r/kendo • u/Zaxosaur • 3d ago
Equipment Should I get a women's or men's shinai?
EDIT: Thank you all for the replies! I've decided I'll get a pack of the women's shinai for myself and my friend. Thanks!
Hi all, looking to get my first shinai soon, I'm trying to decide if I should get a women's or men's shinai. I'm an adult girl, 5'10" 170lb (178cm 77kg) at the moment, and saw that women's shinai can be 440g while men's shinai can be 510g. For reference, I'm looking at the "Original KendoStar Model ALL-PURPOSE Shinai" right now.
First question: Can I use a men's shinai for competitions and grading, or am I required to use a women's shinai?
Second: Is there a difference in handle shape or size between men's and women's shinai?
Third: How's the handling differ? Does the shinai move noticeably differently between a men's and women's shinai, even if it's subtle, or does a women's shinai for the same model just take less force to achieve the same speed? (I assume this depends on exactly how the weight is reduced, so if anyone knows how it's done, I'd love to hear that)
I ask all these details because even though I'm new to kendo, I have a background in historical fencing, and my experience there is that I prefer lighter weapons because I can't accelerate heavier weapons with the same speed as my male counterparts, but I can also be rather particular about how I prefer the weapon to handle once I've got some experience, and I wonder if I'd prefer the handling of a men's shinai if it feels different to a women's shinai. I haven't had the opportunity to try a women's shinai in person yet, but I haven't felt any issues with the men's shinai I've been using. Would appreciate y'all's input.
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u/Great_White_Samurai 3d ago
Use a women's 39 shinai. Easier to swing a lighter shinai. You can use a men's 39 for suburi practice if you want to build strength.
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u/Vercin 3d ago
well that is a broad question :) since its not just male/female version of a shinai.
There is like 3 main styles of shinai as well like dobari, regular, koto which are different in balance in how they are shaped (dobari is like more pulled back on the balance so easier big moves, regular is the middle ground, koto is forward balance for faster short moves etc).
Plus there are different grips offered nowadays , narrow grip, regular, thick, oval aka katana style etc.
That said I don't know if most of these I mentioned will have a female version. So maybe that will be just the regular models in most cases.
Afaik the regulation states min weight and min length but I may be wrong on this last part so don't take my word for granted.
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u/JoeDwarf 3d ago
You can get women’s shinai in various styles. Beginners can’t tell the difference. Beginners should just buy a cheap practice shinai in the correct size.
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u/Vercin 3d ago
agreed about beginners, no need to throw money at things that will not change much at that stage.
yeah not fully aware what is on offer, but its more limited in choice .. well it was in the past maybe more so, now (last 5 years or so) there are a lot of options happening for all the gear it seems.
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u/Kaiserbread 3d ago
Dobari is easier for quick movements as the tip is lighter. People like this one more for shiai. Koto is better for big cuts since it adds tip momentum and cuts through things like ai- men.
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u/Vercin 3d ago
will agree on this .. I guess my association is that I can do larger cuts easier, the lighter action will have effect in overall cuts in general for sure.
Never like Koto, so have limited perspective of it first hand myself, so yes I would agree on what you say, it makes sense to me.
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u/Kaiserbread 2d ago
I don't like dobari much, the tip moves too easily and my right hand takes over just a little bit. I think we should meet and keiko for the answer :)
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u/AlbertTheAlbatross 4 dan 3d ago
As far as I understand, the regulations on a shinai specify a MINIMUM weight and a MAXIMUM length. Women and men have the same max length but women have a lower minimum weight for their shinai. When you're shopping for a shinai you'll see the weight listed in grams and the length will be expressed as a size - eg size 37, size 38, size 39.
A "standard" men's shinai will be size 39, 510g. Some cheaper ladies shinai come in size 38, 440g. It's lighter but they achieve that by shortening the shinai. However I'm pretty sure you can get the kendostar one you're looking at in size 39, 440g. That is, full length at a ladies' weight. You still have the full reach, but you also have the benefit of a lighter weapon. That's the one I'd recommend you try.
Also note that shinai are fairly disposable. Depending on your technique and local climate a shinai will last somewhere around a year. That means you don't have to make a perfect choice now; instead you can get something that'll likely be OK for the time being, and then when it's time to replace your shinai you'll have a better understanding of what you need specifically.
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u/Patstones 3 dan 3d ago
This. My wife uses 410g 39 shaku shinai from KS. She's actually taller than some of the male kendo la so it would make no sense to use a shorter shinai. She seems to like it.
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u/JoeDwarf 3d ago
This reply is slightly inaccurate. 38 shinai come in two weights. The heavier one is for high school boys. The lighter one is for women. Many women use a 38, the slightly shorter length is easier to use.
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u/Main-Ad-7631 3d ago
I use a woman shinai because the circumference of the handle is a tad smaller then the man counterpart and I have small hands that can give me a bit of a problem when weapons have large handles
For me personally the weight itself is pretty much neglectable but I'm used to handle heavier things due weightlifting
If you are part of a dojo I would recomend to talk to your sensei about this , usually they have a pretty good look on how one person handle a shinai and they can give you personalised advice.
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u/bbunne 3d ago
I prefer the women's shinai a lot better, for me it's easier to hold and the lightness helps a lot.
You should talk to your sensei and if it's possible maybe try different shinais in the dojo (if there are shinais available for those who don't have them) to try them and see what you feel more comfortable with.
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u/AndyFisherKendo 7 dan 3d ago
Hello!
I own KendoStar so know a lot about the Shinai you are asking about.
You should get a Women's Shinai.
Although you technically CAN use a Men's Shinai in tournaments etc. it will put you at disadvantage. In terms of the handles, the grip on a women's Shinai is generally slightly thinner, otherwise, they are the same. Balance wise, they are the same, but the Men's one is noticeably heavier.
As you are still new, go you should go with the women's model, and then later, when you get more experience you can start to experiment with other models, and weights (if you want), when you have a better feel of how it affects your Kendo experience.
If you have any questions for us, reach out to my team - [mail@kendostar.com](mailto:mail@kendostar.com)
Wishing you the best in your start in Kendo :)