Bokutō

A ''bokken'' (, , 'wood', and ''ken'', '(double-edged) sword') or ''bokutō'' (, , 'wood', and ''tō'', '(single-edged) sword') is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the ''wakizashi'' and ''tantō''. Some ornamental ''bokken'' are decorated with mother-of-pearl work and elaborate carvings. Sometimes, it is spelled "boken" in English.

''Bokken'' are traditionally composed of red oak or white oak, although any hardwood can be used. In comparison, practice swords made of flexible, soft wood such as bamboo are referred to as ''shinai''.

History

It is hard to determine precisely when the first ''bokken'' appeared due to secrecy in ancient martial arts training and loose record-keeping. While various mock weapons were surely used during the earlier periods of Japanese history, usage of ''bokken'' in their modern form first emerged during the Muromachi Period (1336–1600) for the training of samurai warriors in the various ryū (schools of martial arts and swordsmanship) of the era.

If a steel katana is repeatedly used, it can easily become nicked and the edge flawed, potentially leading to a broken expensive sword. ''Bokken'' are safer than fighting with real swords, and are considerably more durable. A wielder can make contact with other trainee's swords with little fear of damage.

While ''bokken'' are safer for sparring and practice than katana, they are still lethal weapons in the hands of trained users. A famous legend to this effect involves Miyamoto Musashi, a ronin known to fight fully armed foes with only one or two ''bokken''. According to the story, he agreed to a duel with Sasaki Kojiro, in the early morning on Ganryūjima, a tiny sandbar between Kyushu and Honshu. Musashi overslept the morning of the duel, and made his way to the duel late. He carved a ''bokken'' from an oar with his knife while traveling on a boat to the duel. At the duel, Sasaki was armed with his large '' nodachi'', yet Musashi crushed Sasaki's skull with a single blow from his ''bokken'', killing him. While many elements of the story are likely apocryphal, the potential danger of a ''bokken'' from the legend is real.

Before the Meiji era, ''bokken'' were very likely manufactured by woodworkers not specialized in ''bokken'' manufacture. At the beginning of the 20th century, ''bokken'' manufacture started more formally, mainly in Miyakonojō, a city on Kyushu Island. The four remaining ''bokken'' workshops of Japan are located in Miyakonojō.

Another notable spot where ''bokken'' were manufactured and sold as tourist souvenirs was Aizuwakamatsu. The resulting ''bokken'' were frequently inscribed with the markings of the '' Byakkotai'', a youth battalion that committed mass suicide nearby during the 1868 Battle of Aizu. During the late Showa era in the 1970s and 1980s, these suicides were romanticized as a bold and heroic act, and ''bokken'' marked with their emblem sold well.

The "standard ''bokken''", mostly used in kendo, iaido, and aikido, was created by master Aramaki Yasuo, in collaboration with the All Japan Kendo Federation in the 1950s and was the first standardized ''bokken'' ever created.

Usage

The ''bokken'' is used as an inexpensive and relatively safe substitute for a real sword in several martial arts such as ''aikido'', ''kendo'', ''iaido'', ''kenjutsu'', and '' jodo''. Its simple wooden construction demands less care and maintenance than a katana. Training with a ''bokken'' does not carry the same mortal risk associated with that of a sharp metal sword, both for the user and other practitioners nearby.

While its use has several advantages over use of a live edged weapon, it can still be deadly, and any training with a ''bokken'' should be done with due care. Injuries occurring from ''bokken'' are very similar to those caused by clubs and similar battering weapons, and include compound fractures, ruptured organs, and other such blunt force injuries. In some ways, a ''bokken'' can be more dangerous, as the injuries caused are often unseen and inexperienced practitioners may underestimate the risk of harm.

It is not a sparring weapon, but is intended to be used in kata, and to acclimate the student to the feel of a real sword. For sparring, a bamboo shinai is typically used instead, for obvious safety reasons.

In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) introduced a set of basic exercises using a ''bokutō'' called ''Bokutō Ni Yoru Kendō Kihon-waza Keiko-hō''. This form of practice is intended primarily for kendo practitioners up to Nidan ranking, but can be beneficial for all kendo students.

'' Suburitō'' (素振り刀) are ''bokken'' designed for use in '' suburi''. ''Suburi'' (素振り), literally "bare swinging," are solo cutting exercises. Suburitō are thicker and heavier than normal ''bokken'' and users of suburitō must therefore develop both strength and technique. Their weight makes them unsuitable for paired practice and solo forms. Miyamoto Musashi's ''bokken'' made of an oar in his legendary duel with Sasaki Kojiro was presumably a suburitō-sized ''bokken''.

As late as 2015, ''bokken'' were issued to the Los Angeles Police Mounted Unit for use as batons.

Types

''Bokken'' can be made to represent any style of weapon required such as nagamaki, nodachi, yari, naginata, kama, etc. The most widely used styles are:

* ''daitō'' or ''tachi'' (katana-sized), long sword
* ''shōtō'' or ''kodachi'' or ''wakizashi bō'' (wakizashi-sized), short sword
* ''tantō bō'' (tantō-sized)
* ''suburitō'' can be made in ''daitō'' and ''shōtō'' sizes

Various koryu (traditional Japanese martial arts) have their own distinct styles of ''bokken'' which can vary slightly in length, tip shape, or in whether or not a tsuba (hilt guard) is added.

The All Japan Kendo Federation specify the dimensions of ''bokken'' for use in the modern kendo kata, called ''Nippon kendo kata''.
*Tachi: Total length, approx. ; ''tsuka'' (handle) approx. .
* Kodachi: Total length, approx. ; ''tsuka'' (handle) approx. .

''Bokken'' are traditionally composed of red oak or white oak. White oak varieties are slightly more expensive and prestigious. Other common tree varieties used included ebony, biwa, and sunuke in Japan, and hickory, persimmon, ironwood, and walnut for trees native to the Americas. Biwa trees were used at least partially due to a folk superstition that wounds inflicted by biwa wood would never heal.

See also

* Aiki-ken
* Iaido
* Jō
* Kendo and kenjutsu
* Kinomichi
* Waster

References

External links

A discussion of different woods with regard to bokken design, focusing particularly on durability
(Wayback Machine copy)

{{Authority control

Samurai weapons and equipment
Practice swords of Japan