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A 竹刀 is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in kendo. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendō shinai, and represented with different kanji. The light, soft wood used in a shinai distinguishes it from other wooden swords such as a bokken, usually called a bokken (木剣) outside Japan, which is generally made of heavier, sturdier wood.
Due to its lighter weight compared to a bokken or a metal katana, a shinai can be wielded in a fashion that allows quicker strikes than would be practicable with a heavier sword. This also makes shinai popular in producing movies and television shows; a prop shinai with a thin metal covering can look similar to a metal sword, while allowing cinematic, showy strikes that are nevertheless fairly safe to perform.
In kendo, it is most common to use a single shinai, sometimes called ittō (一刀) style. Some kendōka choose to use two shinai. This kendō style is usually called 二刀, a style that has its roots in the two-sword schools of swordsmanship such as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū. A ni-tō combatant uses a long shinai called the 大刀, which is usually held in the right hand, and a shorter shinai, called the 小刀, which is usually held in the left hand. The holding position can be switched, however, with the daitō in the left hand and the shōtō in the right. The daitō is shorter and lighter than a shinai used in the ittō style of kendō. Specifications for shinai used in kendō competitions that follow the International Kendo Federation (FIK) rules are below.
The slats of a shinai are usually made from dried bamboo. Some may also be treated by smoking them, or soaking them in resin. Shinai slats are also made of carbon fibre, reinforced resin, or other approved alternative materials.
The shinai comprises four slats known as take, which are held together by three leather fittings: a hilt (tsuka), or handle wrapping (); a fitting at the tip () and a leather strip () that binds the four slats. The parts are all secured with a string ().
The nakayui is tied about one-third of the length of the exposed bamboo from the tip . This holds the slats together and also marks the proper kendo striking portion of the shinai, or datotsu-bu.
Inserted between the ends of the slats, under the saki-gawa, is a plastic plug saki-gomu, and under the tsuka-gawa there is a small square of metal chigiri, that holds the slats in place.
A hand-guard tsuba is then fitted on the tsuka-gawa before it ends and the bamboo slats show. This is held in place by a rubber ring tsuba-dome.
Many people believe that oiling and sanding a shinai prior to its first use, and then periodically during use, can greatly extend its life. However, some disagreement exists on what is considered proper shinai care.
To properly inspect a shinai, one first examines the area around the datotsu-bu, inspecting all sides of the shinai for splinters. This is very important, as bamboo splinters can easily cause injury. The saki-gawa should be intact and the tsuru should be tight so that the saki-gawa does not slip off the end of the shinai during use. In addition, the nakayui should be tight enough as not to rotate easily.
When not in use, shinai used in kendo practice should be either laid on the floor or leaned vertically against a wall. Some instructors require the base ( kashira) of the handle ( tsuka) on the floor and the tip ( kissaki) leaning against the wall. In kendo, the shinai is treated in the same way as a edged or bladed weapon, like an actual metal sword, and competitors are trained to think of it as a dangerous instrument if misused.
When a shinai is placed on the floor, it is considered poor etiquette to step over it.
| +Table A. FIK Specifications for competition use of one Shinai (Itto). ! Specification ! Gender ! Junior High School (12–15 yrs) ! Senior High School (15–18 yrs) ! University students and Adults (18 yrs+) | ||||
| Maximum length | Male & Female | |||
| Minimum weight | Male | |||
| Female | ||||
| Minimum diameter of sakigawa | Male | |||
| Female | ||||
| Minimum length of sakigawa | Male & Female |
| + Table B. FIK Specifications for competition use of two Shinai (Nito). !Specification !Gender !Daito (long shinai) !Shoto (short shinai) | |||
| Maximum length | Male & female | ||
| Weight | Male | minimum | maximum |
| Female | minimum | maximum | |
| Minimum diameter of sakigawa | Male | ||
| Female | |||
| +Commercial Shinai Sizing |
Some schools cover the entire bamboo in the sleeve and add a tsuba, like Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū does. In Shinkage-ryū, the sleeve is lacquer Kamakura Red, and rather than covering the entire length, is tied off at the non-split end. This particular kind of fukuro-shinai is also called a 蟇肌, or toad-skin shinai. The name comes from how the leather looks after lacquering; the sleeves are actually made of cow or horse-hide.
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