Information for Fellow Newbies

[vvolfgang]

Before I embarked on this path, I had lots of questions about a great many things related to Aikido.  From history to culture, from custom to techniques.

Surprisingly, most information is available readily on-line, particularly in the areas of history, culture, and customs.  There are quite a few well-composed websites that are both informational as well as entertaining.

What I discovered was lacking was some of the basics.  Most of what I'll put down can be found at other sites, but no sense in re-inventing the wheel if it's not necessary.

If you find the information to be inaccurate, please feel free to correct and suppliment.

Thanks

Jason

[vvolfgang]

Selecting a Gi-

Basic Information:

- Aikido Gi's are the same as Judo Gi's, although some people prefer heavy weight Karate or Tae Kwan Do Gi's

-- Judo Gi's have a bit of advantage because the knees are padded

-- Avoid light-weight Karate or TKD Gi's, they have a tendency to cling to your skin when you become sweaty and hinder cooling

-- Comes in two colors:  Bleached and Unbleached (there are other colors, such as blue and black, but these are non-traditional colors, to be safe, always ask your Sensei before investing)

-- Comes in two weights:  Heavy weight and Light weight (light weights are sometimes referred to as "club" or "student" style)

-- Comes in two weave densities:  Single and Double Weave.  Single weave means one layer of fabric, double weave means two layers (hotter, stiffer)

-- It's more important that the top fits properly then the bottom.  Bottoms can be tailored easier then the tops

-- A good fitting top will out last several pairs of pants, and pants can often be purchased separately

-- One vendor's "size 6" doesn't equal another vendor's, safest bet is to ask others in the dojo what brand and size they wear, it'll give you a good idea what to expect

-- If ordering on line, always ask for expected shrinkage information.  If possible, locate the original manufacturer's website for proper sizing information

-- Each brand shrinks differently, tops usually shrinks more then the bottoms

-- It take at least three washing-drying cycles for the shrinkage to stablize


Care-n-feeding:

-- Always wash in cold water, unless you're deliberatly shrinking it

-- Tops should not be tumble-dried in a drier, the tumbling action causes rapid wear on the weave.  Best bet is to hang dry

-- Bottoms may be dried in drier, low heat setting

-- avoid fabric softeners, most fabric softeners causes the fabric to resist absorbing moisture, which defeats the purpose of absorbing sweat from your skin

-- As one long-time practitioner said:  "it gets softer with each fall you take"

[vvolfgang]

Bo, Jo, Bokken, and such:

- Bo - "long staff"

-- Can be round or octagon in cross-section

-- Typically ~ 6' in length, anywhere from 7/8" to 1 1/4" diameter

-- Red Oak is common, but White Oak is slightly harder and can take more beating for contact work

-- I've not come across any Aikido dojos that actively advertise training with Bo, but maybe someone has seen one

- Jo - "Short Staff"

-- Typically round in cross-section, straight  (I don't believe tapered or "tooth-pick" Jo's are used in Aikido)

-- Typically ~ 48"-56" in length, most common being 50" length with 7/8"~1 1/4" diameter.  Length is typically measured from the ground to a person's arm-pit while standing at the natural stance.  Diameter preference is dependent on a person's grip circumference, but this is not a hard-fast rule.  Key factor is more or less personal preference.  (For example, I prefer 48" @ 1 1/8" diameter)

-- Red Oak is common, but White Oak is slightly harder and can take more beating for contact work.  There are numerous other types of woods and quite a few vendors that will custom-make a Jo

- Bokken - Wooden practice sword

-- Comes in several forms, conforming to the original style of metallic swords that they were patterned after, most noticeable characteristic being the curvature in the blade portion itself (between hand-guard notch and the tip)

-- Typically ~ 40" in length, some vendors will custom-make a length to suit

-- Red Oak is common, but White Oak is slightly harder and can take more beating for contact work

-- In addition to solid-wood Bokkens, there are a growing number of vendors that sell "laminated" versions.  There are many Pro/Con arguments, Primary Pro being Strength, Primary Con being weight and $$$

-- Most wooden weapons come either in oiled or sealed form

-- Make sure your Sensei's Bokken is heavier then yours ;-)

I'll fill in more on Tanto, Shoto, Shinai, etc., later

[vvolfgang]

Care-n-Feeding of your wooden weapons:

- Supplies you'll need:  150 grit sandpaper, 220 grit sandpaper (use "wet or dry", they last longer), "000" (triple zero or triple aught) plastic wool, and a container of your favorite oil (Linseed, Tung, or Teak)

- once every few months, lightly sand the weapon length-wise with 220-grit sand paper, pay extra attention to the dents and divots caused by striking and sand down any features that protrude beyond the surrounding surface, you'll want to do this because the portions that protrude will splinter and possibly hurt you or your opponent

- If your weapon has a varnished or polyurethane surface, then you'll need to use a slightly coarser sandpaper, 150 grit or so, to remove the coating.  If you do not remove the coating then the protective oils won't be absorbed into the wood grains

-- Why oil?  Oiling keeps the wood moisturized and prevents cracking and warping over time

-- What oils to use:  Some common ones are: Linseed oil, Tung oil, and Teak oil

-- All three are acceptable, although I prefer Teak oil because the resin content is high and as the oil cures, it leaves a naturally hardened surface that resists impact

-- avoid water-based stains and sealants, they won't last in your sweaty hands, water-based stains and sealants can be easily identified when you see words like "easy water cleanup" under the cleaning instructions area

-- avoid polyurethane, shellac, and lacquer finishes

-- it's very important to follow the instruction to-the-letter or you'll be left with more sanding later, pay special attention to ventilation requirements, some oils are not exactly pleasant smelling while still wet

-- Between coats as each coat dries, be sure to lightly rub the “000” Triple Aught plastic wool over the entire surface, this smoothes out any minor ridges and leaves the proper texture for gripping

-- Typically 2-3 coats will be sufficient to properly treat the wood

-- Take care of them and they’ll take good care of you and your wallet

YMMV

Jason

[J. Nachtrab]

-- Why oil?  Oiling keeps the wood moisturized and prevents cracking and warping over time.

Personally, I think oiling your training weapons is unnecessary , unless you're engaged in daily workouts with constant contact (and very few aikido dojos do this).  I have a white oak bokken and jo that I've had for over ten years and I've never sanded or oiled either.  Both are still in perfect shape.  I think the way you store your weapons is far more important.  Keep them flat on the floor, don't lean them in a corner.  Avoid repeated drastic changes in humidity/temperature (i.e. don't leave them in your car in the summer).  

Japanese white oak is dried and cured extensively before being used in weapons, it really requires very little upkeep.  Another sensei of mine that teaches jo and has used his for years on a daily basis stores it flat on a weapons rack in his dojo.  No sanding, no oils, it's still straight and is smooth as glass.

[vvolfgang]

Thanks J. Nachtrab!

Point well taken.

Thanks for the reminder about storage, you're right, since a typical weapon spends far more time in storage then in constant use.

Jason

[J. Nachtrab]

Just out of curiosity, I posed the question to one of my teachers this afternoon.  His response was:

Oiling - no.  Sweat and body oils are enough to develop a wooden weapon's finish.

Sanding - yes, to remove splinters and rough areas that occur, particularly on bokken edges.  I assume it would only be at those areas though, not all over and not to improve the finish of the weapon.  Only to remove splinters and reduce the chance of injury.