Dangers of Kendo

I heard that people got blinded by the shinai because it wasn't tied up well. Is it true?

And if it is, how can I prevent it from happening? Check every time my opponent's shinai? Not cool

Answer: It is true. I was nearly stubbed in my arm with a broken shinai.

You do not have to check others’ shinai. You have to check yours. That means everyone has to be responsible with their own shinai.

Kendo is one of the safest martial arts but because we don’t check our shinai often enough such tragedy happens.

It is our responsibility to check and maintain our own shinai to protect our kendo mates. I just cannot put enough emphasis on it.

Before training, you check your shinai. You should more than two spare shinai at hand. If you see a bit of splint, you don’t assume it would be OK. You assume that would kill your training partner. That is I always tell my students.

People who do not maintain their shinai should not be allowed to do kendo. That is my personal opinion but I strongly feel that way.