Bokken were designed to lessen the damage caused by fighting with real swords and were used for the training of samurai warriors in feudal Japan. Bokken eventually became lethal weapons themselves in the hands of trained experts.

Miyamoto Musashi, a kenjutsu master, was renowned for fighting fully armed foes with only one or two bokkens. In a famous legend, he defeated Sasaki Kojiro with a bokken he had carved from an oarwhile traveling on a boat to the predetermined island for the duel.

Although it is hard to determine precisely when the first Bokken appeared due to the nature of secrecy in ancient martial arts training, the oldest Bokken known to have been used as training tools date from the Edo period. Before the Meiji era, Bokken very likely manufactured by woodworkers not specialized in Bokken manufacture. It is at the beginning of the 20th century that Bokken manufacture started, mainly in Miyakonojo (Kyushu region). Today, the last four workshops of Japan are still located in Miyakonojo.

The "standard Bokken", mostly used in Kendo and Aikido was created by master Aramaki in collaboration with the All Japan Kendo Federation in the 50's and was the first standardized Bokken ever created.

The bokken is used as an inexpensive and relatively safe substitute for a real sword in several martial arts such as aikido, kendo,  iaido, kenjutsu and jodo. Its simple wooden construction demands less care and maintenance than a katana. In addition, training with a bokken does not carry the same mortal risk associated with that of a sharp metal sword, both for the user and other practitioners nearby. While its use has several advantages over use of a live edged weapon, it can still be deadly, and any training with a bokken should be done with due care. Injuries occurring from bokken are very similar to those caused by clubs and similar battering weapons and include compound fractures, ruptured organs, and other such blunt force injuries. In some ways, a bokken can be more dangerous as the injuries caused are often unseen and inexperienced practitioners may underestimate the risk of harm. It is not a sparring weapon, but is intended to be used in kata and to acclimate the student to the feel of a real sword. For sparring, a bamboo shinai is typically used instead for obvious safety reasons.

In 2003, the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) introduced a set of basic exercises using a bokuto called Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon-waza Keiko-ho. This form of practice is intended primarily for kendo practitioners up to Nidan ranking, but can be beneficial for all kendo students.

Suburito are bokken designed for use in suburi. Suburi, literally "bare swinging," are solo cutting exercises. Suburito are thicker and heavier than normal bokken and users of suburito must therefore develop both strength and technique. Their weight makes them unsuitable for paired practice and solo forms. One famous user of the suburi-sized bokken is Miyamoto Musashi who used one in his duel against Sasaki Kojiro.

As late as 2015, bokken were issued to the Los Angeles Police Mounted Unit for use as batons.

Bokken can be made to represent any style of weapon required such as nagamaki, no-dachi, yari, naginata, kama, etc. The most widely used styles are:

• daitō or tachi (katana-sized), long sword
• shoto or kodachi or wakizashi bo, short sword, (wakizashi-sized)
• tantō bo (tantō-sized)
• suburito can be made in daitō and shoto sizes

Additionally, various koryu (traditional Japanese martial arts) have their own distinct styles of bokken which can vary slightly in length, tip shape, or in whether or not a tsuba (hilt guard) is added.

The All Japan Kendo Federation specify the dimensions of bokken for use in the modern kendo kata, called Nippon kendo kata.[7]

• Tachi: Total length, approx. 102 cm; tsuka (handle) approx. 24 cm.
• Kodachi: Total length, approx. 55 cm; tsuka (handle) approx. 14 cm.