#naginata

Naginata Experience in Hyogo by Visit Hyogo Japan

Want to be an Onna Bugeisha like Mariko Toda or Takeko Nakano?

There's a one on one beginner dojo experience where you'll get to wear the Hakama and wield the Naginata under the guidance of an experienced martial artist.

fusions! ban hammer x katana and boombox x biograft

darkage naginata [or just naginata], biobox [or just bb]

In the early morning, when fog is as white as snow, you may see this figure walking along the shore.

Small fish samurai sketch based on the amazing frontal crest from the collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller. Saw this tweet went "Oh my god, it was made for me" and ran with it.

Part oneeee

Guys, you don't even know how exited I am to start yapping about this prop. It's where the whole work on my cosplay started.

So to begin the story. Blue Eye Samurai was my love at first sight, but at the beginning I didn't had any plan of cosplay. However I had strong need to express my love for this show and most of the time I'm doing it by crafting. So I thought of make just one accessory like glasses - simple, characteristic. I was sure it'll satisfy me.

But soon things were about to get out of control.... very much as you can see if you're familiar with my posts.

Everything changed when I saw this scene once again:

That exact moment an idea was born in my head and I could get rid of it.

Because my dear folks, beside crafting I'm also into flow arts. I train the most with staff and poi (also with fire). And when I imagined using these skills while cosplaying Mizu, oh my gosh, there was no turning back.

So

My challenge is to craft a staff which

1. Will look like Mizu naginata, proper shape, length, colour and factures.

2. Will be detachable, at least for two pieces so I could also have bare katana without need of making two props, but just one which can be turned into naginata or katana

3. Will be properly weighed, shaped and be grippy so it'll be possible to make more advanced contact skills on it. And it's not so easy because staff not only needs to have proper weight itself, but weight points should be located symmetrically on the ends.

Sounds exciting isn't it?

I don't remember my thinking process of designing, it was almost 4 months ago and I wasn't documenting the process very well back then, I didn't expect I'll soon make Tumblr account to yap about it.

But I decided I'll do it with pcv pipe, it's great durable base, light at itself but I can put something inside to weight it. Maybe metal would be better, but I don't have proper tools to work with it, and I couldn't go with metal prop to cons ;/

Pcv pipes for electricity have some enlargement at one of its ends so it could be easily connect with each other.

It's also a great base for joints (I'm not sure if this word first but I couldn't find better)

My prop will have three parts: katana and two extensions to transform it to naginata. One extension would be much easier to make and also more stable. But two separate will be short enough to put it in my backpack when they're not needed.

Figuring out how to make katana was biig issue. Of course I could easily made it out of eva foam etc etc. But it needed to be EXTREMELY durable, unbreakable and kind of bendable, because I know as a flow art prop it will hit the ground THOUSAND times and of course at least expected moments.

I came up with my own idea for it (I didn't saw anyone using this technique before, but I won't be surprised if someone also did that).

After studying cross-sections of katana and its dimensions I made some "molder" from cardboard. Then I was heating pipe above stove (I don't have heat gun *laughts awkwardly in poor*) and shaping it with my cardboard molder.

I cut the end diagonally with a saw to make kissaki and bend whole blade a little, but iust a little. I know katana should be curved along the entire ength, but every deformation from main axis really impacts on spinning that staff, making it harder. The more curved the staff the more bouncy it'll be which disturbs contact tricks, and these are my favorite.

I’m still very satisfied how simple and durable this idea came out to be. Now the blade is practically ready to paint. All that’s left is to make the extensions. I simply cut two pieces of pipe that have these enlargements and make them connectable with screws. It’ll be much easier to show it than explain in words, but since I don’t have any photos of this part of process I made some drawings.

I add the sand in crucial point for weight.

Now, when the "technical" base is ready, it's time for the first spinning test.

It was a biiiig relief to see that spinning is possible, weight and overall feels good, even if surface of "staff" is really slippery for now. (It's just bare plastic pipe at this moment)

I'm also happy I managed to craft that during one weekend while staying at my parents house, now I have to go back to the town in which I study, where I don't have saw, drill etc, but luckily I have sewing machine. So while waiting for next occasion to work with some harder tools on my katana/naginata I still will be able to continue sewing work for cosplay.

Snack for those that stayed till end (lov u) 🍉🍒🍓🍊🍇 fruits at today's menu as you see, help yourself :3

Tan Zhi Hui • "Death"

[email protected]

artstation vimeo tumblr twitter kudaman-art behance instagram facebook

Tbh I realized that Firework's build is genuinely almost like Vine Staff's, only a little more buff ig 🥹???

Close ups!