Javier F.
They are not the best I could buy, but they are good quality and very comfortable, they allow you to train intensely and they protect quite well.
Many thanks to kendostar for repeating the shipment, since there were problems with the first shipment and they did not arrive on time, KendoStar took care of solving the problem and sending me the order again.
Kevin B.
I needed a set of more protective kote as I was collecting wrist and hand bruises. These broke in quickly and have eliminated any issues being motodachi for me. Very pleased!
Marko P.
I just received my (first) pair of the Vanguard kote and have to say that I am highly impressed by the apparent quality of the materials and craftsmanship, as well as the understated, yet sharp, design. The size is also spot on and I can freely move my thumb and wrist, even as the kote are still brand new. They feel very protective and as built to last.
Amazing service and fast delivery - I will certainly be ordering again and again from KendoStar in the future.
Benjamin V.
Haven't had the chance to try them out at the dojo yet, but I received them rapidly, and the fact that I didn't have any customs fees to pay is greatly appreciated. The materials feel sturdy yet more flexible than other kote in a similar price range, and the addition of the free protector is a nice touch. Will report back on their performance in practice!
Markus G.
Great products and sevice as always!!! Thanks a lot!
Gianluca L.
Light but with high protection
Christoffer L.
Protection wise this set is fine. I ordered a loose fit, which was good as I expect a normal fit would have been way harder to break in.
What I dislike is the material used inside of the kote itself. It is of some synthetic material that I found unpleasant. That said, it does what it needs to do.
Anna
Great product!
Great quality, elegant looks, perfect sizing, affordable. These kote protect well, although I use them with a kote pad just in case. Highly recommend!
Fabián Martin
Very good kote
As expected, KS Vanguard kote are solidly built from very good quality materials, well designed, the fit is perfect as it’s the grip feeling, and they look like they will take many many hours of keiko and a lot of strikes with no problem.
Javier Leyton
Two months in and going strong!
I've been using this pair of kote for two month now, the first few uses they felt a little tight but after those first practices they fit and feel perfectly! I ordered them with a kote-pad for extra protection but i've not needed it yet! they sure offer a lot of comfort and protection!
Luca
Great Pair for the Price
Affordable and very protective. Sizing is perfect.
Evan
Premium Entry Level Kote
After months of saving up, I was finally able to buy my first pair of Kendostar Kote!
Compared to my previous Kote, the difference is absolute day and night! The first thing I noticed is the extra padding around the fingers and knuckles area. The days of getting my knuckles busted by a missed kote strike will finally be long gone!
Definitely recommended! I don't think I will ever be satisfied with any other Kote that isn't from Kendostar!
Dimitri Spiner Bobadilla
Great
The feel of the kote is incredible. The Kendostar team is also incredible, with great service and fast delivery
Aaron
Really protective kote that feel great to wear.
JohnDou
Well made and protective
Fits well and has been holding up a few years of beating. Only the color has started to fade a bit as expected.
D. Condon
Extra Protective Indeed
My wife bought me a pair for Christmas after hearing about how my current kote needed patching. I have been using them every practice and waiting to review:
They are billed as being "Extra Protective" and they really are. The padding over the fingers is easily twice that of my other kote. The area over my wrist is stiffer and more padded at the same time. They really do a great job absorbing hits.
I will say they took some time to break in. All the extra padding made them very tight to wear but its worth it. Once the padding molds to you they are very comfortable to wear.
Definitely recommended!
Bright Hough
Nice and protective
Very resilient and absorbs hits very well. No pain at all compared to previous kote
Torben Smith
Pefect fit
I feel very safe with these Kote as they have a perfect fit, according to my measurements given.
ming
good
bought it out of blind trust of KS, never let me down. good price and quality for spear kite.
Enrico M. Crisostomo
Very good quality/price ratio
I've bought a second pair of kotes to alternate them with the ones I'm using: I'm really surprised about their quality. They feel nice and well made. At the beginning they felt a little stiff, but after breaking them in a couple of keikos they feel perfect as I expected.
On a side note: the other pair I have is of another brand and they were actually a little bit more expensive than these; but overall, the quality/price ratio of these Kendostar kotes is definitely better.
Adrian W
Excellent service as always
Very quick delivery, excellent service! I needed a second pair of quality kote and these seem to fit the bill perfectly. Looking forward to giving them lots of use!
Emmanuel
Very good kote for the price
Probably the best kote around for that price tag!
Bought them for my wife to replace her aging club kote after trying a few others from friends, and couldn't be happier !
A bit stiff at first as expected, they DO soften up very quickly and can take quite a beating (except maybe from very heavy-hitting beginners).
They dry fast and make gripping the shinai a breeze.
KS made one's wife happy with these :)
Martyn Stanley
Great Kote
I was using club Kote before I got these. They were a bit big if I'm honest and the leather that keeps your fingers in wore a hole through. I sized these using the guide on the product page and they made a much snugger fit, which actually feels better for practice. They seem really well made and the additional Kote pad is well worth having if you have someone at your club that's a bit heavy-handed. I'll be back for more armour soon.
Martyn Stanley
Koyokai Michigan
4 years later
I wrote a review on these on 5/25/18. Yea, we had to stop training for a bit due to Covid. We were able to start back before a lot of places though. However, I still use these as my daily practice Kote. When they start to smell, I just throw em in the wash. Original palms too. Unbelievable durability. I receive a lot too so these are great. Might have to get another pair.
Yutaro Matsuura
Renshi 7 Dan
Maxo
Nice cushioning
Very good kote, especially when bought in sale!
Carradice
VANGUARD' Extra Protective KendoStar Kote
good fittting well made, great delivery, all in all an easy transaction
Aron F
Good
I didn't have to break it in. It's very protective around the palm which is good for missed strikes. You can still feel the heavier strikes on your forearm, but that's to be expected. The synthetic leather palm has started to wear down somewhat after two years of use. All in all a good pair of kote.
Henning Schulz
Best “budget” kote I’ve ever bought
These are the kind of kote I will buy again and again once they are worn.
Thick futon, well padded atama and flexible wrists.
They don’t need a lot of time to break in, and they last years.
I’ve bought kote for the same price before, and always got disappointed.
But the vanguards are the new kid in town.
Well done kote, Andy!
Panier Nicolas
Comfortable kote
I use it since one month and i can say that kote are very lightweight and comfortable.
I don't give five stars because i wish a little bit more protection for the fingers and it will be perfect !
Simon Dehne
Great protective kote for both new and seasoned kendoka!
I've purchased these as an additional pair to rotate through. I'm very pleased with them, since they are very protective, and soft at the same time. They needed some time to break in (I'd say a good month of 3-4 practices a week), but now they are absolutely fantastic. They are not as flexible as another pair I have, however that one was fitted to my exact measurements, so absolutely no complaints there. I would absolutely recommend these for any level of practicioner! 5/5 when it comes to price/value!
Warren Ho
Protective kote for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike!
These are outstanding protective kote for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike! Definite must-haves!
John Gale
Very pleased with Kote
I have recently purchased a set of Vanguard kote and I am very pleased with the clear instructions on how to measure your hand. The delivery was amazingly quick, it arrived within a few days of ordering and I was given advanced notice of delivery time. The Kote themselves are very comfortable and give good protection, in my view an excellent pair of Kote.
connor
Great second set!
I recently brought a Vanguard Bogu set and ordered these as a second pair. They have been excellent so far and have held up to the rigors of shiai, regular training and enthusiastic beginners! Excellent product!
Günther / Fudoshinkan Dojo Poland
my new VANGUARD Kote
Absolutely amazing! I got my new Vanguard Kote delivered today. Only three working days after I placed the order. Admittedly, I was a little concerned about the delivery process and time after the Brexit - completely unnecessarily. The kote look very good and have a nice, light feeling. On Wednesday´s keiko they will have their fist try-out. Can´t wait.
Tommi Pöyhönen
Awesome kote and service
The delivery was faster than my small men strike and after the first keiko it felt very good to receive the hits on it, super protective for the wrist!
Catherine Thompson
Really liking the Vanguard kote.
I have a pretty old school set of machine stitched bogu (though I have a beautiful new KS set on the way). It's a really nice, deerskin, deer hair etc. set but with tight stitching and all that that entails.
I bought the vanguard kote with the thought that I'd alternate with my old kote. Generally a good thing to do, i reckon.
The issue is that I REALLY like my new kote and am finding myself not doing as much alternating as I thought I would. Comfortable, perfect fit, great protection, good price and value.
I suppose what will actually happen now is that I'll be using these kote mostly until my new bogu set comes in and then go to my original kote alternating plan.
Recommended.
Xiaochi
Very protective
It's just fantastic. Very protective. Now I'm not afraid of receiving Kote hit anymore
Kevin Dyck
Great for Jodan!
Teaching lower ranks how to deal with Jodan often results in a lot of errant shots on the fingers and knuckles. These extra-protective kote have vastly reduced the discomfort from that. The extra padding made for a bit longer breaking-in process, but now they fit like a glove!
VK
great kote
protective and great looking; my everyday kote
DK
Really protective and fancy!
At the beginning It feels a little bit smaller, after few trainings (about 2 months 3-2 times per week) fits excellent.
Thanks a lot, no more pain!)
Jayon
Excellent Kote
These are fantastic! The pictures dont do them justice.
The build quality is excellent and protection is 2nd to none!
Juan Pablo
Great overall!!
Ordered from Barcelona last Monday, received in 4 days and first used this morning.
I was afraid the kote would feel too stiff or tight, but far from it, felt quite natural during my first training. I'm sure they will get even better with use. It's my first pair of new kote, I've been using a pair of previously used ones for 3 years, probably they were way too tight...But I'm really happy overall with the kote and the service. I also had the chance to realise my old kote smell like a dead dog ;-)
Thanks!
Tam
Very nice
sadly I got them crooked under the weight of the uniform set I bought along and they felt a bit tight at first but I used them for a couple of sessions and they seems to slowly but surely break in and regain a good form.
Beside that, they don't prevent bruises by themselves but I definitely feel less pain on impact than my very old pair of kote.
Steve
Excellent kote!
This is my second set of "Vanguard" kote, having acquired the first pair as part of the bogu. The kote futon are very protective from heavy strikes. The synthetic materials means that they are also very quick-drying - twenty-four hours is enough - very useful if you are practising more than once a week. As usual, they are backed up with the very high standard of service provided by KendoStar, with the time from order to delivery being two days.
Zsombor
Great kote
I have been using it for 6 months now. It is very protective and flexible, very good for practice and shiai. The size could be easily determined following the suggestions.
This is the kote I need.
Fierens
great protection
I receive the kote after 2 days only! The first sensation is a really good protection even with hard hits (especially with beginners). It still needs some trainings to get really confortable and be adapted to my hands but I have a really good impression for the moment. And the best is an affordable price.
Alice Fontana
great protection at an affordable price.
I always had problem with kote strikes, as my forearms are very sensible. These kote have really reduced pain and injuries (although I still wear a under-kote protection).
it takes a while to break in, but after a few weeks they get confortable, thet do not stink, and they look just good, essentials but very well refined.
And, least but not last, they are affordable.
Koyokai MIchigan
ALL ENCOMPASSING
It is indeed a great time to do Kendo when it comes to gear. When I started Kendo many moons ago, I had two options for Kote. Cheap and Expensive. There was no such thing as light tournament Kote or protective Kote. I am blessed in my life now that I can buy all kinds of Kote for different occasions. I have struggled to find the all encompassing daily wear ones. I train 3~4 times a week at my Dojo with some young powerful players. I wouldn't wear Vanguard if medals were on the line or at my next Shinsa, but for day to day, these fit the bill. They look sharp and they protect as advertised. However, there are a couple of things. The wrist is indeed nice and flexible and lets me perform strikes the way I want to. Problem is that the flexible area doesn't protect much at all. I know, that comes with the territory, but this is a review. The second thing is the use of synthetic materials. I'm not a huge fan and really am not a huge fan of how they break in. The palms are super thick and will probably last a long time. I did get these during the anniversary sale so I got a huge deal. I might write a follow up as I use these more, but like I said, for the time being, they will be my day to day training Kote.
Kimi
AWESOME FOR THE PRICE!
Got it when 50% promotion was on; was a little skeptical about it since the price dropped really low, but the quality is definitely not 50% off! One of my favorite pair of kote now!
Tyler
BEST VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!
I love my new kote! Not only are they far more comfortable and protective than my old kote, but Kendostar/Mikatsuki is one of the few places where someone with big bear paws like me can get a made-to-order custom size that fits properly for the same price and quality as someone with more "normal" sized hands.
Unknown
THUMBS UP
Koté de grande qualité de fabrication. Excellente protection pour les entrainements intensif. Bonne dextérité malgré la rigidité des kotés. Un excellent produit pour ceux qui n'aime pas avoir les poignets en douleur au lendemain d'un dure entrainement.
Stéphane Demine
GREAT EXTRA PROTECTION FOR MOTODACHI
As written in the description of this product, it really offers an extra protection to people that serve a lot as motodachi. I have received a lot of kote during my last lesson (including super hard kote from beginners) and the pain was really decreased. however, if it gives an extra protection, it is still possible to feel the kote and its impact, so you can judge the quality of the cut.
The product is really well finished and is very comfortable. The size is also perfect even if it seems to be too tiny at the first sight. I strongly recommend this pair of kote.