How long before you should buy a hakama? bogu?

by Mael
(NYC)

I started kendo a little more than a month ago and I'm curious about the progression. Right now I'm just wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt for class but when should I buy a hakama and keikogi? After that, how long is it before I buy a bogu and start fighting?


Answer: Thank you for your question. It depends on your instructor. I personally think you should have keikogi and hakama from the beginning. But I understand that many want to give it a go and see if they like it or not. But if you are committed, you should buy them right away.

A set of bōgu is another thing. There is no certain time period in my opinion. Your sensei should tell you if you are ready or not. It is not how long you have done kendo. It should be how much you can perform the correct kendo movements.

But normally it should be 3 to 6 months before putting a bōgu on. I can go up to 1 year. I personally think it can take up to 2 years if necessary because without the proper basics, you cannot improve. If you cannot improve, you will quit, right? So learn the basics thoroughly. You won’t regret it!

Hope this helps.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Any Questions about Kendo.

Show / Hide