Question: Is practicing with a dummy better than practicing at the kendo dojo?

Answer: No and Yes. Nothing can take the place of proper teaching by real sensei and other students. You can practice what you have been taught, increasing the number of hours you actually practice kendo.

Question: Is this dummy durable enough to withstand heavy use?

Answer: Yes. Made of heavy plastic.

Question: Is this kendo dummy safe to use?

Answer: Yes! Always wear kendo bogu. For this dummy to be safely used you must wear bogu.

Question: Can I use my own bogu on this dummy?

Answer: Yes! You can use your old bogu with this dummy.

Question: Do I need to use weights to keep the dummy from falling?

Answer: Yes and No, This kendo dummy is very stable and can withstand kote, men, and do strikes without a weighted base and without falling. When practicing kendo strikes such as tsuki and shinai men, that require movement to the dummies shinai, you will need a weighted base, or the dummy will fall over.

Question: I am concerned about the durability. What is the dummy made of?

Answer: Our kendo dummy is made of high impact ABS plastic. The arms are covered with thick foam and a durable plastic cover. We have used a similiar version for over ten years with very little to no wear of the dummy parts.

Question: The dummy looks so simple, does it really work?

Answer: Yes! This dummy took years of development and creative insight to make it look streamlined and to design it to have the really neat and completely realistic movement it has!

Question: Can I adjust the resistance of the dummy's arm side ways, up and down motion to move faster?

Answer: Yes, it is possible to adjust it to move faster. Earlier versions of this dummy were faster, however the problem is your attack and completion of your attack will need to always be faster than the dummies recoil to kamae. Otherwise you will get a shinai to the groin, throat or other sensitive areas, Its a VERY BAD IDEA for those reasons. The dummy is designed to be as safe as a mechanical kendo dummy can be. Always know where your opponents shinai is, you MUST always win and the dummy MUST always lose!

What is the difference between kendo shinai wax and oil?
Our shinai oil is used only one time to condition your shinai, our Shinai wax is used frequently to give your shinai a smooth surface helping to reduce splintering.

Our kendo shinai oil/cream is a bamboo conditioner that when properly applied soaks deep into the fibers of the shinai and binds the fibers together helping to reduce splintering. Our kendo shinai wax is similiar with a deep penetrating oil plus a blend of hard waxes that give each of the bamboo staves a slippery surface reducing splintering without the oily residue.

WHY USE Shinai Wax?
Unlike car wax our shinai wax is actually designed for bamboo shinai. Car waxes even the ones that claim to have wax are mostly petroleum ingredients and may even contain silicon chemicals and cleaners with very little wax. Our shinai wax is mostly wax and a deep penetrating oil with no cleaners, our wax allows for a thick friction free wax coating if used regularly. You can use candle wax to wax your shinai, but our wax just works better and is formulated for bamboo without the hassle.

WHY USE Shinai Oil?
Our shinai oil/cream is a deep penetrating oil that binds the fibers of the bamboo. You don't need to use our oil, any vegetable oil such as canola oil or mineral oil will work, ours just works better and is designed to condition your shinai with less hassle.

Does the BestKendo Shinai Sleeve really work?
After extensive testing this unique product is without a doubt something you need to try to believe. It protects against dents and gouges and normal wear that normally plague even the most expensive shinai.

What kind of plastic is the Shinai Sleeve made of?
The Shinai Sleeve is made of a special clear, hardened plastic. Our special shiani sleeve resists cuts and abrasions.