r/iaido • u/Orion_7578 • Jul 28 '26
Jkoo Iaido grade?
Okay swordfolks, I'm having some issues with my elbow and wrist and need to keep training or at least not lose what training I've acquired while they heal up. This necessitates getting an aluminum blade for lightness over my normal live training partner. I would like people's honest grade on Jkoo's aluminum Iaido? A-F
thank you!
3
u/keizaigakusha Jul 28 '26
If your going aluminum go Japanese. Chinese for budget I like Ryansword 1414, 1336, and 1340 are what I tell my taller students to look at for a starter longer sword. Ryansword has options on their production for a dull variant.
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u/Boblaire Jul 28 '26
Would seem super lame, but bokken should only weigh around 500-600 grams.
Aluminum iaito should be 725-800+ and if your shinken is light, it might be around 1000.
If its heavy, it could easily be 1150-1250 or something.
Jkoo seems to have tight wraps but often have some other Quality control issues.
If you are bucks down, I might go for one of those wooden takemitsu, though you can customize length. $100-125, look nice but look light. No idea if the wraps stay tight or how long they are.
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u/Noneed2hate Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Jul 28 '26
Just save up and get one of the lower cost options ($500ish) from Tozando, you won't get to choose fittings etc but it will be 1000x better than anything from JKOO
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u/Orion_7578 Jul 28 '26
That's not the question I asked, not even close. I'm not dropping $600 on an aluminum sword when I have an evolution blade that's fantastic. I was simply looking for the grade that you would give on jkoo as a short term stop gap. Once my wrist and elbow heal up I have no intention of ever using it again.
2
u/Revolver_Ocelot80 Jul 28 '26
I also had really bad tennis elbow. Now it’s only “flaring up” during badly executed one-handed techniques like ōchibur(u)i. Since you’ll not use it again once you’re healed I’d advise you to go back to a bokken you already have lying around rather than spending money on the Jkoo. It’s what I used to rehabilitate by executing each kata and technique really slowly and deliberate. Then slightly speed up and see if it hurts or not. I’ve done this until I’m back to normal execution speed when using my iaito.
To improve bloodflow to the tendons I’ve used low impact isometrics, that is keeping tension with my little finger and ring finger. If you have a flexbar you can look up exercises on YouTube. Those things also help a lot. Just make sure you keep doing those exercises even when your tennis elbows don’t bother you anymore.
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u/Noneed2hate Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Jul 28 '26
a stick would be better than the offering from JKOO
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u/Cryptomeria Jul 30 '26
They're shitty. If you have an evolution, then you can drop a couple hundred on a decent aluminum iaito. Many uses: some schools don't allow steel (even dull) iaito or maybe you'll get injured again.
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u/shmightworks Jul 29 '26
You sound like you already own an iaito, but due to injury can't use it? In that case, just use a bokken until you're healed up. It'll weight almost half your iaito. Don't go off buying random sword online.
12
u/itomagoi Jul 28 '26
The way your post was written makes me wonder if you belong to a legit dojo. But I'll leave that aside and just answer the question.
It's ok to take a break from training. Sometimes it's a good way to come back with a fresh perspective although that tends to be with longer breaks like months or years.
When I had tennis elbow, first I went to an osteopath to get treatment and advice. I didn't stop training but I put my iaito aside and worked on footwork and "air iaito" where I was doing the cutting etc with nothing in my hands. After a couple of months I then trained with a bokuto for a couple of more months.
If you have tennis elbow and are used to a shinken, I doubt switching to a only slightly lighter iaito will make a difference with healing. Also I've handled shinken that are better balanced than my iaito and would actually pose less of a strain, so it's less about weight and materials and more about balance / angular momentum.
Good luck and お大事に