The Bokken: Why Would You Want One?

There are many sword arts in the world today but there are few that are meant to be utilized solely with a wooden sword. Most sword arts wherein the participant trains with a wooden weapon will only be doing so in the desire to wield a weapon that can be used to for force combat training. The wooden is a supplemental training tool in this scenario. However, the Japanese bokken is a type of wooden sword that is both a training tool and a combat weapon.

What Makes a Bokken so Useful?

The most common and basic form of this training aid is the Japanese katana. They can come in other forms such as the ninjato, a short straight edged sword, or the wakizashi, a short sword often equipped as a companion side arm similar to how the Norse Vikings would keep a seax on hand despite having a main weapon they wielded.

A bokken, despite its nature as a training sword, does not handle the same as a live blade, Laito. It is often harder to stop during a cutting motion and sometimes they are actually heavier than the blades they mimic depending on their material construction. Generally they will weigh much less, however, and require less force and strength to stop or control cuts. The disparity between these two facts means that this type of wooden sword is a great training aid but there will be some adaptation time between moving from its usage and into the usage of a live blade.

However, this is a fine weapon to master because it has many facets that a live blade lacks. The bokken is in face two weapons at once. It is both a sword and a staff. Due to the blade being made of wood and its lesser cutting ability, some masters can cut with it if it has a proper shape, it can be wielded like a small staff at times and allow the one who is training with it to vary their style in ways no metal sword could be used.