California Budogu

Black Mushikui is one of our favorite bamboo Do-Dai… but they’re also one of the hardest to photograph! Especially when this customer requested the Mushuikui pattern to be darker than usual 😆

This subtle yet beautiful bamboo Mushikui Do features Joubouji-Nuri lacquer. Joubouji, in Iwate Prefecture, is one of Japan’s oldest lacquerware regions, with lacquering techniques dating back to over 1,200 years!!

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

Happy Mothers Day from California Budogu to all the Kendo Moms out there!!✨🥰

Check out these shirts by our partners at Art Of The Sword Apparel. We’ll have some available next weekend at the WKF Spring Tournament, so be sure to grab one while you’re there!! 😊

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

Getting ready for the All United States Kendo Championships and helping members of Costa Mesa Kendo Dojo look their best with our favorite BUSHUICHI Blue-Lite Kendogi 💙 We can’t believe it’s less than two months away!!

Go Team SCKF✨😊

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

We’re seeing so many orders for the CA Budogu KANMURI lately✨😊

Check out this beautiful Kanmuri set with a custom “Naname-Ichimatsu” Ago — something we haven’t seen before!!

The Kanmuri set is a special Made-in-Japan collaboration between Matsukan and the craftsmen behind the top-quality Nanahoshi sets, combining the absolute best of both styles. It’s no surprise this is one of the highest quality Bogu sets out there!!✨👑

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

Happy Children’s Day to our five California Budogu Kenshi 🎏 🎏 🎏

Wishing the best to our young kids— Aya, John, Kouta, and little Kai… and big Kai too I guess 😆

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

Happy Children’s Day from California Budogu!! 🎏 Children’s Day, or Kodomo no Hi, is a Japanese national holiday celebrated on May 5th to honor children’s happiness and pray for their healthy growth. As promised, we’ve chosen our newest sponsored Kenshi to celebrate the occasion!!✨

Congratulations to the newest member of the California Budogu family— our fifth sponsored Kenshi, Aya Bui!!

Aya is 11 years old and started Kendo at Costa Mesa Kendo Dojo at the age of 6. Nathan still remembers her first day at the Dojo, and even her first time in Bogu—when the set was bigger than she was! We were so excited when we heard she was interested in our sponsorship program✨😊

Aya trains regularly and shows incredible dedication. Although she was just slightly too young to try out for Team SCKF for the US Nationals this year, she still makes the effort to attend SCKF practices with the junior girls team. She is always kind and caring toward her dojo mates (seriously, she’s one of the only girls her age we know who doesn’t bully Vishwaas… much 🤣).

Aya mentioned in her application that she always enjoys talking with the CA Budogu team whenever she sees us, and that—regardless of whether she wins or loses—a tournament, our team inspires her to keep trying her best. We were truly warmed by her message. Her friendliness, strong spirit, and consistent effort made her a perfect fit, and we’re so happy to welcome her to the family!!

Our Sponsored Kenshi Program focuses on supporting strong junior role models who inspire the next generation through their attitude and spirit. We’re excited to support Aya and watch her continue to grow! Read more about our FIVE Sponsored Kenshi right here:

https://californiabudogu.com/pages/copy-of-ca-budogu-sponsored-kenshi-program

Thank you to everyone who showed interest. We never expected to receive so many messages, and it was amazing to read your stories and Kendo journeys. We’ve reached out to many applicants to send a small gift as a token of our appreciation—if we missed you, please don’t hesitate to reach out!✨✉️

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

Thank you to everyone who came out to see us at Nisei Week! It was great catching up with friends from all over SoCal, and even a few from NorCal!✨

Our sponsored Kenshi, Kai, is only 15, but did an amazing job coaching the Costa Mesa Kendo Dojo team!!

We’ll see you all again in a couple of weeks at the WKF Spring Tournament!! 😊

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

May will be another busy month for California Budogu! We’re excited to see everyone out there, starting tonight!!✨😊

We’ll see you at:

ISKD Open House
📆 5/1, City of Industry, CA

Nisei Week Kendo Tournament
📆 5/3, City of Industry, CA

WKF Spring Tournament
📆 5/17, Fullerton, CA

Goryuki
📆 5/24, Chicago, IL

Our newest sponsored Kenshi, (big) Kai, will also be competing at the 1st Asia Oceania Kendo Championships (1AOKC) representing New Zealand—we’ll be rooting for him to do his best on May 30–31!! We’re proud to have you on the team!! 🇯🇵 🇳🇿

See you all soon!!

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu

You know how much we love Aogai (Mother-of-Pearl Inlay) Do ✨🐚

Here’s something a little different 😊
This “Line Aogai” bamboo Do features a clean horizontal inlay design. We see Aogai Do fairly often, but this is the first time we’ve done it in this style, and it turned out beautifully!!

Each piece of Aogai is carefully set by hand, creating a subtle but striking line across the Do. Paired with the textured Kairagi Same Mune, the whole piece comes together with a uniquely refined, unique look✨🤩

www.californiabudogu.com
California Budogu