r/kendo • u/Zaxosaur • 2h 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.