Gendai Yoroi – Kachu Bujutsu. 現代 鎧 – 甲冑 武術 (English)
Reflections on Men and the Samurais
julho 30, 2017
Gendai Yoroi – Kachu Bujutsu. 現代 鎧 – 甲冑 武術 (Português)
agosto 7, 2017
This weekend we tried something different. In an attempt to make our kumi tachi 組太刀 more dynamic, without the use of fukuro jinai 袋竹刀, also to feel a better weight ratio with the bokuto instead, we started testing some protective gear.
At first, we made our own version of a full yoroi 鎧 following the traditional manufacturing. It’s aesthetically astonishing, but not very functional in many ways. Our second attempt was a traditional one, using new materials.
At first, we made our own version of a full yoroi 鎧 following the traditional manufacturing. It’s aesthetically astonishing, but not very functional in many ways. Our second attempt was a traditional one, using new materials.
The results again were better, with some mobility issues also.
On an extensive research and using my long-term experience as a biker, we tested this weekend motocross protective gears. For my surprise, the results surpassed our expectations.
We also considered using the police forces gear, as the riot body armor, which resembles the most the ancient Yoroi 鎧. Actually, some of these armors are openly inspired on the Yoroi 鎧.
However, since we are on a testing
moment, and riot armors are quite expensive when compared to the motocross one,
we opted for the second.
As in the diffusion of the fukuro jinai 袋竹刀 by Shinkage-Ryu’s Kamizumi Ize no Kami Nobutsuna 上泉伊勢守 (信綱), the intention is to make simulated combat safer for the practitioners.
Nevertheless, it also raises the question. what about the kendo bogu 剣道 防具?
Isn’t that enough? I have a tremendous respect for the Kendo 剣道 as a martial art, however, I think it became a completely different “animal” and the use of bogu is no longer compatible to the same techniques used on 剣術流 kenjutsu ryu.
It has a different focus and by the way the bogu functions, it totally fits kendo 剣道, but has little to do with kenjutsu 剣術.
Back to the gear, it worked very well. We tested different impacts, with different intensities and the results were all very satisfactory. There is no mobility issue, the gear works very fine and we are using a basic one in order to start creating a new version, proper for kenjutsu kumi tachi 剣術 組太刀.
Nevertheless, it also raises the question. what about the kendo bogu 剣道 防具?
Isn’t that enough? I have a tremendous respect for the Kendo 剣道 as a martial art, however, I think it became a completely different “animal” and the use of bogu is no longer compatible to the same techniques used on 剣術流 kenjutsu ryu.
It has a different focus and by the way the bogu functions, it totally fits kendo 剣道, but has little to do with kenjutsu 剣術.
Back to the gear, it worked very well. We tested different impacts, with different intensities and the results were all very satisfactory. There is no mobility issue, the gear works very fine and we are using a basic one in order to start creating a new version, proper for kenjutsu kumi tachi 剣術 組太刀.
The one we used has no belly protection, and it is a problem, since several of our cuts go straight there, and that’s something we will correct in the future.
Another thing is the aesthetics.
Our intention is to most respectfully create a new version of the ancient Yoroi 鎧, using completely new materials, such as light metals, zippers, touch fasteners (Velcro), high impact plastic and synthetic fabric, but we will use traditional elements and decorations too.
We found an amazing Menpo 面甲 on the internet made by the guys from DevTec in Japan, from who will purchase two as soon as possible. It follows the same premise we are trying to use here, modern day materials (magnets and fiberglass) and traditional design. On the same way we produced our Kabuto 兜.
There’s an armor now available called Lorica MkII (shown below), which is very effective for real combat, but for us, brings back the high cost issue and also, the matter of the design, since it resembles a robotic armor.
Surely we are not the first ones to
try or to accomplish it, since our humble intention is to make a modern days
Yoroi 鎧 for our personal use, and if it
somehow benefit others keiko 稽古,
will the more than happy to share our results and methods.
