all the information that you need to select the perfect Shinai to start your Kendo journey.

Where to start - Selecting the correct size

The first thing you need to know is what size of Shinai is suitable for you.

Shinai length regulations for competition stipulate sizing based on age group.

Weight regulations exist in combination with these sizes and those vary depending on gender, however all reputable suppliers Shinai should meet these weight regulations as standard unless specified.

For younger Kendoka Shinai are typically sized by measuring the distance from the floor to the armpit crease on the standing Junior and matching the Shinai length as closely as possible to that size

For the full sizing charts as published by the ZNKR (All Japan Kendo Federation) click here.

Material Options – What are the differences between each type of Shinai material?

The main body of the Shinai consists of 4 slats which are bound together with leather fittings. These slats are typically available in one of three material options:

Keichiku Bamboo
Madake Bamboo
Carbon Fibre

Keichiku Bamboo

The most commonly available material, Keichiku is typically graded by colour and marking prior to manufacturing.

A slimmer bamboo plant, entry level Keichiku often features bruise marks caused when growing bamboo clashes together in high wind conditions. Higher grades of Keichiku have been subjected to less harsh growing conditions and are selected for their more perfect looks and form.

Keichiku is both tough and flexible and is grown in vast quantities, making this ideal Shinai material less expensive without compromising on performance.

Madake Bamboo

A much thicker type of bamboo, resilient to the elements, Madake is typified by its clean sculpted appearance, thick protruding nodes and deep yellow green colouration.

Madake bamboo features a very tight, consistent cellular structure which makes it extremely resilient to splitting and superficial scarring which makes fantastic quality Shinai, but at a higher price typically due to comparative material scarcity.

Carbon Fibre

Where a bamboo is prone to damage and requires regular care routines and conditioning, carbon fibre is highly resilient to damage and will typically outlast the lifetime of bamboo many times over.

Carbon fibre Shinai are available from a single authorised source in Japan, the Hasegawa Corporation. The cost of Hasegawa carbon fibre Shinai is typically very high, however that is weighted against the lifespan of the Shinai compared with traditional bamboo alternatives.

The downside to carbon fibre Shinai is that the material is not as flexible as Bamboo and does not absorb shock in the same way. Being stiffer, heavy striking is more painful for the receiver, and in general practice, the shock generated by a strike is more readily transmitted in the hands and arms of the attacker which some report can cause discomfort or even longer term inflammatory issues.

Shinai Styles – Decoding the terminology

Shinai come in all manner of shapes and profiles, all of them subtly different to enhance a particular style or preference of the practitioner.

Our final information segment before making our recommendations for beginners, the following descriptions give a brief summary of the typical types of Shinai and what you can expect from them:

Standard Shinai – Standard all-purpose Shinai built to be in the middle in terms of balance and dimensions, these pieces tend to be combined with entry level leather fittings and perfectly fit the bill of basic Shinai to get stuck into practice at minimal expense.

Dobari Shinai – The "Do" of the Shinai is the most bulbous part of the structure, positioned slightly above the fold of the leather grip (Tsukagawa). In Dobari Shinai, this element is increased in size, whilst the material towards the tip is reduced in volume, keeping the weight low whilst drawing the balance back towards the hands.

Koto Shinai – Koto Shinai are almost the exact opposite of Dobari. Instead of drawing the weight back into the hands, Koto Shinai evenly distribute weight throughout the Shinai with a slim Do and almost straight profile. This style is said to more closely emulate the balance of a real sword and is typically favoured by higher grades who practice a more refined and less overtly energetic style of Kendo.

Tsukabuto Shinai – These are thick grip Shinai, often favoured by those with larger hands for the most comfortable grips. Furthermore, with the additional material added to increase the Tsuka size, weight can be shed from the upper section of the Shinai. As a result Tsukabuto Shinai are similar to Dobari models in that the balance is drawn back into the hands conferring a lively, lightweight feel to the tip.

Kobangata Shinai – The word Koban harks back to the oval shaped gold coins used in Japan historically and in Shinai refers to the oval shape of the Tsuka (handle). Kobangata Shinai come in two types, left hand oval grip where only the back hand position is oval shaped and the right is almost perfectly round, and right hand oval grip where both hand positions are oval shaped. Oval grip Shinai give tactile feedback on the orientation of the cutting edge (Ha)/back edge (Mune) axis and are often favoured by Kendoka who also practice other traditional sword arts as they more closely match the shape of a real sword hilt.

Jissengata Shinai – Jissengata translates roughly as "made for real combat". These Shinai are built with competition in mind and so tend to be as light as regulations permit and slimmed down in the monouchi (cutting section). Our models are not quite a Dobari, but have a slightly larger Do than usual, and fall somewhere between the balance of a Dobari and Koto as a result. The aim is for a manoeuvrable, light Shinai with a weight distribution that gives a tangible feedback of tip position.

Our recommendation – the most suitable options for beginners

When most new practitioners start their Kendo journey, they need to dedicate all of their attention to learning the basic method of moving and cutting correctly.
Typically at this time beginners will be striking with too much force, hitting the incorrect target and generally trying not to get their feet tied up in a knot whilst they think about striking with their Shinai!

The implications for Shinai selection therefore are pretty clear:

1. Shinai bought at the start of practice are likely to take a pretty heavy beating as heavy strikes or those that clash with the Mengane (helmet grille) take their toll.

2. The sensitivity needed to differentiate and appreciate the subtleties of the more specialised Shinai is generally obscured by the mental processes involved in learning and coordination.

As such our recommendation for beginners is to go for a simple entry level Shinai (such as our Tendo model). These all-purpose Shinai are tough enough for regular practice, regulation weight for grading or competition and very reasonably priced so that when you do break a slat replacement is inexpensive.

As your practice evolves and your skill improves and you can think less about the basics and more about your style and strategy, the world of choice will open up to you and you can try out the more specialised types to find your perfect match.

If you have any questions or require assistance don't hesitate to get in touch with our expert advisors for more details.