How to choose a bogu – Owner’s suggestion.

What factor’s should you be looking out for when purchasing your first bogu?

Protection? Comfort? Durability? Price? Appearance? Machine-stitched? Hand-Stiched? Weight? Country of Manufacture? Brand names? 

There are far too many factors to consider. So here is a personal suggestion from the owner of Hokubei Budogu.

Before you read on, please note that this is strictly a personal opinion, and I hope it can help you make your “own” decision when shopping for a bogu.

I was never really interested in Kendo equipment until I started Hokubei Budogu. But since beginning this business, I naturally had to learn about bogu from scratch—the manufacturing process, the supply chain, the demand, the different styles and types, the brands… everything. I asked many “bogu experts” and bought many samples to try on and test for myself so that I could relay the lessons learned to you, my valued customers, and fellow Kendo students. 

I will keep this as simple as possible.

I have become a firm believer that a bogu should be:

#1: PROTECTIVE
#2: COMFORTABLE
#3: DURABLE
#4: BEST BANG-FOR-THE-BUCK 

It doesn’t matter if you are a hachidan or a beginner. You don’t want to get hurt! If a bogu is not protecting you, the continued receiving of strikes from your classmates becomes unpleasant and dangerous. Getting a properly fitting bogu and “functional” bogu is my top priority when offering bogu to my customers.

Protective sets do not necessarily mean heavy and thick futons on bogu sets. What kind of padding materials are in the futon? Did the factory cut corners by putting less padding in the futon because you won’t be able to see it unless you cut your bogu to peek inside? What is the stitch width? High-quality padding materials combined with an appropriate stitch width will determine this factor.

Comfort – this boils down to a few things. But most commonly – size. The bogu must be measured appropriately to fit you snugly, allow free movement, and possess good balance for good weight distribution. Some bogu feel heavy but light when worn – this is a well-balanced and well-designed bogu. I usually insist on a Zoom call before my customers purchase a set to guide them through measuring correctly. I’ve had experiences where, even with this guided session, mistakes happen, and the bogu arrives and is misfitting. If this happens, I will do my best to fix the situation. It’s not even about profit at this point. It’s about your safety.

Durability is also very important. Your hard-earned money has come back to you in bogu form, and you want it to last. Craftmanship and quality control from bogu factories and myself are crucial. You also need to do your part to care for your bogu. I will give you maintenance tips. 

Best value, aka best bang-for-the-buck, does not mean cheap, nor does it mean expensive. The price you pay has to justify the quality of the bogu. Cheap bogu will mean poor protection, poor comfort, and poor durability. Some bogu are not that great and are heavily overpriced. If a bogu set is expensive, it needs to be justified, and you have to evaluate the specs of a bogu and make decisions carefully – is stingray skin really necessary? It looks beautiful! But does it add to the protection factor of a bogu set? No. Decoration is a personal preference. Everyone has a different budget for a bogu and different preferences.

I highly suggest the mentioned four factors be considered before anything else. 

I am available for free bogu consultation – an appointment is required, and you are not obliged to purchase a bogu from me. I am here to help. There are many bogu experts in the Kendo community, and you should ask many questions. It’s your right before purchasing a set. Buying a bogu is like a wedding between you and Kendo. I’ll leave it at that. 🙂

Happy Keiko.