The Rokkaku (pronounced roke-cock- Rokkaku Tuning coo) is a traditional Japanese bowed You can adjust a rokkaku’s stability and kite design. A basic hexagon in shape, it maneuverability by changing the bridle features six corners, a long center or bow of the kite. spine, and two cross spars. The bridle connects at four points. Bridle Adjustments - For heavier or lighter winds, adjust the point where ASSEMBLY you connect your flying line to the STEP 1: Unfold the kite and lay it bridle. Slide the ring up or down along with the bridle side down. Two cross the two bridle lines. This changes the spars should be fixed in place by the flight angle of the kite. Make sure your edge pockets, with the ends of the bridle is balanced. This means the lines bridle lines extended through the sail one the left side should be the same and looped around the rods. length from the top of the kite as the lines on the right. Cutting - When two kitelines come in Step 2: Attach the center spine. contact, the one moving the fastest Connect the two pieces together using Bow Adjustments - Less bow in light will cut, melt, or burn through the the metal ferrule. Then insert the spine winds and more bow in strong winds other. Don’t use blades or glass! The into the pockets at the top and will improve performance. Some fliers object is to concentrate the friction in bottom of the kite. Note that the like equal tensions in both bow lines. one particular point on an opposing spine goes under the loose bow lines Others prefer more bow in the line. Try pumping your line an effort to that are attached near the cross spars. bottom. Experiment! But be careful saw through an opponent’s line. Fix the spine in place using the ties. not to bow the kite so much the spars break! Safety, Safety, Safety! Battles are great fun - but only if they Combat Fundamentals are done carefully and everyone Rokkakus can be used for fun flying, or follows basic safety rules. for traditional kite fighting. The object Step 3: Bow the kite for flight by is to ground other kites using either Gloves are recommended to protect moving the sliders to tighten the your line, your kite, or the wind. your hands All intentional physical two bow strings. Be sure the kite fliers you contact should be strictly prohibited CROSS SPAR Without some arch in BOW LINE fight with all agree including pushing, tripping, or the sail, your rokkaku to the game! purposely running line around people. will not fly. The amount The object is to make the kites fight - of arch depends on Once your kite is not the people. Cutting implements the amount of wind. cut or touches the other than flying line should not be Usually two inches of FERRULE ground for any allowed. Make sure there is good space arch works for light reason, you are out. for the contest and for the kites to fall wind and four inches There are two basic to the ground. Make sure you don’t for stronger winds. BRIDLE POINTS techniques for infringe on any kites not in the battle. Make sure the top and grounding an And most important, make sure you bottom of the kite are opponent’s kite. have fun! bowed equally. Take care not to bend the spars too much and CENTER SPINE Tipping - Tipping is the easiest For official rules on kite fighting, visit break them. and safest way to ground an the web page of the American opponent. By catching one of the kite’s Kitefliers Association at Step 4: Attach a flying line to the six corners with your flying line and www.AKA.kite.org. bridle on the front of the kite and go then quickly moving position, you are fly! Use 75 - 150 pound line. often able to tip or up-end an opponent. They may recover and come after you or they may crash.