A Beginner's Point of View 8

Day 8:

Over the weekend, I did what every Kendoka has to do eventually: shinai maintenance. This long, involved process can be intimidating to most, especially if you’ve never done it before.

First, gather all the necessary tools to help you. I went and bought a plastic drop cloth that painters use to avoid getting paint on the floor for only a couple of dollars. Then, I got needle-nose pliers, some 220 grit sandpaper, a roll of paper towels, and a small bottle of vegetable oil. I also got an upright rectangular moving box standing upright in a plastic bin.

Next, I pulled off the tsuba and tsuba-dome. I used the pliers to undo the knot close to the tsuba and unravel it until it detached from the leather wrap on the handle. I pulled off the leather wrap (with a great deal of muscle-power) and slid off the saki-gawa and naka-yui. I set these things aside. They were new and were not damaged.

Next thing I did was to carefully pull apart the 4 wooden pieces, called ‘staves’, and laid them out as if unrolling them apart. Inside the depths of the handle was a little metal square of metal that held the staves in proper position. Mine was stuck tightly inside a stave, so I left it in, but it could come out if needed.

I picked up a stave and marked its place amongst the four. This is important because unless you’re very lucky, all four staves MUST be arranged in a single, special way or else they don’t go together. I examined the stave with both my fingers and eyes and I carefully (CAREFULLY!!!) touched along the side of the wood. This is where splinters form, and they’re very nasty if you stick yourself. Some sandpaper will dislodge a splinter at its root. You do NOT want to tug and pull off a splinter as it will just get bigger and start to crack the wood. Bamboo is a kind of grass, so you must be careful in handling and fixing it.

Once all of the staves have had their splinters removed, I used the paper towels to rub some vegetable oil onto all of the surfaces of the stave. I also found out that a little goes a long, long way. This keeps the wood moist and flexible. Dry bamboo can become brittle and crack. I put the staves separately in the upright box and left them overnight.

The next day, I put the staves back together. At first, the leather wrap for the handle did not go back on, and it confused me. After a while, I realized that two of the staves were reversed. They did not fit together. After I fixed that (thank goodness I labeled them all by using digital compass headings), the handle went on. It was still tight and difficult to put on the last couple of inches, so I used some baby powder to smooth it in. With a lot of muscle power, it went on. I replaced the naka-yui and saki-gawa in position and began tying the tsuru back. I printed out step-by-step instructions, with pictures, and it was not too bad. I did have to pull and tug and yank hard to get the tension just right, but after a few big loops, it started to hold by itself. I finished tying the knot like the pictures showed and then tightened the naka-yui as best as I could. I was done!

The staves were not rigid in their shape and would slide around if I squeezed the sword, but my other shinai was just the same way. The second shinai was brand new and therefore had to be right. I had completed one of the more intimidating tasks of Kendo and felt more confident now. They say maintaining your own shinai gives you “Samurai Spirit”. Well, I do feel a little more competent now.

Today was more footwork in front of the mirrors. I still turn my back heel inwards automatically, but at least I can tell when I do it. This will take a lot of work to correct, but I can finally see some of my progress. I also don’t seem to extend the shinai properly when I swing. Some more practice should fix that. Soon, my keiko-gi and hakama should arrive in the mail so I can wear the uniform when I practice. I won’t feel so out of place anymore then.

I often wonder if I have a rank to start with or if I am without rank and must earn my first rank. This also makes me wonder just what are the testing requirements for all the Kendo ranks. A little research should prove useful.