Ebony Bokken – A Detailed Guide

Ebony is a kind of hardwood that doesn’t have its origin in European countries. The grains of this wood are of many colors with dark black, brown, and black stripes. The main feature of this wood is its hard texture and density. It is one of the most preserved types of wood. The ebony bokken is commonly used in the making of marquetry, veneers, musical instruments, chess pieces, and high-quality art pieces.

In Mythology too, Ebony is used as a sign of classic and noble beauty. It speaks of positive development. You must have attended magic shows; the magic wands are often made up of ebony.

Bokken is conventionally made out of hardwood, mostly white or red. They are more or less of the same weight and shape as Katana. Though, there is an edition called Suburi Bokken which is quite heavy. Read below to know more about Ebony Bokken:

• It is used in the making of ornamental bokken, and other practices of suburi. The African species of ebony bokken are usually offered to the teachers by their students as a gift on particular occasions. This wood is imported directly from Africa. Every model is chosen according to its pictures and unique features.
• Ebony bokken is also used in the form of wooden swords by martial arts trainers. They are used in Aikido, Kenjutsu, Kendo, Budo/Bujutsu.
• It is also used in the development of muscles used in martial arts and improves the speed of trainers. The concept is that the students will get habitual to training with a heavy weapon first. Then, a bokken or normal sword will make them easy to practice.
• The Bokken is mostly used as a practice weapon, it can be a good weapon to use. It is used by the most popular swordsman Miyamoto Musashi to practice in the dual fights with Katana.
• Mostly, people use them in solo practice drills but can also be used for sparring practice and partner work. They are also suitable in the practice defenses in opposition to attacks using a bokken in various styles. These styles are Aikido, Ju-Jitsu, etc. They are the best katana that are 42 inches in length, so when you are all set for using them, you can start using an original katana.
• Bokken can also be used as a self-defensive weapon. Earlier, many martial art practitioners used to make use of ebony bokken for defending themselves again wild animals. Bokken can also be used for hunting.

That’s all you need to know about ebony bokken and its uses. It is considered a safer alternative to sharp swords and weapons. There are different types of bokkens and ebony is one of them. You can find ebony bokken in and around martial arts centers. It is usually made up of oak and hardwood. You find it to be of the same shape and size as other swords but it is quite different and unique. It is even safe to use for the practitioners.