All Japan Pitch guardian kote - review

Let's start with a keen statement:

They are simply the best pair of kote I've ever owned.

Yes they are.

Guardian, a name that promises protection.

A promise you won't be disappointed from.

The guardian series are advertised as having extra protection compared to standard kote.

They are in first place designed for those  who often act as motodachi or are mainly on the receiving side.

What do we have:

-full shoaizome orizashi construction

-10mm All Japan Pitch Stitching 

-genuine smoked deer skin tenouchi 

As you can see, the futon and atama parts are fully constructed and reinforced by genuine shoaizome cotton.

I've been using them for about 7-8 months now and they already start to get this nice faded indigo look.

That's a good thing.

Next the tenouchi, which is made from really good, genuine smoked deer skin.

Oh boy, the smell. Lovely.

Of course, it became tinted blueish due to intense keiko.

It molded perfectly around my hands.

Some manufacturers tend to make the tenouchi part extra tight fitting on purpose when the kote are new (so it can  shape after your hands).

The guardian kote have been tailored to a "normal" fit and the tenouchigawa still get into the right shape for my hands.

It was such a good process (btw. It took them about 3-4 keiko to fully break in), that I didn't even had any of the usual sore "new-kote-spots" on my fingers that I always get from new kote.

The leather trimming around the tenouchi is made from indigo dyed deer skin.

Now the futon part.

That's where the magic starts.

At first have a look at the futon thickness.

They are indeed really thick.

That's the first reason why they are so protective.

The second reason is the (I have to say rather unconventional) 10mm pitch stitching.

Having the rows stitched far apart from each other and having each stitch wider apart than normal (that's what they call pitch stitching), you'll get a futon that's thick and soft/flexible.

Thus it works as a shock absorbing cushion.

And trust me, it works great.

In terms of reliability, they are really good too.

Mine took some serious beating and buckets of sweat without disappointing me in anyway.

Due to the full orizashi construction, they'll dry in no time.

Don't let the thickness fool you.

The wrist parts are super flexible out of the box.

Delicate manipulation of the shinai isn't restricted at all.

Bending the wrists is absolutely effortless.

The atama kazari is, like almost all AJB kote, done in beautiful yoroi gata style.

Which doesn't give any advantage over traditional kazari style, but looks nicer.

At least to me.

Now, I bet you´ll be able to get better kote, but you have to pay for them.
When I bought the guardians, I payed roughly about 140€ (with free shipping!!!).
So the value you get, is probably unbeatable.
Most of the kote I´ve seen that have the same quality (or slightly better) fetch about 300€ or more.
But the benefit isn´t worth the bigger price tag.

Final thoughts:


They might not be the best or fanciest kote on earth, but the best kote I´ve ever owned.
I highly recommend everyone from beginner to advanced kenshi to give them a try.
I bet you wont be disappointed.