So you may be a Japanese history nerd wanting to feel what it is like to be a samurai or a student of Japanese martial arts specializing in sword fighting or Jujitsu. In any case you would need to use training swords.
More specifically, you would need to use katana training swords to master the art of samurai combat fighting. Many people actually prefer learning bojutsu (bo staff combat) or ninjutsu (ninja style combat) because these styles are easier and less expensive to master as you won't be spending much money on training swords.
Training swords are pricey. Especially if you aren't using them for occasional cosplay, each day can see broken training swords and the need to replace them with new practice swords to continue the intense martial arts training.
There are various ways you can save money on training swords-training katana swords in particular-if you keep some things in mind. Here is our list of three kinds of katana training swords and whether they are a good investment or not.
Bokken
These types of training swords are made of wood and resemble the real katana swords to the tee. The blade of these training swords is made from unsharpened wood and it shaped exactly like a katana blade with a distinctive edge at the end.
A bokken katana is an ideal training sword because it has a perfect balance of a real sword. The wooden blade is crafted to lend a uniform weight distribution throughout which means you get the feel of a real sword while holding and fighting with these training swords.
Another advantage of a bokken as a training sword is that the wood is lightweight and you can easily practice sword techniques on your own with these training swords. However, a bokken loses out on durability by what it gains in aesthetics.
While this type of training sword is good for individual practice, like when you are practicing sword spinning by yourself, these katana swords are not good for combat style training.
These training swords will break easily as soon the katana comes in contact with an opposing sword. This is because the wooden blade of a bokken is never strong enough to take persistent hits from another sword.
You don't want to seriously injure your combat partner when practicing sword fighting. This katana training sword lets you channel your inner samurai but without leaving a mark on your opponent. True, the wooden blade does hit hard during heavy sparring but like a perfect training sword, a bokken never lands hard enough to leave permanent scars.
Shinai
Shinai is also a type of fake katana sword that many people use as a training sword. It is shaped like a katana but made of bamboo and is generally considered stronger than a bokken.
This makes shinnai an ideal training sword for combat training and actual sword fighting. No matter how many clashes and clinks this training sword gets, it won't give out and snap.
Many martial arts schools use shinnai as their training sword to practice kendo-a combat technique where you attack on the head of your opponent with a katana training sword.
So carry out this type of intense samurai style sword fighting, one needs a trusty practice sword, that won't injure your training partner but also not feel like a foam sword with zero balance.
These types of training swords are perfect for heavy sparring because they are built to feel like a balanced sword. A balanced sword is a sword that most closely mirrors the feel of a real sword. If your training sword is not balanced, then you won't be adequately carrying out all bujutsu moves even after months of training.
Another benefit of this training sword is that it is useful to practice other forms of Japanese martial arts techniques as well. You can carry this bamboo katana easily and perform ninja style combat if you feel like it.
Unsharpened Katana
Perhaps the most expensive training sword out of all three katana swords, is a cold steel katana or a katana sword with an unsharpened edge. If you really want to know what it felt like back in the 16th century to smash heads using a samurai sword, this is your go to training sword.
Some katana swords like these used in training are made of aluminum rather than stainless steel to make them lightweight and easier to practice with for beginners. Pro martial artists use real katana swords with an unsharpened edge to get an authentic samurai workout experience.
The downside of this katana training sword is that it can be expensive-$500 or more- a price not every samurai enthusiast can afford. Cold steel katanas may be slightly cheaper and look exactly like real katana swords but they rust quickly because of their high carbon content.
It is better to invest in a good quality unsharpened katana training sword if you are dead serious about going through with your martial arts training. But if you just want to go out to a LARP event once in a while then a bokken with a steel painted blade is sufficient.
An unsharpened katana training sword does it hard upon landing on the opponent. So these training swords are not for novices just starting out their martial arts journeys. You don't want to end up with a big black bruise on your first day of training. So these training swords should only be used by experts who have achieved a certain level of experience in samurai style combat.
So, What Should You Buy?
An ideal training sword will have the look and feel of a real sword without inflicting serious injuries on the opposing person. A training sword should also be within range of an average person.
Given these conditions, we believe a bokken is most versatile out of all three training swords. Not only can it look exactly like a katana by having the blade painted, but it can be used for cosplay purposes as well.
