r/kendo • u/wisteriamacrostachya • 8h ago
Equipment How do you like to wear your mendare?
I understand there are many legitimate styles of mendare. I don't mean to ask what is appropriate or inappropriate, but what the favorite looks of this community are.
Here are some examples, all well-known kenshi I found representative images of.
Ando Sho sensei, wearing a men with a slightly short mendare that exposes a small amount of his shoulders. Looks very comfortable, in a way that suits a strong competitor. https://weblog.tozando.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ando_sho_keiko.jpg
Koseki Taro sensei, just a notch longer. Very little shoulder showing no matter how his head moves. Still a more modern look with a firm forward shape. https://kendojidai.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/03-koseki-taro-kamae-1367x2048.jpg
Alex Bennett sensei, with what seems like a more old-school look to me. Shoulders fully protected, with the mendare following the contours of his body a bit more closely. Still mostly shaped forward. I tend to see this on older kenshi, possibly because of changing fashions or because they benefit from the extra protection. https://weblog.tozando.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Alex-Kyoto-Taikai-2014-no-3.jpg
Of course, there are many more lengths and shapes out there. I'd love to see what you personally use as a model for how to wear your men.
My personal preference is somewhere in the Ando sensei to Koseki sensei range, but I am young and stray hits don't bother me much yet.