Skip to main content

Kendo Shinai Weights & Measures

As a note the recommended length and weight for shinai are:

- Women 38 inches 440 grams.
- Men 39 inches 510 grams.

The Wikipedia shinai page lists the following tables:

Regulations

In kendo competitions that follow the FIK rules, there are regulated weights and lengths for the use of shinai
Table A. FIK Specifications for competition use of one Shinai (Itto).
SpecificationGenderJunior High School (12–15 yrs)Senior High School (15–18 yrs)University students and Adults (18yrs+)
Maximum lengthMale & female114cm117cm120cm
Minimum weightMale440g480g510g
Female400g420g440g
Minimum diameter of sakigawaMale25mm26mm26mm
Female24mm25mm25mm
Minimum length of sakigawaMale and Female50mm50mm50mm
Shinai are weighed complete with leather fittings, but without tsuba or tsuba-dome. The full length is measured. Maximum diameter of the tsuba is 9cm.
Table B. FIK Specifications for competition use of two Shinai (Nito).
SpecificationGenderDaito (long shinai)Shoto (short shinai)
Maximum lengthMale & female114cm62cm
WeightMale440g minimum280–300g maximum
Female400g minimum250–280g maximum
Minimum diameter of sakigawaMale25mm24mm
Female24mm24mm
Shinai are weighed complete with leather fittings, but without tsuba or tsuba-dome. The full length is measured. Maximum diameter of the tsuba is 9cm.
Commercial Shinai Sizing
SizeLengthSizeLength
2836"92 cm3644"112 cm
3038"97 cm3745"114 cm
3240"102 cm3846"117 cm
3442"107 cm3947"120 cm

Popular posts from this blog

Spear (Yari) in Owari Kan Ryu 尾張貫流 (Kudayari & others)

Owari Kan ryū is known for its use of the kuda-yari (tube spear). The e (shaft) is run through a kuda (metal pipe) that’s in the front hand of the practitioner.  Interestingly the school’s students start training by doing shiai (competition) and only after considerable training they learn the school's kata (forms). Most classical schools that practice shiai do so after learning kata. Thrusting using the kuda. Cross-stepping.                           Thrusting attack with kuda. Wide stance.   Shiai. Shiai using a spear with a cross piece. The original demonstration from which these stills were taken is here:

The Good Second Position - Choosing an Inferior First Position

In his oldest work (Shanghai Municipal Police - Manual of Self-Defense 1915), W.E. Fairbairn includes the following tidbit towards the end of the book in a section that matches situations and techniques (no picture or further description is in the manual): (2) Your opponent attempts:- (A) To strike you with his fist... (3) With baton, strike forearm a smart blow from below. Those of us who practice certain forms of Jujutsu probably understand a number of reasons why the baton may be down in such a position as to allow this strike - most obviously, it is not particularly civil for police to begin many interactions with weapons in offensive positions (the photo below is from the UN Police Manual 2015, showing the sort of position we are talking about). So one reason to have a less than ideal starting position may be context - especially when equipped with weapons one cannot simply get the weapon between themselves and a possible aggressor, let alone cocked into an aggressive position as ...