Shinai?

[Truestar]

So my instructor recently gave me a bamboo shinai, which he does to few students. I don't know the extent of other arts or cultures but I would consider the combination of being given a key and a shinai the same as some instructor giving their student a katana. I think it resembles a lot of trust and respect.

Are there any forms that are done with the shinai?

[isshinryu5toforever]

Not in traditional taekwondo. The shinai is a training tool. In some schools, only instructors or very trusted black belts are allowed to have them, to use them. Unless you're in a swordsmanship school, the shinai is probably something he wants you to use as a training tool for other students.

[sensei8]

I concur that there's no Kata for the Shinai because, again, it's a training tool. Swordmanships use a bokken for drills as well as Kata until the bokken becomes live in Katana use. Therefore, I guess one could use a shinai when learning a new Katana Kata and/or new waza's.

Have you asked your instructor as to why he gave you a Shinai? Nothing ventured is nothing gained. I'd thank him for it and then I'd ask him.

I know that my Soke and my Dai-Soke use to walk around during class with a Shinai to adjust our Kihon and the like. They never struck us with the Shinai, thank God! But seeing them walk around with them sent many unpleasurable thoughts through my mind when I was a kid. I behaved!

[Truestar]

Yeah, I know the Shinai isn't traditional for Korean arts, so this would be a blended aspect of our school.

So far the only people I've known for him to give a shinai to is himself, another, with much respect, older ( ) black belt, and myself.

He did mention it to me when he gave it to me that I'd need one to assist in testing students.

The shinai does not serve a large purpose in our school. He uses it on students testing for red belt, up into the Dan ranks. For their test it's used as a contact drill and we all can see why.

Honestly, I'm not that surprised there's no patterns for it. I was merely exploring it more. I know some Martial Arts use katanas, and if I haven't been mislead they have patterns with them. I was wondering if the shinai served as a substitute for a blade.

In all, I know why I have it. Just wondering to what extent it gets used other than just hitting students.

[tallgeese]

I don't know much about sword arts, but the symbolism that any sort of item like that has is huge.

I give out katanas to my bb's when they make that rank. They've probably never touched one in training, but it's a symbolic thing.

Congrats.

[The BB of C]

Very interesting.

I'd use it for conditioning drills on the lower rank students!

Seriously though. One time my instructor had us do Sanchin and then he'd strike us with the shinai at certain points of the kata. I thought it was great.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Yeah, my sensei used it primarily for conditioning. We'd do push ups and get a few in the middle of the back. Nothing absurd, but hard enough to feel it.

The BB of C, is that Dan from Street Figher as your avatar? Because that's awesome.

[The BB of C]

Yeah, my sensei used it primarily for conditioning. We'd do push ups and get a few in the middle of the back. Nothing absurd, but hard enough to feel it.

The BB of C, is that Dan from Street Figher as your avatar? Because that's awesome.

Yes that's him. Dan Hibiki and I have a lot in common. Including looks Seriously - if my friends don't address me as 'Steven Segal' they're calling me 'Dan Hibiki'.

[bushido_man96]

Congrats on receiving the symbol from your instructor.

[Truestar]

Thanks bushido.

I'll work on a nice presentation for it to put up on my wall then, until it's needed that is.