Introduction

The bokken is a wooden sword traditionally made from white oak and weighing around 700g. Training with the bokken is important because many of the empty hand (or tai jutsu) techniques are derived from sword techniques developed over centuries.

Bokken Suburi

These practices were developed by a number of different instructors, and have been compiled and presented here. Each of the following two kata should be practised carefully and with feeling. Breathing is very important and you should inhale before you start the movements, allowing your breath to pass out of your lungs as you perform the kata, and exhaling sharply as you finish the final thrust or strike of the kata. Always check your posture at the beginning and end of each kata to ensure that you have started and finished correctly. Good posture before and after performance goes a long way towards correct posture during the kata. It is also important to practice these kata both right and left handed (hanmi), facing in a number of different directions, and both alone and in a group. Another way to practice the kata is with a partner, in combinations of facing towards each other or standing side-by-side, each holding the bokken in the same side hand or in different hands. Click on the following to jump to a particular Bokken Kata, or just scroll down.

Bokken Kata 1. Eight Count Bokken Kata 2. Thirteen Count Bokken Kata

 

---

 

1. Eight Count Bokken Kata

This is the typically the first of the bokken kata that is learned. It involves combinations of cutting and thrusting movements performed in each of four directions.

---

 

2. Thirteen Count Bokken Kata

The thirteen count bokken kata adds to the eight count kata with four additional cuts, finishing with a circular clearing motion.