It is striking that before a contest, the competitors spreads all his equipment in front of him in an order laid down centuries ago before dressing himself in it. He then takes part in a ceremony in which decorum plays an integral part and where performance is successful only if it is played by the rules. One of the principal items of clothing is the armour (bogu) inspired by that worn by generals and high military officials of Imperial Japan. It protects efficiently the combatant's torso without hampering his movements. Under this armour a training smock is worn, a kind of wide shirt with short sleeves called keikogi. The trousers (hakama) reach to the ankles and are also very wide, that along with the tare, which is a belt made of five pieces of very stiff cloth to protect the hips, thighs, and abdomen. The shimai is a sword made four pieces of bamboo held together by a little cowl, or sakigawa, over the end of the 'blade' and a hilt (tsukagawa) at the base.