Bōgu

Bōgu (防具, 'armour'),[1] properly called kendōgu (剣道具, 'kendo equipment'), is training armour used primarily in the Japanese martial art of kendo,[2][3] with variants used for jūkendō, tankendo, and naginata.

It consists of a facemask with several horizontal metal bars running the entire width of the face, from the chin to the top of the head.

To this is attached a long rectangular thick cloth padding that curves over the top of the head and extends to cover the shoulders.

Kote for naginatajutsu practitioners have a singulated index finger and thumb to better facilitate the rapid shifting of the hands along the length of the naginata's shaft.

The modern form has a pronounced bulge to help direct the force of strikes away from the soft areas in the middle of the torso.

The centre flap is usually covered with a name tag—zekken (ゼッケン) or nafuda (名札)—that identifies the name of the wearer and the dōjō or country they represent.