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Martial arts in medieval Japan were traditionally practiced using kata or forms. In either case, Sensei will offer points of correction to help you move closer to the ideal technique. This may be done in unison with the group, or individually and at your own pace. Sessions will often start with a review and practice of basic cutting, and then move to forms practice. Real Japanese swords are both dangerous and expensive, so it is usually only after practicing for a number of years (typically upon reaching 4th- or 5th- dan) that iaidoka switch to using a real blade.Īfter stretching and warming up, practice begins with a bow to shomen, the “high point” of the room, a bow to Sensei, and a bow of respect to one’s sword. Learners may start with a bokuto (wooden sword) or a mogito – a practice sword designed for iaido that has the balance and weight of a katana but with an unsharpened blade made from a sturdy zinc alloy.
Iaido techniques how to#
Kendo teaches distance and timing with a live opponent, while iaido teaches correct use of a real sword.īeginners will start by learning correct posture, footwork, and etiquette, and how to properly hold and cut with the sword. Iai and kendo have a special relationship, and are sometimes said to be “Two wheels of the same cart,” with many people practicing both arts. The largest group is the Iaido section of the All-Japan Kendo Federation. Iaido was outlawed by the occupation forces after World War II, but after the art was reinstated, iaidoka created groups to standardize practice.
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Each has its own stylistic differences and approach to training.
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In the 16th century, Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu founded Shin Muso Hayashizaki-ryu, a school of iaido that spread across Japan and branched off into numerous other traditions or ryuha. Today, the most popular are Muso Shinden-ryu, Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, Tamiya-ryu, and Mugai-ryu, but dozens, if not hundreds, of other styles exist. Schools of swordsmanship developed that placed a great emphasis on the initial draw-and-cut. Batto (“sword drawing”) was taught as one of the many martial arts required for samurai. The exquisite sharpness of the Japanese sword meant that fights could end an instant after they began, so quick actions with no wasted motions meant the difference between life and death. But when these weapons failed, or when fighting came down to close-quarter combat, the ability to swiftly draw one’s sword and attack was essential. The referees decide the winner by assessing the competitors’ level of training, etiquette, precision of technique, and attitude.On the battlefields of medieval Japan, samurai were armed with various weapons such as bows, spears, halberds, and eventually firearms. In an iaido match, two competitors use either a live blade or a practice sword to perform a pre-determined set of five kata from the All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido and their own school in under six minutes. Three more kata were added in 1980, and a further two in 1999 to make a total of 12. This opportunity led to the creation in 1969 of the All Japan Kendo Federation Iaido forms which were comprised of seven standardized kata. In 1966, the 1st All Japan Iaido Championships were convened as a competitive event in which the outcome of matches were decided by referees. Because there are many different classical schools of iaido with completely different forms and protocols, originally only demonstrations could be held. The connection to kendo is very close, and it is said that iaido and kendo are two sides of the same coin. It is a “Way” in which practitioners seek to train the mind and body through developing a spiritual appreciation of the relationship between life and death, movement and stillness. The object of iaido is to learn to draw the sword in an instant to overcome an aggressor. Iaido is derived from methods of using the nihonto (Japanese sword) that emerged in the Muromachi period (1333–1573).