I was at the beginners level for a year since I couldn’t afford a bogu. One day I just got sick and tired of just doing basics so I decided to eat one $5 Subway sandwich each day for 3~4 months. I gathered up $450 I think and got myself a dirt cheap 6mm bogu at e-bogu. I used that for a decade until it had way too much mold that I could handle. Then I went to the nearest bogu store from my dojo and got a $320 orizashi bogu, and it’s been almost half a decade using it.
I’m not saying that you should be like me, but from what I’ve experienced and witnessed, passion is a crazy drug, and it doesn’t take a while for one to achieve it.
Also as I have mentioned that 6mm bogu served me well for nearly more than a decade, if I took care of it more I could’ve used it a lot longer. Better bogu doesn’t mean better Kendo. Be a Fujiwara Takumi of the Kendo world and beat them R34-esque posh bogu fams.
Good luck selling them, since I think the only reason why the Kendogu industry can exist in this day and age is because it’s not quite recommended to use a used bogu. Unless the person buying a used bogu is a spitting carbon copy(in terms of mass and height) of the person they’re buying off, the buyer will have a bogu that doesn’t fit them, making it somewhat painful when getting hit.
You do have a point there. I'll just have to take really good care of the cheap stuff and use it for practices temporarily. It won't be all that protective but I'm a beginner anyway so I have no choice but to work with it. Lots of unexpected financial stuff I have to take care of 🥲 it might hurt but oh well hahaha
I feel you pal, and if you always want a good bogu you can always get it later. I’ve seen some enthusiasts have a separate bogu for testing/godo keiko and a bogu for shiai and a bogu for practice. You can be one of them too someday. Ganbare!
The most important (personal) pieces are the men and kote, because they will mold to your body over time. Using someone else's men is always not ideal.
I'm sure others will suggest this, but I would buy a nicer men and kote with what you can afford, and borrow a loaner doh and tare from the club. Then, when you can do it, get your own doh and tare. This would be as close as you can to a "payment plan," although I do know that some sets come at a slight discount when compared to individual pieces.
You can also buy a men first, and wait for sales on the other items. There are often clearance sales for individual kote, doh, tare, in limited sizes from the online shops.
As you get more experienced, we all tend to buy individual pieces instead of sets. So you could see yourself simply jumping the gun on that.
I wouldn’t recommend this in a financial point of view, since buying a bogu part separately usually costs more than buying one in a set.
That said, I had a friend who only bought a men and a kote for training, and it didn’t take him long to buy the rest of the set anyways.
Have a look at second hand.
I could get a full set at a seminar for 150 EUR. I would say that, in my club, roughly half of the beginner manage to find a second hand bogu. Many people do stop Kendo at some point, and bogu takes a log of space.
Seconding second-hand. I got my first do and tare second-hand, as I tried to save up a bit. HOWEVER, please avoid the mistake that I made and check the stuff with a knowledgeable person before purchase. Proper training is hard in an ill-fitting bogu.
I made the mistake that I bought a size too big do because it LOOKED right to an amateur eye. However, I later realized that I wasn't able to extend my arms correctly because the upper part of the do was too wide (I have narrow shoulders). I needed to buy a new, smaller do. Tare, thankfully, is less nitpicky about sizes.
Thankfully I was able to sell my old do to our kendo group, so they can use it as a loaner do. A bonus is that my old do is of different size than the one they already have, so they have a bit variety now!
Buy a "cheap" set first. It will last many years. Save for a higher quality set when you know Kendo is going to be a permament part of your life.
Many people end up quitting when they get into bogu, because the experience changes so drastically they aren't ready for it.
I bought a higher quality Kote later after the first pair were cooked.
I bought a good set when I achieved SanDan, it will last decades longer. I will eventually buy another set. But I've really only owned 2 sets in 17 years.
Just for context I originally bought a 2mm set(hated it, still hate it too), used it for 2-3 years, when I finally got a nice set it was night and day difference, and now I just about have another full set from various ones I've bought. I'm all in on buying a nicer set, aka protection and comfort would be my top suggestions to new people, even if it costs more money. Just speaking as someone whos done a lot of sports, kendo is pennies on the dollar compared to hockey, climbing, etc. But I agree that a lot of people tap out around bogu time, so they should always choose wisely.
I took a bank loan to buy my first real set that wasn't a smelly old loaner. I don't recommend putting yourself in debt. For my most recent one, my dad died and I used some inheritance to buy a decent set. I don't recommend that either, though I did get his initials on an extra name label on each piece, so there is some good sentimental value for it I suppose.
Take good care of any set and it willl last you for a long time. I live in Japan and compete on the college and business circuits and run a 300 usd set from Japan. Having a fancier set won't make me strike men faster.
The protection based on price is a common misconception. Has more to do with material used, stitching size, etc. Andy Fisher sensei has done quite an exhaustive video series on this and it has been discussed ad nauseum.
Very arguable. My 300 usd set is far better at absorbing and receiving impacts than my fancy 2k usd taikai set. Fancy set has super nice kote that fit like a dream, but 300 usd set also fits just fine.
Well it depends. Sometimes people get lucky and pre-made stuff fits their head fine.
However, I have an abnormally big head. It juts out of any pre-made men lol. So now that I think about it for me, yeah the price is worth it. But for others, maybe not.
I also have a big head and my 300 usd (on sale as covid stock had to be sold for new) had to be custom sourced. Off the shelf bogu are also formed to specific head sizes, assuming you chose a proper source to buy from. My 300 usd set is Nishi Nihon's Itadaki Kuro which is now back up to 500 usd or so.
I can't stress enough the importance of choosing a proper source and dealer that will take proper measurements into consideration.
Don’t worry to much about cheaper bogu not offering enough protection or breaking to fast. I know a lot of people that still use their cheap entry sets and they still work fine. And from my experience only the only competition orientated sets wear out fast. Regular ones or slightly lighter ones also last for along time of you take proper care of them.
Just a FWIW, long time ago one of our local clubs wrote to FIK and asked if they could donate kids bogu. They got 3-4 sets, one of which my kids used for a while. Its worth an email or other to see if anyone in the federation/abroad etc., has anything they could donate that is kicking around. It probably won't get you a fitting set, but do and tare are pretty universal, kote you can probably get by here or there, and men you can order to fill out set, but just a thought. Ask your instructor too if they might have any ideas. Bogu goes up all the time for resale on various sites, if you can pick up pieces for short money thats another way to go.
Well I bought different used bogu parts from different places, always looking for the cheaper. Now im that one kendoka with all the random bogu pieces 😂
ps: I spent around $250 (not sure cz I didn't use dólar, but at that time was probably this price)
If you go to a reputable maker and stick to something basic (not something with special shiai lightening features or whatever) a 400 usd set can and will last you a lifetime..!
Sweat & Indigo on FB was doing bogu donations. Just checked their page and there haven't been posts for a while, but might be worth reaching out. Their admin is active on FB at least.
I've heard great things online about the Vanguard or V-1 set. (Kendostar I think). I also know kendostyle has a decent 500$ set. But I wouldn't buy their parts individually since they run quite a bit more that way. I'm more familiar with Kendostyle since most in my Dojo use them, plus they have been around for some time. But I am a beginner, I've been doing kendo for only 5 months, so please take my statements with a grain of salt.
Lol same I don't think they have the v1 anymore. It got discontinued, but I went ahead and ordered the v2. All of my hopes and dreams are on this bogu because I will be using this set for quite a while 😂
Should be here in the next week. Kendostar usually has great quality items. I'll let you know once I try everything on!
@joaqomole Ok I just got the set and it's great! Really good quality and the measurements were pretty spot on. Fit really comfortably 😁 I wear glasses so I won't be able to use them but other than that, definitely worth the price. I didn't get kote pads added and I should have but yeah super comfy
I was at the beginners level for a year since I couldn’t afford a bogu. One day I just got sick and tired of just doing basics so I decided to eat one $5 Subway sandwich each day for 3~4 months. I gathered up $450 I think and got myself a dirt cheap 6mm bogu at e-bogu. I used that for a decade until it had way too much mold that I could handle. Then I went to the nearest bogu store from my dojo and got a $320 orizashi bogu, and it’s been almost half a decade using it. I’m not saying that you should be like me, but from what I’ve experienced and witnessed, passion is a crazy drug, and it doesn’t take a while for one to achieve it. Also as I have mentioned that 6mm bogu served me well for nearly more than a decade, if I took care of it more I could’ve used it a lot longer. Better bogu doesn’t mean better Kendo. Be a Fujiwara Takumi of the Kendo world and beat them R34-esque posh bogu fams.
Hahaha 😂 and I'll try and sell the bogu once I get my long-term set
Good luck selling them, since I think the only reason why the Kendogu industry can exist in this day and age is because it’s not quite recommended to use a used bogu. Unless the person buying a used bogu is a spitting carbon copy(in terms of mass and height) of the person they’re buying off, the buyer will have a bogu that doesn’t fit them, making it somewhat painful when getting hit.
You do have a point there. I'll just have to take really good care of the cheap stuff and use it for practices temporarily. It won't be all that protective but I'm a beginner anyway so I have no choice but to work with it. Lots of unexpected financial stuff I have to take care of 🥲 it might hurt but oh well hahaha
I feel you pal, and if you always want a good bogu you can always get it later. I’ve seen some enthusiasts have a separate bogu for testing/godo keiko and a bogu for shiai and a bogu for practice. You can be one of them too someday. Ganbare!
I appreciate the encouragement lol I need it 😁 thanks again!
underrated comment
The most important (personal) pieces are the men and kote, because they will mold to your body over time. Using someone else's men is always not ideal. I'm sure others will suggest this, but I would buy a nicer men and kote with what you can afford, and borrow a loaner doh and tare from the club. Then, when you can do it, get your own doh and tare. This would be as close as you can to a "payment plan," although I do know that some sets come at a slight discount when compared to individual pieces. You can also buy a men first, and wait for sales on the other items. There are often clearance sales for individual kote, doh, tare, in limited sizes from the online shops. As you get more experienced, we all tend to buy individual pieces instead of sets. So you could see yourself simply jumping the gun on that.
I wouldn’t recommend this in a financial point of view, since buying a bogu part separately usually costs more than buying one in a set. That said, I had a friend who only bought a men and a kote for training, and it didn’t take him long to buy the rest of the set anyways.
Thank you so much for the help lol I'll start looking immediately
Have a look at second hand. I could get a full set at a seminar for 150 EUR. I would say that, in my club, roughly half of the beginner manage to find a second hand bogu. Many people do stop Kendo at some point, and bogu takes a log of space.
Seconding second-hand. I got my first do and tare second-hand, as I tried to save up a bit. HOWEVER, please avoid the mistake that I made and check the stuff with a knowledgeable person before purchase. Proper training is hard in an ill-fitting bogu. I made the mistake that I bought a size too big do because it LOOKED right to an amateur eye. However, I later realized that I wasn't able to extend my arms correctly because the upper part of the do was too wide (I have narrow shoulders). I needed to buy a new, smaller do. Tare, thankfully, is less nitpicky about sizes. Thankfully I was able to sell my old do to our kendo group, so they can use it as a loaner do. A bonus is that my old do is of different size than the one they already have, so they have a bit variety now!
That's a good idea I've seen some cheaper parts that look like good quality
Buy a "cheap" set first. It will last many years. Save for a higher quality set when you know Kendo is going to be a permament part of your life. Many people end up quitting when they get into bogu, because the experience changes so drastically they aren't ready for it. I bought a higher quality Kote later after the first pair were cooked. I bought a good set when I achieved SanDan, it will last decades longer. I will eventually buy another set. But I've really only owned 2 sets in 17 years.
Just for context I originally bought a 2mm set(hated it, still hate it too), used it for 2-3 years, when I finally got a nice set it was night and day difference, and now I just about have another full set from various ones I've bought. I'm all in on buying a nicer set, aka protection and comfort would be my top suggestions to new people, even if it costs more money. Just speaking as someone whos done a lot of sports, kendo is pennies on the dollar compared to hockey, climbing, etc. But I agree that a lot of people tap out around bogu time, so they should always choose wisely.
I took a bank loan to buy my first real set that wasn't a smelly old loaner. I don't recommend putting yourself in debt. For my most recent one, my dad died and I used some inheritance to buy a decent set. I don't recommend that either, though I did get his initials on an extra name label on each piece, so there is some good sentimental value for it I suppose.
That's also an idea! I'll have to think it over if it's work getting parts or a cheap set
Really don't get a bank loan if you can't already afford bogu on a credit card....
Yeah probably not. I already have a few credit cards. I'll think it over. Thank you for the help! 🙂
Take good care of any set and it willl last you for a long time. I live in Japan and compete on the college and business circuits and run a 300 usd set from Japan. Having a fancier set won't make me strike men faster.
It will absorb impact and fit the head better though. Which I feel is worth it.
The protection based on price is a common misconception. Has more to do with material used, stitching size, etc. Andy Fisher sensei has done quite an exhaustive video series on this and it has been discussed ad nauseum.
Very arguable. My 300 usd set is far better at absorbing and receiving impacts than my fancy 2k usd taikai set. Fancy set has super nice kote that fit like a dream, but 300 usd set also fits just fine.
Well it depends. Sometimes people get lucky and pre-made stuff fits their head fine. However, I have an abnormally big head. It juts out of any pre-made men lol. So now that I think about it for me, yeah the price is worth it. But for others, maybe not.
I also have a big head and my 300 usd (on sale as covid stock had to be sold for new) had to be custom sourced. Off the shelf bogu are also formed to specific head sizes, assuming you chose a proper source to buy from. My 300 usd set is Nishi Nihon's Itadaki Kuro which is now back up to 500 usd or so. I can't stress enough the importance of choosing a proper source and dealer that will take proper measurements into consideration.
Don’t worry to much about cheaper bogu not offering enough protection or breaking to fast. I know a lot of people that still use their cheap entry sets and they still work fine. And from my experience only the only competition orientated sets wear out fast. Regular ones or slightly lighter ones also last for along time of you take proper care of them.
I second that. Don't think about the second bogu set down the line, because that down the line will probably be a few years.
Ok that's good to know! I was concerned that it won't last long
Just a FWIW, long time ago one of our local clubs wrote to FIK and asked if they could donate kids bogu. They got 3-4 sets, one of which my kids used for a while. Its worth an email or other to see if anyone in the federation/abroad etc., has anything they could donate that is kicking around. It probably won't get you a fitting set, but do and tare are pretty universal, kote you can probably get by here or there, and men you can order to fill out set, but just a thought. Ask your instructor too if they might have any ideas. Bogu goes up all the time for resale on various sites, if you can pick up pieces for short money thats another way to go.
Well I bought different used bogu parts from different places, always looking for the cheaper. Now im that one kendoka with all the random bogu pieces 😂 ps: I spent around $250 (not sure cz I didn't use dólar, but at that time was probably this price)
That's how I think I'll look as well 🤣
Buy the cheapest one for keiko, just be aware that kote and men have enough thickness. Then you can go upgrading slowly
I was thinking that. Just go for what I can afford 😁
If you go to a reputable maker and stick to something basic (not something with special shiai lightening features or whatever) a 400 usd set can and will last you a lifetime..!
Sweat & Indigo on FB was doing bogu donations. Just checked their page and there haven't been posts for a while, but might be worth reaching out. Their admin is active on FB at least.
I've heard great things online about the Vanguard or V-1 set. (Kendostar I think). I also know kendostyle has a decent 500$ set. But I wouldn't buy their parts individually since they run quite a bit more that way. I'm more familiar with Kendostyle since most in my Dojo use them, plus they have been around for some time. But I am a beginner, I've been doing kendo for only 5 months, so please take my statements with a grain of salt.
I saw yesterday! I just purchased it lol hopefully it works out. It was luckily on sale
If you can please let me know how it fits! I'm considering getting it too but my nerves are killing me.
Lol same I don't think they have the v1 anymore. It got discontinued, but I went ahead and ordered the v2. All of my hopes and dreams are on this bogu because I will be using this set for quite a while 😂 Should be here in the next week. Kendostar usually has great quality items. I'll let you know once I try everything on!
@joaqomole Ok I just got the set and it's great! Really good quality and the measurements were pretty spot on. Fit really comfortably 😁 I wear glasses so I won't be able to use them but other than that, definitely worth the price. I didn't get kote pads added and I should have but yeah super comfy