Many people are particular about their protective gear. They prefer a men that is height-adjustable to ensure an optimal field of vision, and kote that fits well and allows for free use of the shinai. So, what about tare? When purchasing a tare, there may not be many people who have a particular requirement that they cannot compromise on. But the septum has an important role to play. We will introduce the tare, an item of protective gear that is rarely given much importance, from various angles.

table of contents

The role of the Correct wearing Important points to remember when wearing How to store Differences in Tare

• How to stitch
• Stitch width
• decoration
• Edge
• square leather

How to choose a size About name tags summary

The role of the

The role of the tare is to protect the waist and private parts. Unlike the men and do, it is not made of a hard material as it does not protect the effective striking points. The tare also has the following roles:

- A comfortable fit for the abdominal belt that reduces strain on the lower back

(If the pressure on your lower back is too strong, it will hurt your lower back.)

・Can you put strength into your tanden (lower abdomen)?

(It is important to be able to apply force to the Tanden, which is an important area in kendo.)

・Is it interfering with your footwork?

(A tare that is too large will hinder smooth footwork.)

- When wearing the device, make sure the hanging strings do not press on the abdomen.

(Do you feel any discomfort when tying a bow? We recommend using a string that is tapered towards the end, as this will cause less discomfort around the abdomen.) If you keep these things in mind when choosing your tare, you may see a change in how you move your body.

Correct wearing

First, align the tare with your lower abdomen. Next, wrap the obi belt around your back and cross it over the waist board of the hakama, then tighten it firmly so that it doesn't slip off. At this point, it will be difficult to tighten if you hold the end of the obi belt, so try to hold it as close to the waist as possible as it crosses over. Once you feel that the tightness is just right, bring the obi cord forward without twisting it, lift the odatarib and tie a bow. Once you have finished tying the odatarib, return the odatarib to its original position and tuck the protruding end of the obi cord inside the kodatarib.

Important points when wearing the suspenders

If you wear the obi incorrectly, such as wearing it too high or too loosely, your outfit will look sloppy. The position of the tatami is adjusted at the waistboard. After putting it on, look in the mirror and make fine adjustments by pulling the waistboard. The important thing is that the side edges of the torso and the otare are in a straight line. If they are not aligned, the outfit will look unbalanced when viewed from the side and will not look good. I sometimes see people whose tare is so big that it wraps around their waist, which is unbalanced and uncomfortable to wear. Keeping these points in mind when dressing will help you look beautiful.

How to store the hangings

There are two ways. A simple method is to wrap the waist cord around the otare. This is convenient when you are in a hurry, and even young children and elementary school children can learn how to do it quickly. The other way is the standard way of storing the obi. First, stretch the tare string and fold it inward so that it creates a loop about 6 cm from the obi fastener. Leaving the loop intact, fold it downwards in a triangle shape from the folded point. Wrap it around in the same direction, with the triangular part acting as the axis. Once you have wrapped it around until there is about 20cm left, fold the loop you just made back towards the main body of the hanging cord and pass the end of the hanging cord through the loop. Once you have finished with one side, do the same with the other side and it is complete. As you practice more, you will naturally find a way that suits you, such as the size of the loop and when to stop wrapping. Also, if the hanging strings are wrinkled, it will be difficult to put away and will look bad. Place a pressing cloth over the strings and iron them to remove any wrinkles.

Differences in Tare

When choosing a tare, pay attention to the following subtle differences. 1. How to stitch This is common to the mask, kote and do, and there are hand-stitched and machine-stitched versions, with hand-stitched being more luxurious.

• Stitch width

The wider the spacing, the softer the cushions will be and the better their shock absorption, but they will also be heavier. A good product is one that strikes a good balance between these two. 3. Decorations The tiered decorations at the top of the large and small hangings are easy to notice. They not only give the hangings a luxurious look, but also strengthen them, improve their shape, and make them easier to open to the front. They range from two to eight tiers, with smaller sizes for children having fewer tiers due to their size. Most general-purpose decorations have five to six tiers. Some are called "honkazari" (real decorations), which means that the decorations are hand-attached. In addition to the tiered display, the "cloud shape" at the bottom of the tiered display, and the "mountain path (also called chidori thread or serpentine)" that connects the obi to the otare and kotare are also treated as decorations. 4. Edge The hem refers to the border of the otare and kotare. Materials such as Clarino, cowhide, and deerskin are used. 5. square leather These are located at the bottom left and right corners of the otare and kotare, and serve to reinforce them to prevent them from rubbing and wearing down. There are types with and without leather corners.

How to choose a size

Tare size is determined mainly by height, weight, and waist. If you go to a bogu shop, they will be able to advise you on the best size for your body. On the other hand, if you are buying online, you should refer to a size chart. Depending on the seller, the size of the o-tare width, height, belly band width, and belly band height may also be displayed. If you already have your own tare, it may be a good idea to compare it with the chart.

About name tags

An essential part of a Tare is the name tag. The official name is "name tag," but names such as "Tare name" or "bib" have become more common (however, the All Japan Kendo Federation recommends using the correct kendo term "name tag"). There are many different fonts for name tags, making it easy to express individuality, but the All Japan Kendo Federation also encourages the use of fonts that are clearly readable. There have been rumors that font restrictions will be put in place, but so far, nothing has come to that point. The main fonts used on name badges are as follows: ・Standard font This is the most basic form, where each stroke is written without connecting them. ・Gyosho font There is some continuous writing, but it is not as common as regular script and can be read clearly. ・Cursive It is difficult to read because many strokes are omitted. ・Clerical script Each character is elongated horizontally. ・Kantei style It is a type of Edo script and is used on Kabuki signs and sumo ranking lists. The materials for the bags range from the classic indigo dye to genuine leather, synthetic leather, and artificial suede. I've seen people putting small cherry blossom patterns on the fabric of their bags, and now there are even bags with letters in colors other than white (gold, silver, green, purple, etc. on a white base). Depending on how you combine them, name tags can have a wide variety of variations, but ones that stand out too much tend not to be accepted in the kendo world. In kendo, individuality is only recognized if you have the skill, so if you don't know what to choose, start by getting a basic one.

summary

We have introduced Tare from various angles. When wearing a tare, please keep in mind the points introduced in this article. It will make the outfit look much better. Also, if you are thinking of buying a tare, please pay attention to its function before purchasing. Please also see this helpful article. [A thorough explanation!] How to re-dye faded kendo armor [Kendo Armor Bag] 4 points to consider when choosing [Summary] Introduction to Kendo Armor and How to Dispose of It