Red Strings Tied Around New Shinai?

Jan 02, 2009
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by: Brandon

You can take them off if you want to. I heard that in order for your shinai to fully "mature" they have to be off. However I also heard that it was traditional to leave them on during practice and that they would come off during practice.

This is what I did, and they did fall off after enough use. By use I mean sparring with a friend (not claiming it was kendo).

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for your post. I never heard that the tradition .i.e. the red strings had to come off naturally. But it does not mean it is not true.

I have to add some points. If you use a shinai with red strings in shiai (match), you will be quietly likely told to cut the strings off. And also Japanese teachers will tend to tell you to cut the strings off.

After all, the red strings have to be removed (naturally or by the shinai owner), so it is safe to say that you can remove it as soon as you buy a shinai.

However, those are based on kendo tradition around where I studied kendo in Japan, so it does not surprise me if people from other regions follow different traditions.

Red Strings Tied Around New Shinai?

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Red Strings Tied Around New Shinai?