VANGUARD MYRMIDON Extra Protective KendoStar Bogu Set
Our most protective VANGUARD model, built for serious Keiko, repeated impact, and Kendoka who want maximum cushioning without sacrificing comfort. This Bogu set is made to order according to your selected size and options.
The VANGUARD MYRMIDON Bogu Set is designed for Kendoka who want the highest level of protection available in the VANGUARD range. It is especially suitable for those who often act as Motodachi, take part in intense Keiko, or simply want a Bogu set that offers exceptional cushioning and long-term durability.
Built around KendoStar’s GUARD-STITCH construction, MYRMIDON gives a deeply cushioned protective feel while remaining flexible, wearable, and practical for regular use. It is protective, durable, and suitable for hard training.
Made to Order
This product is made to order according to your selected measurements and options.
Production Timeline
Production usually takes around 10 to 14 weeks.
This is an approximate timeline and may vary slightly depending on workshop workload and selected options.
Ideal Choice For
Maximum protection MYRMIDON is designed for Kendoka who want the most protective set in the VANGUARD range.
Motodachi and instructors A strong choice for those who regularly receive repeated strikes during teaching, Kakari-Geiko, or intense Keiko.
Regular and intensive practice Built to handle demanding Dojo use, while remaining comfortable enough for frequent training.
Kendoka who value durability The extra durable construction makes this an excellent long-term set for serious training.
Key Features
KendoStar GUARD-STITCH construction A protective stitching pattern designed to create thick shock absorbing cushions across the Futon.
Extra cushioned Futon Built for strong protection while remaining flexible and comfortable when worn.
Lightweight overall feel Despite the added protection, the set is designed to remain practical and wearable for regular Keiko.
Genuine bleached deerskin Kote palms Offers a comfortable, premium feeling in the hands, with excellent long-term usability.
Extra durable construction Designed for heavy-duty use, making it an excellent option for Kendoka who practise frequently.
IBB Mengane Features reinforced bars in the strike zone, providing strength, balance, and reliable protection.
Quick dry micro-bacterial Uchiwa Helps improve comfort, hygiene, and odour resistance inside the Men.
What is Included?
This set includes Men, Kote, Do, Tare, Himo, Chichikawa, and Tenugui.
Maximum Protection, Real Comfort
MYRMIDON is built to absorb impact effectively, but it is not simply a heavy or stiff set. The Futon is designed to remain comfortable and flexible, making it suitable for regular use.
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Made for Receiving Strikes
If you often act as Motodachi, teach beginners, take part in intense Kakari-Geiko, or receive repeated strikes during practice, MYRMIDON is designed with exactly that kind of use in mind.
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Men
The MYRMIDON Men uses KendoStar’s GUARD-STITCH layout, with four 3mm lines at 14mm intervals to create thick, shock absorbing cushions across the Futon. This gives the Men its excellent protective quality while retaining a practical, comfortable feel.
The Mendare uses 5mm diagonal stitching for durability and shape. The Men also features an IBB Mengane with reinforced strike-zone bars, along with a quick dry micro-bacterial Uchiwa for improved hygiene and comfort.
Kote
The MYRMIDON Kote use matching GUARD-STITCH construction with additional padding in the strike zone. This makes them especially useful for intense practice and repeated Kote strikes.
The Kote also feature a flexible wrist cut, premium bleached deerskin palms, and Yoroi-Kazari on the fists for improved comfort and manoeuvrability.
Do
The MYRMIDON set includes a toughened black 50 piece type synthetic Do-Dai with Kurozan Mune. This gives the set a clean, traditional look while keeping the Do practical and durable.
Customers can choose their preferred Mune design from the available options shown below.
Tare
The MYRMIDON Tare uses GUARD-STITCH across the majority of the construction for a soft and protective feel. The panels use 5mm Gaku-Zashi stitching to help retain a crisp, strong shape.
Measuring Guide
Please follow the measuring guide carefully when ordering. Accurate measurements help us supply the most suitable size.
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Men Measuring Guide
A Measurement
Measure from the tip of the chin to the furthest point at the crown. Keep your mouth closed and keep the tape in front of the ears. The tape should be reasonably tight, but not squeezing.
B Measurement
Measure around the forehead at the widest point, where you would wear a hat. Keep the tape above your ears and eyebrows.
C Measurement
Measure from the bottom of the chin to the middle of the eyes. For accuracy, have someone help you.
Kote Measuring Guide
D Measurement
Measure from the wrist joint to the tip of the middle finger.
E Measurement
Measure in a slight diagonal line around the knuckle and palm area.
F Measurement
Measure around the palm, with all fingers and thumb closed.
Click or tap any measuring image to open a larger version in a new tab.
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Mune Design Options
The MYRMIDON Do is supplied with Kurozan Mune. The available Mune design options include the styles shown below.
This product is made to order, with production usually taking around 10 to 14 weeks.
This timeline is approximate and may vary slightly depending on workshop workload, selected size, Do-Dai choice, Mune design, and other selected options.
Please contact us before ordering if you need guidance on choosing the best Do-Dai option for your set.
From Our Founder, Andy Fisher
The VANGUARD series continues my mission to build highly protective, comfortable Bogu for real world Dojo use, especially when receiving hard strikes. MYRMIDON is our most protective VANGUARD model yet.
Final Notes
Actual product may vary slightly from photographs. Please check all selected options carefully before ordering, especially if choosing a custom Do-Dai.
My First Bogu! Honstly I have had the best exprinece with kendoStar and this bogu set. I did my homework and took loads of time both looking online and various bogu sets and information about its production etc. Andy has come up with a non-native japanese freindly bogu set taking into account foreign body measurements and ensuring that all KendoStar sets give amaing quality to the practitioner! Having done mt own research and spoken to club members, other practitioners and my teacher this bogu set is what I settled on as it's super protective and I wanted it to last me for a few years. My sensei is really impressed with the subtle details that obviously he could notice that as a new practitioner I couldn't things like a slightly thicker kote on the hand that is more likely to be hit which is really nice to see. I ordered an non-standard leather cherry blossom do as part of my set which meant my bogu set took slightly longer however when KendoStar encountered issues they made sure to look after me really well and ensure that I did not go without and had to cancel a seminar I previously booked they did this by giving me an additional plain black do which they didn't have to do but really gave amazing customer service. Really, really happy with this set and will absolutely be buying replacement bogu parts such as kote etc when they were out, however I expect given the quality that this will be many years away. Don't sit on this Bogu simply buy!
As someone completely new to Kendo, I have nothing to compare this bogu set against. This is my first set, so this review is simply based on my experience as a customer.
The craftsmanship is excellent. I’m very particular about quality and always inspect my purchases thoroughly. I honestly couldn’t find any meaningful flaws. If you examine it under a microscope, you might spot the occasional tiny cosmetic imperfection, but nothing that affects the quality or use of the equipment.
The packaging was outstanding. Every item arrived in its original packaging and was individually protected. Shipping to Australia was also very fast.
The only thing I found a little surprising was that none of the main pieces—the Men, Kote, or other components—had any “Vanguard Myrmidon” branding or tags. For a premium product, I expected some form of identification. It doesn’t affect the quality at all; it just seemed a little unusual.
Overall, I’m very pleased with the purchase. The quality exceeded my expectations, the service was excellent, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from Kendostar again.
Thanks
Robert
Excellent balance between protection, comfort and price. The bogu feels sturdy and protective wituout being too heavy... and. both the materials and craftsmanship are TOP QUALITY! The stitching, fabric, embroidery, and dye all look and feel premium, even after months of use.
The sizing was also increidble accurate.... it honestly feels tailor-made. The men has the perfect balance of protection and lightweight comfort. Overall, it was a great purchase!
Absolutely amazing 👏 I bought my first bogu set and I was so excited to finally get it. It was also nice to have a quick codes for videos on how to attach himos. It was also nice to get as a present tenugui of good quality! Im absolutely obsessed with kote 😍 Wearing this set feels like you are sitting in a newly bought car 😄
Thank you very much! And best regards!
Customer service was always fast to reply and super helpful. I wanted some customization to the set and everything went really smoothly.
All pieces fit perfectly, mendare and tare feel really solid but still easy to break in to proper shape. Also I have never had a new pair of kote that feel so soft and flexible out off the box.
Delivery time was long due to the customizations, just as I expected, but it surely was worth the wait.
The Bogu set is stunningly beautiful and feels premium from top to bottom. Worth every penny! The parcel arrived to Poland after three days, which is incredibly fast! The staff is also incredible. Will definitely come back for more!
Delighted! All the parts fit perfectly. You can really feel the quality and care put into the craftsmanship. There’s nothing like believing in what you sell!
After some discussion with my dojo sensei and emailing the support service, I decided to choose Myrmidon.
I can't describe how happy I am with this bogu set as my first one!
Impressive quality, sturdy look, and a comfortable fit. As someone with hearing loss who uses hearing aids, the men fits very well!
Delivery was indeed very fast, and the support service was very helpful :)
I absolutely recommend it to everyone — especially for this price!
This bogu is amazing.
Is fits very well and the delivery was fast and easy. It was safely packed.
I already tested it in a training Session and it protected me very good.
The quality is amazing and the used materials are soft and protective at the same time.
So when you are looking for a bogu that fits nicely and protects your from every strike, this bogu is what you need. Especially for that prize. I recommend it in every case.
Shipping was fast that I even needed to ask them to deliver it one day later than they would have. This bogu set I chose after some emails to Kendostar, got the help I needed from those messages. Im just happy having this bogu set.
I am new to Kendo, I started because my son wanted to do this and joined in. After a few months decided on the Myrmidon bogu because of the extra padding as I suffer from quervain syndrome and tendinitis in my hands which makes them extra sensitive. I can't compare to other sets as its my first one, but I would say that you feel the hits for sure, but not once have I felt pain, at worst if someone hits you hard it stings. For sensitive people I recommend extra pads for kote and men. weight is great, quality seems amazing, Andy's instructional videos are perfect.
Small sidenote, if its your first set, make sure to buy a bogu bag as its not included.
Wow. What an excellent bogu!!!
I've started Kendo a few month ago because of my son wanted to. So i told myself "Come on old man. Give it a try and join him!"
Shortly after i could use a bogu for rent for practise i immediatly knew "I WANT MY OWN. ASAP."
The quality of the bogu i've bought is fantastic. Every little detail seemed perfect to me. I'm can't wait for practise.
I am sure that i'll buy my sons bogu at Kendostar when in a few month.
OK. Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn.
Kendostar ist richtig gut.
Greetings from Gladbeck, Germany
(Near Bottrop 😉)
Marco Rottmann
Its the 2nd bogu set i own.
Overall, i'm very happy wirh the purchase
I really appreciate the good padding of the men, very effective against some kenshi who apply excessive strenght.
I liked the kote too, not so stiff even the first time, and good padding too.
But i disliked the palm material. It's a synthetic lether that is kind of slippery and also make me sweat more (i usually don't sweat much from the pal). Now I have to use gloves under to keep a good grip, which was not the case with my previous kote (other brand).
The do is good, nothing special to say about.
The fit and comfort of the men, doh, and tare are superb. They feel like this is always how bogu should feel, almost like an extension of the body. The protection level is also extremely good.
I am a little sceptical about the durability and protection of the Kote but I am willing to give them a good trial. I'd also appreciate maybe one more centimetre of forearm protection, they seem just a touch short.
Overall, that's a 4.5/5 from me. Many thanks!
Customer / consumer focussed communication.
Speedy delivery & well packaged across to Australia.
Have not utilised it fully as yet but the quality looks superb and equal to others I have seen.
Thanks
Fantastic protecting bogu. I already tested it in a jgeiko and barely could detect strikes to men and kote. All parts are fit like a glove. Kote seams to dry quite quickly.
I am new to Kendo and I just received my first bogu from Kendostar, the Vanguard Myrmidon. While being new it wasn't the increased protection, but the cool stitching on the tare that caught my attention.
Since receiving it I have tried it on and was pleased with how well my eyes lined up with the mononomi. I still have not done any sparring with it, but wore the do and tare to my last practice and was pleased with the fit.
So far it looks like an excellent starter set for me.
My wife and I have been using this bogu set since November, and we are extremely happy with both the quality and the level of protection it provides. Every strike has been well absorbed by the padding, with no unmitigated impact felt. We even took it to our first tournament, where the bogu performed far better than its owners did.
We would also like to sincerely thank the Kendostar team for their excellent email support throughout the selection and sizing process. Their guidance made everything straightforward and reassuring. We will definitely continue buying from them in the future.
After ordering my Kendogi at Kendostar this is my second time ordering and it won´t be the last.
The instructions to get correct measurements were easy to grasp and therefore my fit is pretty much perfect. The bogu itself is nothing but gorgeaus. In addition the delivery time was way shorter than expected. I did not use any customization apart from my measurements and the package arrived within a week in central Europe.
im a larger person and went with the MYRMIDON set as my fisrt bogu. Kendostar was helpful in answering my questions and helping me make adjustments. A few practices down and it fits well nad feels great!
Received the order in less than a week, this is great.
Not having to think about the additional cost of VAT, Custom fees etc.. is a big plus.
Overall quality of the bogu is really good, however, there is one thing that is bugging me with the left kote.
The seam inside the kote which is facing the tip of the middle finger is very prominent which is annoying, at some point in the training session, it starts to become a distraction and it is uncomfortable.
This is not a problem of a wrong size, the right kote does not have such a bulging seam inside.
'VANGUARD MYRMIDON' Super Protective GUARD-STITCH KendoStar Bogu Set$753.00
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Souzashi
Tsubasa Kazari
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