tsuka question

[davidtorez]

Does tsuka thickness/width have a role in tenouchi? Is there an ideal width/thickness of handle or should a practitioner be able to have good tenouchi regardless of tsuka width and thickness?

Have a good one

Dave

[Brian Owens]

Unless you're getting a sword custom made, you're pretty much going to be in a "one-size-fits-all" situation, so blade length and tsuka length are going to be the variables that you have some control of.

That said, if you are getting a custom-made sword, yes, having it sized for your hand size will be the ideal. Talk to your sensei for advice on specific fit.

[davidtorez]

Unless you're getting a sword custom made, you're pretty much going to be in a "one-size-fits-all" situation, so blade length and tsuka length are going to be the variables that you have some control of.

That said, if you are getting a custom-made sword, yes, having it sized for your hand size will be the ideal. Talk to your sensei for advice on specific fit.

Hi Brian,

Thank you for the reply. Would you say tenouchi would be easier with a tsuka that's too thick for small hands or a thinner tsuka for someone with bigger hands?

Have a good one

Dave

[Brian Owens]

...Would you say tenouchi would be easier with a tsuka that's too thick for small hands or a thinner tsuka for someone with bigger hands?

I can only speak to the latter: I'm 6' 5" and quite slender (Except around my middle; too much pizza!), with hands that match. I never had too much trouble with standard bokuto and jo, but when I began training in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido I found it somewhat easier after switching from an inexpensive "standard" iaito to a cutsom-made Masakuni Dotanuki replica with leather tsukaito that was a bit beefier than average.

Not that it was a lot different, but my hands just felt a little less "crowded" with the latter. I could adapt easily enough to the more-slender tsuka, and particularly for kumitachi and kumijo I could imagine that someone with small hands might have more trouble keeping a good grip on a too-large tsuka than I did on a too-small tsuka, but that's just speculation. Maybe someone with small hands will chime in with his or her perspective.

[pgsmith]

There are a number of different theories on tsuka size. Personally, I seriously dislike the larger tsuka that are on most of the Chinese made swords today, although I understand their reasoning on making them larger.

People talk a lot about larger or smaller hands, but they really mean larger or smaller fingers for the most part. The actual palm size is not that much different between someone with large hands and someone with small hands. Proper tenouchi is not done with the fingers so much as it's done with the palms of the hands. Therefore, it has always been my contention that the standard size of tsuka from Japan was made to the proper size for the majority of people. It's what feels best to me, even though I have fairly large hands.

Of course, that is just my opinion based on my experiences. Others can and will vary! :)

[Guy Buyens]

Therefore, it has always been my contention that the standard size of tsuka from Japan was made to the proper size for the majority of people. It's what feels best to me, even though I have fairly large hands.

This is also my sensation (but I have to admit that I use my bokuto much more than my sword)