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Thread: Making Your Own Training Weapons

  1. #16
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    Default Anyone made a yari?

    I regret not buying an oak yari in Tokyo, but the only one I could find was about 3 meters long, and I wasn't about to hump that through the subways and Narita! I want to try my hand at woodworking but don't know what types of woods are best. I assume oak and cedar sand down well and don't splinter too much under impact? Also, what types of tools work well?
    Kevin Geaslin
    Genbukan Ninpo & Kokusai Jujutsu

  2. #17
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    Default

    For yari, Kim Taylor writes at his retail site, http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_bokuto.htm , "YARI. Spears of any length up to 9 feet are no problem. (Longer weapons must be specially shipped at greater cost). It is highly recommended that you choose hickory, ash or white oak for weapons of this size. I can produce the weapons with oval or circular shafts, and with a taper if you wish.The usual design comes with no 'tip' and is intended to have a padded leather ball fitted. I can put a hole in the end, fit a rubber stopper, or do anything else you might desire which would help hold the padding in place."

    For making wooden weapons, of any kind, see Kim's article at http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_taylor_1100.htm .

  3. #18
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    Default

    That's a great page. Thanks for the link!
    Kevin Geaslin
    Genbukan Ninpo & Kokusai Jujutsu

  4. #19
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Geaslin
    what types of tools work well?
    Just get your wood and take away anything that doesn't look like a yari

    I would recommend the following tools:
    spokeshave
    wood plane
    rasp & files
    sandpaper

    You could probably do the whole projest with just a good wood plane if you wanted. I would recommend that you cut it to an octaganol shape to start with (a table saw works well for that). If you want to taper it, mark your wood in 12" sections along it's length and number them. Give the 1st section five passes with the wood plane, then do five passes of the 2nd and 1st section, and so on, you will have a nice even taper.

    Let us know how it comes out.
    Best regards,
    Bruce Mitchell

  5. #20
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    You can also find quite useful this site Il giardino dei Ciliegi

    Watch for the Yari in the photogallery and let me know if it is what you are looking for. As soon as possible I'll write something about its making of. I hope it could be useful for you


  6. #21
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    I made a yari that involved going down to the local hardware and cutting a piece of 19mm (IIRC) diameter oak dowel to length (9 shaku I think it was). I then found that a shinai's leather sakigawa is a tight but effective fit on the end as a stopper. Needed some coaxing to get it on, but it stays on with any kind of tying or adhesive.

    Cost AUD$30.00 + the sakigawa which I had already (AUD$2.00).

    b

  7. #22
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    Isn't it too much flexible with a such small diameter? I think that for that lenght only diameters over 28 mm work well. Let me say


  8. #23
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    Benkei, for you, I got off my arse and went to the shed and measured it properly. I must have been on drugs: it's 30mm diameter.



    b

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by ichibyoshi
    Benkei, for you, I got off my arse and went to the shed and measured it properly. I must have been on drugs: it's 30mm diameter.



    b
    Thanks


  10. #25
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    Default PVC Bo?

    Hi,
    My second stupid question of the day.
    Has anyone practiced with a PVC staff? how did it compare for weight with wood? how did it hold up in practice against wood or other PVC staffs.
    I wouldn't really want one for personal practice but as a relatively cheap, unlikely to warp if left in a corner option for leaving in the cupboard at the dojo they seem a viable alternative.
    Regards
    Paul

  11. #26
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    Default PVC bo

    I have a European three piece one.

    It's great for what I do with it - travel, work out on the road to remember kata.

    Other than that, I don't use it for anything. Even though nicely made, it's the wrong weight, flexes too much, feels wrong, etc.
    Lance Gatling ガトリング
    Tokyo 東京

    Long as we're making up titles, call me 'The Duke of Earl'

  12. #27
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    I study Korean stick ("bong") which tends not to be bi-modal as one finds with Okinawan BO. I mention this because I have heard that people sometimes like to use the plastic (acrylic) staffs and even the PVC being mentioned. What I have found is that such items can be interesting if the goal of the staff work has more to do with demonstration. We sometimes identify such activities as "baton twirling", but no disrespect is intended and there is a definite advantage to the lightness of the plastic over hardwood. Bi-modal execution, where striking, blocking and thrusting can be accomplished with either end of the staff----interchangeably---- especially for demonstration---- probably might not be too heavily impacted by the use of plastic as the staff is held from the middle ("short stick").

    In comparison, the use of the staff with the focus skewed to one end of the staff (or occasionally held closer to one end for "long stick" techniques), or for use in weapons applications, would suffer greatly for the reasons given (handling characterisitcs) as well as inaccurate feedback when striking/breaking a target. FWIW.

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
    Last edited by glad2bhere; 17th July 2008 at 15:23. Reason: spelling
    Bruce W Sims
    www.midwesthapkido.com

  13. #28
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    Hello all. I have used a number of stave types (jo, bo, hanbo etc) formed from PVC as well as other vinyl types.

    To be honest I found them all to be very sturdy, more so than the majority of wooden types. The weight difference really was not noticible, but I will say that wooden weapons "Feal" better and slide in the hand far easier than the PVC types.

    Personally I prefer to use the tried and tested wooden pole... plus if they break they can always be cut down and reshaped. not so easy with PVC

    Hope this may be of some help

    "You call me Ronin because I serve no Master... I am my own Master"

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