When choosing a Bogu, we probably pay more attention to the Men and the Kote than the other components of these japanese armour. This happens because we worry about the durability and the degree of protection these parts may provide. Still, many women are specially worried about the kind of Do they should acquire. And why? Because we have breasts...
As many of us already know, the Do is the Bogu part that protects the abdomen and the chest. The Dodai part (see the picture above) is traditionally made of bamboo but, more economical versions use other synthetic material. There are, also, many types of finishing (but I will talk about that on other post). However, regarding the Do design, there aren’t many differences between them. In fact, as Do are originally made for men body (as almost every kendoka equipment) some women have difficulties in finding something that really protects the chest area.
I know that there are risks in Kendo, as in any other physical activities. But the Bogu function is to protect us and, I know, many kenshi women have this concern: “What if I get hit in the breast?”. This may not be a problem for small breast women but, in this case: The bigger the breast, the greater the problem!
So, thinking about this, I decided to write this post hoping it would be useful for women!
Above, you can observe: the picture on the left, that shows a “normal” Do; and the picture on the right from a Do specially designed for women. As you can notice, the main difference between them is the lateral part of the Mune which is higher in the feminine Do, thus, providing better breast protection. Let’s see the pro and con of this type of Do.
Pro:
- This is, without doubt, an excellent option for the protection of the breast that tends to be exposed in the lateral part of the traditional Do.
Con:
- The major con, for me, is the price (this is not a problem for everyone, thought).
- Accessibility - it’s not easy, especially if you live in a European country, to have access to this kind of Do. I could only find it on one online store.
- Because of its different design, some women are not comfortable with it and they fear that they may draw too much attention.
Concerning the traditional Do there are many ways to solve the problem:
- Saying “No” to the bra!
I know, I know! You were shocked or intrigued by this apparent solution. As some of you should know (and others, like me, discovered this recently), the tradition demands that we wear nothing under the kendo uniform (yes: no pants, no bra, anything). I don’t personally know anyone who doesn’t wear pants under the Hakama, but, regarding the bra, I know someone who doesn’t. She says that, because of this, the breast is a little lower being best covered by the Do. It is important to say that her breast has a medium size. For me, this seems uncomfortable, but it works for other women.
- Wear a very good sports bra
I’d seen it all! Girls that wear two bras so the breast stays still and firm (giving them a sense of better protection); girls that wear padded bras under a tight training top (sensing that the padding provides some protection); or girls that just wear a good sports bra that flattens the breast. These are some reasonable options that does not prevent the breast exposure but can offer some additional protection.
- Wear the Do higher
This and a good sports bra is the technique I use. It conists in tying the Himo (himo are the strings we use to tie the Men, Do and Tare) in a way that the Do satys a little higher, thus, covering more breast. My breast is not huge. It is medium-big, and, doing this I can protect him effectively in an inexpensive way.
For those girls/women that are thinking of buying a Bogu/Do pay attention to que measurement options your supplier offers. Not all suppliers ask for the hips measurement. Although, women generally have the waist thinner and the hips larger than men. Thus, if Do just contemplates the waist measurement, the hips may be a little squeezed by the lower part of the Do, which is uncomfortable.
I hope this was a useful post for you. If you know other tips, please tell me ;).
“Kissus” and keep on training!
* Imagens taken from the internet.
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