How to put on kendogi/bogu properly

So recently a few members have joined the ranks of bogu kendoka. And I know at first it can be quite daunting to put on armour. The trick is to practice regularly untill it becomes second nature, as with many things in kendo.

The most important thing to remember is that buying kendo equipment whether it is a tetron hakama or a fancy pure cotton hakama; a machine stitched or hand stitched bogu set. You have made an investment into your kendo journey, your equipment will only last so long if you do not take proper care of it. Most conventional methods don't really apply to kendo equipment.

So to help you guys out, here are some videos and illustrations on how to corectly put on your kendogi (as well as how to properply store it) and also some videos on how to put on your bogu, how to tie some of the more trickier himo and last but not least; how to make so many things fit into a small bag.

This first video was done by Andy Fisher from All Japan Budogu; here he discusses how to put on your kendogi as well as how to fold everything up neatly.

Some images have already been included in a previous blog (Dojo etiquette part 1) But here are some additional images

Next part is how to put on your bogu. This has already been covered by your senpai during your first class, so this video is just incase you forgot something small.

So now to get to the trickey part that most new kendoka struggle with. How to tie your dou himo. So there are many way to tie them, you need to find a way that is easy for you to do, and you need to practice this untill you can do it without looking. Alway remember to aim to tie your bogu properly, there is nothing more frustrating than having your bogu himo coming loose during practice and also having to wait for someone to tie up their himo and they are not practiced at it. Try your best, it is just good etiquette to not have to keep re-tying your bogu, but we all have a loose himo day at kendo some days.

If you are not good at following these types of instructions, here is a video I found that explains a method very nicely. I myself will be trying to use this method from now on.