*NEW* - NAGINATA MODEL Original ’VANGUARD’ Extra Protective KendoStar Bogu Set

A brand new NAGINATA version of our flagship Original VANGUARD Kendo Bogu set! 

Measuring Guide:

(A) Measure from the tip of the chin, to the furthest point at the crown. Keep mouth closed, and keep tape in front of ears. Hold the tape still with your finger, whilst another person takes the measurement. Tape should be reasonably tight, but not squeezing.	B) Measure around the forehead at the widest point, where you would wear a hat. Keep the tape above your ears and eyebrows.	C) Measure from the bottom of the chin, to the middle of the eyes. For accuracy, have someone help you.

D) Measure from the wrist joint, to the tip of the middle finger.	E) Measure in a slight diagonal line around the knuckle and palm area.	F) Measure around the palm, with all fingers and thumb closed.

 *MADE TO ORDER* - You can be confident of a perfect fit, as this set is 100% made to order, to your exact, individual sizes!

Mune Designs

Souzashi

Tsubasa Kazari

Please note - Changing the Do-Dai from Standard Black may increase production time by approximately 10-12 Weeks. 

BACK & REINCARNATED! The Extra Protective Bogu Set 'VANGUARD' is one of the Bogu sets that stands out as unique amongst its rivals. The culmination of years of research and trials, VANGUARD has been specifically developed to not only be comfortable, and functional - but most importantly, extremely protective.

"I designed the VANGUARD Bogu set, based somewhat on the most popular Bogu sets that I have designed in the past. During my career as a Kendogu professional, it has been somewhat hard to deliver a Kendo Bogu set that provides this level of protection, whilst I was employed at Japanese companies. Despite producing an extremely popular, extra-protective Bogu set in the past, that was hugely popular, I was told by the companies in Japan that worked for that it was not to be continued - as it did not meet the needs of Japanese customers.

This upset me a great deal, and was a deciding factor in leaving employment at such companies, in order to start KendoStar.

The great thing about VANGUARD is that it is great for ALL levels of Kendoka. It's great for instructors who are on the receiving end of lots of hard strikes - especially from beginners. But it is also a fantastic set for instructors to recommend to their students, including the beginners, as they also benefit from the protective features. I know myself, from my own experience as a Kendo instructor, that a large number of students quit Kendo shortly after first wearing the Bogu. This is because of the pain that they experience as beginners, which not only are they not used to, but also because they are also on the receiving end of strikes from other beginners, who have not mastered the cutting technique.

In Japan, this is less of a problem, as most beginners are children, and not adults. So they do not experience hard strikes in the same way. Therefore, simply allowing a new adult beginner to use the same kind of Bogu that is popular in Japan can be quite risky.

Therefore, VANGUARD carries on my own personal tradition of designing and manufacturing Bogu sets to cater to this concept, and I could not be more proud to finally bring the most protective, and most comfortable Bogu set so far to the international Kendo community" - Andy Fisher, KendoStar CEO.

Literally perfect for ALL levels of Kendoka.

The Men is stitched using extra-wide 10mm Pitch-zashi stitching - making the cushioning quality of the Futon exceptional. Further, an additional layer of 'Shin' (inner padding) is included, to ensure protection in optimized. However, to prevent wear and tear, and to allow for good shaping, 5mm diagonal 'Naname-zashi' is used on the Mendare - ensuring VANGUARD is both durable, and comfortable. A light, but strong IBB Mengane (protective cage) features reinforced Titanium bars in the strike zone - giving excellent balance, and exceptional strength. To improve hygiene, a new type of specially developed micro-bacterial felt is used for the Uchiwa (face padding), which dries quickly, and is resilient to odor.

The Kote also feature the same 10mm Pitch-zashi stitching, as featured on the Men, and also feature the same additional padding in the strike zone - keeping you protected from hard strikes. The wrist joint is made using an original cut, which is extremely flexible, whilst also being very durable. The palms are made using toughened synthetic leather.

A 50pc type toughened synthetic black Do-dai (body protector) comes as standard, and a Kurozan Mune, with your choice of design.

The Tare has been designed to give not only a sophisticated appearance, but also excellent protection, comfort, and durability. The Mae-Obi features 10mm Pitch-zashi stitching, making it extremely soft and flexible. The panels, however, feature tighter 5mm stitching, for better shaping and durability where the Tare needs it most!

IMPORTANT - THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED FOR USE IN NAGINATA, AND IS NOT FOR USE IN KENDO.