Editing Kenjutsu (section)

==Weapons==
One of the more common training weapons is the wooden sword [[Bokken|(''bokutō'' or ''bokken'')]]. For various reasons, many schools make use of very specifically designed ''bokutō'', altering its shape, weight and length according to the style's specifications. For example, ''bokutō'' used within [[Yagyū Shinkage-ryū]] are relatively thin and without a handguard in order to match the school's characteristic approach to combat. Alternatively, Kashima Shin-ryū practitioners use a thicker than average ''bokutō'' with no curvature and with a rather large hilt. This of course lends itself well to Kashima Shin-ryū's distinct principles of combat.

Some schools practice with ''fukuro'' ''[[shinai]]'' (a bamboo sword covered with leather or cloth) under circumstances where the student lacks the ability to safely control a ''bokutō'' at full speed or as a general safety precaution. In fact, the ''fukuro shinai'' dates as far back as the 15th century.