How Do You Adapt A Shinai Sword For Practicing European Sword Fighting Styles?
Purchase a couple of shinai swords. If you can find one, go to a shop that specializes in martial arts equipment. There are cheaper shinai out there, but remember, we’re using these swords to actually hit people so they need to meet the safety requirements of the organization you join. Cheap shinai are sometimes made of weak, brittle bamboo that breaks way too easily. Shinai are safe to use as long as they don’t break and expose any sharp edges or splinters. I recommend getting two lenghts of shinai. Get one sword that is 40″ long and another that is 35″ long. That way, you have both a long, two handed sword and a shorter hand and a half sword to practice with. Different techniques are possible with each sword. Inspect each sword before you buy it. If the store won’t let you open the package up to inspect the sword, don’t buy it. Good shops know the importance of making sure there are no flaws in the sword and will let you look at them. Look for cracks in the bamboo, “knots” or places
