In the world of Kendo equipment there is not a lot of room for variety - we wear either indigo or white, the bogu can be here and there colourful, but not beyond a certain limit (and even that is considered by someone controversial), There is constant discussion even about the allowed colours of the tsuru - white or yellow, they say, no more.
I have my personal conviction that some of the limitations that we consider sacred rules are no more than metropolitan legends, that have been traded year after year from dojo to dojo - I am not for outrageous outfits, but the resistance against wearing white or kinari kendogi and hakama or, even worse, the idea that beginners should not wear high quality bogu, because it would be immodest and inappropriate, sound to me as evident aberrations.
Tenougui can be colorful and there are millions of possibilities available, but in a sense they are meant to stay hidden and they are not noble parts of our weaponry, as the humble tsuba and tsubadome instead.
I say humble, because we all started with the rather unattractive pieces of brown or yellowish plastic that came with our first shinai - the first shinai is long gone, but possibly that first plastic donut is still around and has been used times and times again. Till we realised that also for tsuba there is an ample degree of choice and improvement.
My first "improved" tsuba was everything but refined. It was made of plain, coarse leather and it was a present from a girl named Sayuri, who was captain of the Kendo team at Osaka College of Physical Education. I met her at the Kenshinkyorai seminar in Marseille and she carved her name on it. I admired her so much I kept that tsuba as a real treasure: it is still with me today. I decided never to revert to plastic.
I love objects that show a degree of craftmanship, so I bought many more leather tsuba, more elaborate ones - but the ones I wish to write about today are particularly attractive - and labour intensive.
Trum Miklòs Olivér makes leather tsuba under the name Keiko Studio (this is also the name of the Facebook page). They can be purchased on Kendo24.com or on Bujindesign.com.
I could see, touch and try them: they are definitely objects of beauty.
They are built with lovely precision - and given the hardness of the leather, they must cost a lot of gruelling work for the shaping and the stitching. They are really sturdy: mine are flower shaped and finely stitched - on the website many types are available, with a number of different decorative patterns.
Keiko Studio makes tsuba both for shinai and bokuto - and in my opinion bokuto really need a bit of love and consideration, given the still very few noble alternatives to plastic available. I actually think that my bokuto looks more elegant and dignified, with a tsuba and tsubadome that are little masterpieces in themselves.
Keiko Studio is all about leather - also discreetly decorated chichikawa are available - and for iaido kenshi an interesting way to protect the koiguchi. I was never so sofisticatd in my iaido years, but still the little disc has its use - and it is, again, a beauty.
In case you look for a Kendo present, be it for Christmas, a birthday or, even better, a successful dan examination, well, it is difficult to find a better decorative and affordable choice!
www.Kendo24.com
www.Bujindesign.com
Keiko Studio FB page
No comments:
Post a Comment