How high should you wear your do?
I've noticed that people doing kendo outside of Japan today have this tendency to wear their do (and often tare) high. This is, that foreign kendoka wear their do and tare often higher than the average Japanese kendoka. These kendoka are typically tall foreigners like myself who wear the do high, and they tend to expose the tareobi quite a bit when they do this.
I've been told in the past to wear my do higher and lower by different teachers. There is no clear consensus agreement. Each have their valid reasons for different heights. I don't believe either the high or low preference is 'incorrect' or 'wrong', because there are valid reasons for doing both in often differing specific situations.
I currently wear it fairly low in this modern 'Japanese standard' I mention below. Here in this post are some of the factors that I consider about do height.
An emergent ‘standard do height’:
There appears to be a partly unspoken standard do and tare height in Japan’s high level competitors and teachers for wearing do that is more pronounced today than in the past. One reason why I prefer to wear the do higher is that it's simply more common among taller kendoka in high level competition today. I'm admitting that there is a fashion or trend component here.
The specifics of the trend of lower do height:
This Japanese standard for wearing do, regardless of heights over 6ft, is to just barely cover the yamamichi (chidori-ito) of the tare with the dodai. The tare’s koshi-obi almost always is worn over the lilac crest of the pelvic girdle (not covering the navel). High level taikai footage, professional photos, etc coming out of japan post 2010 show kendoka appear to follow this standard strictly. When a trend is this widespread among such a large population of competent people, I’m sure it’s more than just a fashion choice. It’s almost an emergent order.
Below are bits of images of sensei from that recent 7 Dan taikai in Japan. They took many front view photos like this. Kendo Jidai is meticulous with the photos they take. It’s evident that most people featured have even taken the time to close the collar of their dogi to sharpen their appearance. Of course, none of them expose the koshi-obi or hara-obi of the tare. Their upper sternum is fully exposed even with men on, regardless of height. The do sits on or covering the yamamichi (chidori-ito).
Below are specific components I consider when deciding on my decision of do height.
The relatively “unmoving” pelvis bone:
I think the tare should cover the relatively stationary and inflexible lilac crest of the pelvic girdle. This specific position allows the tare to stay put even after aggressive footwork and spinal movement. If the tare is placed above or below the lilac crest, the tare tends to move up or down more during these aggressive movements and spinal flexion. The constantly expanding and contracting navel area is constricted during diaphragmatic breathing when the tare is worn too high.
Allowing the do to ride high on the koshi-obi can partially expose the diaphragm with only a soft tare for coverage, especially in the middle of a strike when the do can ride upward for a split second. Safely protecting the diaphragm behind the ridgid do-dai appears to be one reason why the Japanese standard do dai height is so low.
Allowing the do to ride high on the koshi-obi can partially expose the diaphragm with only a soft tare for coverage, especially in the middle of a strike when the do can ride upward for a split second. Safely protecting the diaphragm behind the ridgid do-dai appears to be one reason why the Japanese standard do dai height is so low.
Changing where the proper datotsubui is:
The do-dai is the datotsubui target for do, as we all know. I assume that wearing the target higher makes it harder to score, as it’s covered by the arms more easily. Therefore, I believe wearing the do higher than the yamamichi (chidori-ito) of a properly placed tare makes determining datotsu confusing.
“Should I give red the point, because he hit white’s unusually high tare? White’s dodai is right under the top of his armpits. It’s so high that red is actually striking the correct part of white’s body from an anatomical perspective.”
Of course, the emergent shinpan standard is to look for contact on the do-dai regardless of how awfully high it is located. Consciously requiring students’ higher dodai can be misconstrued as a tactic to make do harder to score, even if we know the reason behind the high do position is never to bend rules.
“Should I give red the point, because he hit white’s unusually high tare? White’s dodai is right under the top of his armpits. It’s so high that red is actually striking the correct part of white’s body from an anatomical perspective.”
Of course, the emergent shinpan standard is to look for contact on the do-dai regardless of how awfully high it is located. Consciously requiring students’ higher dodai can be misconstrued as a tactic to make do harder to score, even if we know the reason behind the high do position is never to bend rules.
People who aren’t thin 20 year olds:
We all know older people tend to get that ‘gut’ as they age and gain body mass. I’m very tall and thin so I can’t say much about this topic with the authority of a shorter and thicker person. With a large gut, it’s hard to fully hide the tare-obi. The tare obi either has to rest unusually high on the gut or low supporting the gut. The do height has to be adjusted either up or down some. Regardless, I think the do-dai can still rest at the height where it would rest if the gut were flattened.
I think it's much better for a person tall and thin like myself to be aware that bogu isn't necessarily designed to be worn for people with wider dimensions. I think it keeps me from jumping to the conclusion that someone is completely unaware of a very exposed tareobi, when he simply has a gut that won't allow the tareobi to lie flat same way I do. If I were much shorter, I would hope that I look carefully at the height of a tall person before assuming that he is unaware of his low do position or wears it that way for a single fashion based reason.
I think it's much better for a person tall and thin like myself to be aware that bogu isn't necessarily designed to be worn for people with wider dimensions. I think it keeps me from jumping to the conclusion that someone is completely unaware of a very exposed tareobi, when he simply has a gut that won't allow the tareobi to lie flat same way I do. If I were much shorter, I would hope that I look carefully at the height of a tall person before assuming that he is unaware of his low do position or wears it that way for a single fashion based reason.
Upper chest protection priority, ‘overlap’:
There is a specific teaching that is often repeated in my region of the US:
“Tsukidare should overlap the do mune.”
This ‘overlapping’ is definitely done with the priority of protecting the upper chest with the mune, so I can’t disagree wholly with the teaching. It’s done for a good reason. The popularity of a certain practice isn't a high priority for me personally. I still think it's important to be aware that it still is an unusual teaching today.
I have never seen a single high level Japanese competitor overlap the mune with their tsukidare post 2005. In the rare occasion I see this, the person is relatively short. Even pre 1990’s shorter kendoka wearing long mendare like Chiba sensei don’t overlap. Furthest below is a photoshop of a do that shows just how long the do mune must be to allow this overlap while still covering the koshi-obi. Everyone knows do mune are never made this long / tall. I emailed 8 bogu manufacturers, and they have never heard of a special ordered do mune over 3 cm longer than the standard men’s size. I think this ‘overlapping’ requirement is something that might have come out of a teaching from a shorter person.
Allowing taller do mune, or equivalent upper chest protection:
I hope that some day, a custom taller do mune becomes a common thing. Either this, or normalizing some kind of upper chest protection would be preferable.
Taller do mune allow these priorities of mine from highest to lowest:
I'm hesitant to actually order and wear a do with this long mune today simply because it would look strange to people.
Taller do mune allow these priorities of mine from highest to lowest:
- Datotsubui position of do-dai remaining low:
- with the do-dai barely covering the yamamichi (chidori-ito) of a tare covering the lilac crest of the pelvic girdle
- Upper chest protection
- Diaphragm protection
- the hard do-dai (or lower mune for extemely tall people) covering the diaphragm fully
I'm hesitant to actually order and wear a do with this long mune today simply because it would look strange to people.