Our premium Jissengata shinai – Hitoyama

One of our hot items is our premium madake bamboo jissengata shinai, the “Hitoyama”.

Here is a great product review/feedback from Yutaro Matsuura sensei (Renshi 7th Dan) of Koyokai Kendo Dojo in Portage, Michigan.

“When opening the package, my immediate reaction for this product was undeniably “solid” and “high quality.” I could tell that this was a Shinai designed for not only combat but for favorable results.

This is a Jissen Gata (Dobari) with an octagonal handle. Before I dive into the review, I often get asked “why don’t you use Koto? Most of your peers use Koto.” I am fully aware that they do. A lot of it boils down to anatomy and adaptation. I am 5’9” and 215lbs. Most of you have seen the stat in boxing called “reach” which is essentially wingspan. As someone who is 5’9” my “reach” should be around 69”. However, it is 64”. My most used technique is Kote. Every distance, every angle. A skill born from anatomical necessity. My Shinai needs to be able to have more weight around the hands which allows for precision and control in the tip.

So far, I have used the Hitoyama for around 8 hours of practice. Suburi: The octagonal grip allows me to grip firmly and securely. I much prefer this to the Oval grip as it gives me a consistent hand position by feel yet allows me to maintain the flexibility to execute swings that go beyond up and down. My Yoko-Men strikes turned at consistent angles and so too did my Do swings.

This grip also features a taper at the bottom end for even better left-hand control as it allows my pinky finger to sit very naturally. As far as the up and down swings, I could swing with crispness and power without focusing on grip and hand position. This was again thanks to the octagonal shape and bottom taper. Weight distribution was also exactly what I desired in a Jissen Gata. It is nice to be able to key in on footwork and body core position as opposed to what the hands are doing. This gave me an increased fluidity that I had been working on.

Kihon: Many of the elements that I described in the Suburi portion transferred very nicely to the Kihon practice. Even with Kote on, the features in the grip were apparent. For larger swings, the weight distribution did not cause any disruption to my arm position or posture and the high-quality Madake made a satisfying sound upon impact every time. For higher speed smaller strikes in Kihon, it can be said that a Koto might be the better choice, but the Jissen Gata performed very well. There was no compromise for me in my precision and maybe ever so slightly in power.

Waza: For me, this is where the “premium” in this Shinai was felt. Every Ohji Waza deflected off of this Shinai with authority and held firm on the strike. Personally, I use a lot of Suriage and this was the best Shinai that I have ever used for that purpose. Kaeshi Waza also were snappy and could be performed with authority. There was almost no bend or vibration in my hands. The weight balance made the transition from parry to strike a luxury and I was able to have a high success rate.

Jigeiko: With the variety of Waza that this Shinai accommodates, this made for a high percentage of strikes at higher quality in Jigeiko. Whether it was me the initiator for Shikake Waza or for any Ohji Waza, this Shinai performed beautifully and allowed me to settle into my Kamae in preparation for a large variety.

I have not yet been able to use this Shinai in actual Shiai yet, but plan on doing so at the next Cleveland event. I have appeared in 6 straight finals since the end of the Shiai lockdown in 2022. I have also lost all of them and am looking for any edge that I can get to walk away with a championship. Switching to the Hitoyama could be the edge that I need.

Stay tuned.”