Shinai - Bamboo Practice Sword

A shinai is a bamboo practice sword used in Japanese martial arts such as Kendo. It is used to reduce potential injuries that might occur if a metal katana or hard wood bokken was used for training.

A shinai is roughly 3 to 4 feet in length usually consisting of a plastic tip (sakigawa), four shafts of split bamboo for the "blade" and a handle.

References

1. Cleveland Kendo Association, Equipment, http://www.clevelandkendo.com/equipment.htm, Added - 03/30/14