O Bokken, Training Sword with improved grip

The best of the world's martial artists have known a simple truth for ages: If you want to become reasonably good at wielding a fighting implement, you should endeavor to learn the best fighting techniques, footwork, and the basic stances. However, if you want to be a master at it, you will have to eventually start training with live weapons.

If, for example, your ultimate goal is to wield a razor-sharp sword safely and effectively, you need to train with a sword that approximates the size, feel and heft of a live blade, yet minimizes the possibility of causing grievous, permanent, or life-threatening injury to yourself or your training partner.

This concept was implemented by the ancient Romans, who used dull wooden swords to train their gladiators and soldiers, and Japanese Samurai used a wooden training sword called a bokken. A bokken was made from the super tough wood of the Japanese White Oak, a wood they called Kashi. This type of wooden sword is an elegant solution to a vexing problem and effective enough to still be used today, but authentic Kashi wood bokkens are becoming quite costly. The problem is also that a wooden training weapon may rot, crack, split or splinter and eventually become useless.

Cold Steel's solution to these dilemmas was to design a line of synthetic substitutes that are low in price and impervious to the elements. The Cold Steel line of training weapons are made of the heaviest grade polypropylene available and closely duplicate their real counterparts in length, size and feel. While they are not quite as rigid as wood, they have the winning advantages of being virtually unbreakable, remarkably stiff and cut resistant.

Cold Steel's Japanese training swords are closely modeled after the world-famous Warrior Series swords. Their wide blades imitate the flowing lines of the Warrior swords, but as they are made from super tough polypropylene, with no sharp edges or points, they are perfect for armored sparring, training, conditioning drills and pell work. Each model also features an intricately detailed imitation cord wrap grip, offering superior control even when wearing heavy gloves. These swords offer superior heavy-duty training potential for the modern Martial Artist.

Details:

• Bokken, 2015 Model with improved grip
• Material: polypropylene
• Overall length: approx. 111.8 cm
• Blade length: approx. 80 cm
• Blade thickness: approx. 25 cm
• Hilt length: approx. 31.8 cm
• Weight: approx. 785 g