The tare (pronounced tahd-rey) is the first piece of protection the be put on and carries the name of the fencer on the front. The long cotton strips attached (these are still all wrapped around the tare to help keep them flat) wind around the torso and tie in front underneath the piece that has the school and the fencer's name. Good bogu has the corners of the two side pieces curled up.

Next is the do (pronounced "doe"). This is the midsection protector made of bamboo and lacquer. The top is leather and cotton stitching. You can see the long strings attached (these are called "do-himo") wrapped about. These tie the do on and make sure it is mobile so it can move when struck. Notice this one has a few streaks. Invariably the do will become dull in polish as people hit it during practice. This one is relatively new and is still pretty shiny. Some kendoka prefer fancy designs on the do and I must admit they look quite good, however a designer do is a sure fire target for punishment when visiting another dojo. I'd rather look plain and fence well.

Now we have the kote (pronounced "koe-tay") or gloves. These little guys absorb more punishment than any other part of the bogu. Note that the point is past the wrist, but in practice the knuckles are invariably struck by aspiring fencers. I've gone through three sets of these, and I must say our Sensei knows how to strike kote for real, and no amount of padding will keep the sting out. The best defense is to learn how to hit just as sharp. When students first use these, they are felt as extremely unyielding. In time though, students don't even realize they are on. For tall people, these are the points they will have to watch the most, as they are much easier for a shorter person to score on than any other point. This is not all bad, as it is easy to draw shorter opponents into an attack by exposing the kote and then responding with a nuke (pronounced "newkay" - avoiding) attack.

This is the helmet of the kendo fencer, called the "men". It has a titanium grille to keep out errant strikes, in addition to heavy cotton flaps to guard the shoulders. It also has a flap hanging down over the throat and another heavy cotton shield beneath. Why? Because a thrust to the throat is allowed. Only intermediate-to-advanced students are taught the technique, but it is strangely not taught to youngsters. I defeated half a dozen Japanese high school students with the tsuke attack just last fall. The top of the helmet is most often the target however, this point is one of the most difficult to get, but when one does it is beauty. Such is kendo.

This is an example of the practical use of the bogu...the attacking student is practicing kirikaishi, and the recieving side is accepting the blows per regulation. Kendo armor allows this, and much more spirited combat. In kendo there are no broken ribs, no split lips, no black eyes. The bogu has shown that the simplicity of the design is good enough to remain for at least 100 years, and hopefully 100 more.

Like anything in life, you get what you pay for. There are $20,000 handmade professional bogu available in Japan for anyone who seeks to own it. Our school starts students on $350 Korean made bogu. It isn't fancy but it works. Once students pass the dan (first degree blackbelt test) our sensei will help them pick out higher quality bogu.

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