My friend rolled up to keiko the other day and donned the brand new BAK (Boost Ability for Kendo) speciality underwear. The adverts have been appearing in the Japanese kendo mags for a couple of months now, as have an article or two, but its the first time i’ve gotten to see one and had some direct feedback. I won’t pass comment here (at least yet), so please read more.
It is engineered specifically for kendo by a professional (and ex-sports coach for the Japanese team) for kendo people. Check out the website for more pictures and detailed explanations. It is in Japanese but looking at the pictures you will get an idea:
Please have a look at the site and read the FAQ (that i’ve translated below) and let me know what you think.
BAK FAQ
Q. Is it possible to wear BAK in shiai?
A. As there is no supporter on the foot it should be possible to use the BAK in shiai without having to inform the shiai organisers.
Q. Is it better to wear the BAK under certain temperatures (seasons)?
A. You can use the BAK all year round without temperature/season limitation. Due to the materials its made with it will feel cool after keiko even in summer.
Q. Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable?
A. It will feel a little bit tight when you wear it but it should feel like you are nearly naked. Also, we have had a lot of feedback saying that it doesnt feel uncomfortable even during the summer.
Q. Is there a female version?
A. Basically the BAK can be used by both genders but we are currently doing research on a female specific version.
Q. Can you wash it in the washing machine?
A. Basically we would prefer you to hand wash it, but if you use a washing machine don’t soak it for a long time. Also, definitely do not put it in a dryer.
I think I saw Fukumoto-sensei wearing this thing or something alike in a seminar in Argentine or here, in Chile, like 3 years ago. at least it looked similar.
Its possible, but I am not sure. They only started going on sale here v.v. recently, so perhaps it was a prototype? I have seen other things that look like it but are not the same thing though.
A few guys here are wearing Underarmour style leggings under their hakama and are reporting benefits, mainly in faster recovery after training.
Then there’s [URL="http://news.theage.com.au/sport/swim-suits-saga-needs-urgent-fixing-20081228-763r.htmlhttp://"]this[/URL] controversy over the Speedo LZR swimsuit, with one coach saying that performances can be improved further by wearing several suits at once. This may not carry over to non-aquatic sports though, as the benefit might be coming through extra buoyancy.
Interesting.
b
There’s a pretty well-established body of studies on the effect of compression on athletic performance. Here’s a pdf file of one such study from 2001.
http://www.antibodywear.com/bodyguard/bodyguard-performance-tests.asp
Looks like this new suit is trying to tap into this effect. If nothing else, it would be nice to have for those really cold kan-geiko.
Thanks for the comments guys.
Hmmm… its pretty cheap, so maybe I will give it a go…..
Looks quite promising.What does the price tag say?
I’m guessing it can be bought only in Japan at this moment?
I’ve trained wearing http://www.skins.net. Although not specifically designed for kendo, they do share similar properties.
Some observations I’ve found are:
1. You do feel like you have additional support to some of the leg muscles, in particular the calves, quads and groin area. I tore an adductor muscles last year so this was one of the areas I wanted the additional support.
2. They are very good at drawing sweat away from the skin.
3. There appeared to be a small improvement in muscle soreness after wearing them, however this may have been attributed to other factors
So what was the price??
i have been looking for it to know how much will be but, no luck.
Sorry guys, its 8,500 JPY for the top, and 12,000 JPY for the bottom.
How do I get one? This would be like the greatest present for my hubby.
I was wondering if the “magic” that this garment provides the same is why some people wear an obi? According to people that wear an obi beneath their hakama it strengthens them in their tanden/hara and thus does miracles.
Could this spidey suit be doing the same?
Interesting point Alphons. There is a post about the use of OBIs coming up soon.
btw, all members of the Japanese team are reported (from the mouth of a 8dan who also uses this BAK) to be using this suit.
Hmm obi focuses on the waist/lower back alot more so than the suit and has arguably more direct effect on breathing (based on KW articles).
The BAK is pretty pricey!
BAK Underwear.
I actually got some as a present from Chiba sensei, who uses the stuff. My own thoughts are that whilst there must be some value in muscle compression, the leggings do tend to make you sweat where you least want to and we are talking UK in January, not August in Japan.
I personally feel more comfortable wearing a juban under my keikogi. Having said that, I am sure that they would pay off at seminars and long training sessions. I am planning to take mine to Brussels for the European Referees Seminar, as most of the time is spent standing around in Europe’s coldest sports hall.
Geoff Salmon
i wonder if the korean team will come with another prototype or even use this same brand at all… ummm. it also makes you realise how technology is indeed deeply infiltrating kendogu!