Iaido

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Iaido

is a Japanese martial art

Japanese martial arts

Japanese martial arts refers to the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are often used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts": "budo", literally meaning "martial way", , which has no perfect translation but means something like science, art, or craft of war, and ,...
associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword

Sword

A sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used as a cutting, thrusting, and clubbing weapon in many civilizations throughout the world. The word sword comes from the Old English language wikt:sweord, cognate to Old High German swert, Middle Dutch swaert, Old Norse sver? Old Frisian and Old Saxon swerd and Dutch langua...
from its scabbard

Scabbard

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is a Japanese martial art

Japanese martial arts

Sword

Scabbard

A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword or other large blade.Scabbards have been made of many materials over the millennia, including leather, wood, and metals such as brass or steel....
, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard. While new students of iaido may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken
Bokken

A bokken , is a wooden Japanese sword used for training, usually the size and shape of a katana, but sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tanto....
) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, many of those who study iaido use an unsharpened sword (iaito
Iaito

is the name given by practitioners of iaido to , literally meaning "mock" or "imitation sword", an imitation katana used for practicing some japanese sword arts....
). Advanced practitioners of iaido use a sharpened metal sword (shinken
Shinken

, literally meaning ":wiktionary:? :wiktionary:?", is a Japanese language term used to describe a Japanese sword that is sharp and used for real cutting or combat, as opposed to those that are blunted for other types of practice....
).

Because iaido teaches the use of actual metal weaponry, it is almost entirely based on the teaching of forms, or kata

Kata

is a Japanese language word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony , but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts....
. Multiple person kata do exist within some forms of iaido, but the iaidoka (practitioners of iaido) will usually use bokken for such kata practice. Iaido does not include direct competition or sparring of any kind. Because of this non-competitive aspect, and iaido's emphasis on precise, controlled, fluid motion, it is sometimes referred to as "moving Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Ch?n. Ch?n is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyana, which means "meditation" ....
."

Iaido in North America and Europe is often taught in dojo

Dojo

A is a Japanese language term which literally means "place of the Tao". Initially, dojo were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to conduct training, examinations and other rela...
that also teach Aikido

Aikido

is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying Qi" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker fro...
or Kendo

Kendo

, meaning ":wiktionary:? of the :wiktionary:?", is a modern Japanese people martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or Kenjutsu....
.

Origin

The word iaido approximately translates into English as "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction."

In the book Bugei Ryuha Daijiten
Bugei Ryuha Daijiten

The or "Encyclopedia of Martial art schools", originally Bugei Ryuha Jiten , is a catalog of Koryu Bujutsu and Gendai Budo of Japanese martial arts....
by Watatani Kiyoshi and Yamada Tadashi, Hayashizaki Jinsuke (Minamoto no) Shigenobu is credited with establishing the influence and popularity of the art early in the sixteenth century that is today widely practised as iaido. However, around a century before his birth, the dynamic art of iaijutsu
Iaijutsu

, often translated roughly as the "art of mental presence and immediate reaction", is the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. At least one author makes the distinction that, strictly speaking, iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, and that any further techniques are technically classified as kenju...
had been developed by Iizasa Ienao

Iizasa Ienao

Iizasa Choisai Ienao was the founder of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu which is a traditional Japanese martial art. His Buddhist posthumous name is Taiganin-den-Taira-no-Ason-Iga-no-Kami-Raiodo-Hon-Daikoji....
, the founder of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Kendo

, meaning ":wiktionary:? of the :wiktionary:?", is a modern Japanese people martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or Kenjutsu....
or kenjutsu
Kenjutsu

, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration. It is sometimes used more generally to describe any martial art which makes use of the Japanese sword....
:

Kendo teaching does not include drawing and re-sheathing of a sword. The main weapon used in kendo, a flexible bamboo sword (shinai
Shinai

is a weapon used for practice and competiton in kendo and are meant to represent a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different kanji....
), uses no scabbard. Kendo is practiced with a partner in full contact training or in forms (kata
Kata

is a Japanese language word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony , but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts....
) practice.

Kenjutsu is generally practiced with a partner, in the form of predetermined routines, and often does include drawing or resheathing of the sword.

Iaido is often used interchangeably with Battojutsu
Battojutsu

is a Japanese language term meaning techniques for drawing a sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battodo, or iaido, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques ....
, literally meaning "technique of drawing the sword". Battojutsu is the historical (ca. 15th century) term encompassing both the practice of drawing the sword and cutting (tameshigiri
Tameshigiri

Tameshigiri is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally mean ":wiktionary:? :wiktionary:?" . This practice was popularized in the Edo period for testing the quality of swords and continues through the present day....
). The term iaijutsu became prevalent later (ca. 17th century), and the current term iaido is due to the general trend (stemming from gendai budo
Gendai Budo

, meaning "modern martial way," are modern Japanese martial arts which were established after the Meiji Restoration . Koryu are the opposite: ancient martial arts established before the Meiji Restoration....
) to replace the suffix -jutsu with -do in Japanese martial arts in order to emphasize a philosophical or spiritual component. In contemporary usage, battojutsu focuses on the techniques of cutting, with individual practice that starts with the sword in the sheath.

Iaido forms (kata
Kata

is a Japanese language word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony , but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts....
) are performed solitarily against one or more imaginary opponents. Some traditional iaido schools, however, include kata performed in pairs. Some styles and schools also do not practice tameshigiri
Tameshigiri

Tameshigiri is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally mean ":wiktionary:? :wiktionary:?" . This practice was popularized in the Edo period for testing the quality of swords and continues through the present day....
, cutting techniques.

The primary emphasis in iaido is on the psychological state of being present. The secondary emphasis is on drawing the sword and responding to the sudden attack as quickly as possible. Starting positions can be from combative postures or from everyday sitting or standing positions. The ability to react quickly from different starting positions was considered essential for a samurai
Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial society Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character ? was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau....
.

A very important part of iaido, is nukitsuke or the life of iai. This is a very quick draw accomplished by drawing the sword out of the saya by moving the saya back in saya biki. The blade may be brought out of the saya and used in a quick nukitsuke slashing motion.

History of Iai

The Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of koryu bujutsu. The Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village , who was living near Katori Shrine at the time....
(?????????) included iaijutsu in its curriculum in the 15th century. The first schools dedicated exclusively to sword drawing appeared some time during the late 16th or early 17th century. Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu (1546–1621) is generally credited with as being the originator of the first dedicated school of sword drawing. Little is known of his life, leading some scholars to doubt his historical existence as a real person. The two largest schools of sword drawing that are practised today are the Muso Shinden-ryu

Muso Shinden-ryu

Muso Shinden ryu is a branch of the discipline iaido.The art can be traced back to the originator of iaido, a samurai named Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu , in some traditions known as Hojo Jinsuke Shigenobu....
and Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

nationality = Koryu Japanese martial art| school = Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu| image = Oemasamichi.jpg| imagecaption =...
(???????). Both schools trace their lineage to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu.

Before Nakayama Hakudo

Nakayama Hakudo

Nakayama Hakudo , also known as Nakayama Hiromichi, was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the iaido style Muso Shinden-ryu. He is the only person to have received both judan and hanshi ranks in kendo, iaido, and jodo from the All Japan Kendo Federation....
(1873?-1958) coined the word iaido early in the 20th century, various other names such as batto, battojutsu
Battojutsu

is a Japanese language term meaning techniques for drawing a sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battodo, or iaido, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques ....
, or saya no uchi were used. Iaido is the usual term to refer to the modern self-improvement oriented-form taught by the All Japan Kendo Federation

All Japan Kendo Federation

The All Japan Kendo Federation or Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei was founded in 1952. The federation is a non-governmental organization, and its aim is to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo....
(AJKF), while Iaijutsu is used for some amongst the older koryu
Koryu

is a Japanese language word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as ":wikt:? :wikt:?" or "traditional school." Koryu is a general term for Japanese schools of martial arts that predate the Meiji Restoration ....
combative techniques.

Seitei Iaido

Seitei Iaido or Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido

Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido

"Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido" is the style of the All Japan Kendo Federation . This style of iaido is also often known as Seitei Iaido and Zenkenren Iaido....
is the iaido style of the All Japan Kendo Federation

All Japan Kendo Federation

The All Japan Kendo Federation or Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei was founded in 1952. The federation is a non-governmental organization, and its aim is to promote and popularize kendo, iaido and jodo....
(AJKF, Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei or ZNKR). The twelve Seitei iaido forms (seitei-gata) are now standardised for the tuition, promotion and propagation of iaido within the kendo federations. Although not all dojo teach seitei iaido, the AJKF uses them as a standard for their exams and shiai. As a result, seitei iaido has become the most widely recognised form of iaido in Japan and the rest of the world.

Toho Iaido

The All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR, Zen Nihon Iaido Renmei, founded 1948) has a set of five iaido forms, Toho Iaido. This is essentially the ZNIR equivalent of the Seitei Iaido set. These five forms are from the five different major iaido schools.

Maegiri Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu
Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

nationality = Koryu Japanese martial art| school = Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu| image = Oemasamichi.jpg| imagecaption =...
Zengogiri Mugai-ryu
Mugai-ryu

is a Japanese koryu martial art school founded by in 1695.The ryu retains both iaijutsu and kenjutsu in its curriculum, and has a strong connection with Zen due to Gettan's belief that the "sword and Zen are the way of the same Truth"....
Kiriage Shindo Munen-ryu
Shihôgiri Suio-ryu
Kissakigaeshi Hoki-ryu

Classical period Iai

List of koryu iai-schools

List of koryu schools of martial arts

This is a list of schools of martial arts that are considered koryu . These are schools of martial arts that originated in Japan, and were founded prior 1876, when the act prohibiting the wearing of swords came into effect after the Meiji Restoration....

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu and Muso Shinden-ryu

Although there are a wide range of koryu
Koryu

is a Japanese language word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as ":wikt:? :wikt:?" or "traditional school." Koryu is a general term for Japanese schools of martial arts that predate the Meiji Restoration ....
or classical iaido (or iaijutsu

Iaijutsu

, often translated roughly as the "art of mental presence and immediate reaction", is the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. At least one author makes the distinction that, strictly speaking, iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, and that any further techniques are technically classified as kenju...
) styles practiced in Japan, the two most popular classical styles of iaido practiced worldwide are Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu
Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

nationality = Koryu Japanese martial art| school = Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu| image = Oemasamichi.jpg| imagecaption =...
and Muso Shinden-ryu
Muso Shinden-ryu

Muso Shinden ryu is a branch of the discipline iaido.The art can be traced back to the originator of iaido, a samurai named Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu , in some traditions known as Hojo Jinsuke Shigenobu....
. They resemble each other quite strongly because they branched off from one style sometime in the 18th century, first forming the branches of Shimomura-ha and Tanimura-ha.

These two branches would co-exist for many years until Oe Masamichi Shikei, the 17th headmaster, brought together the Tanimura-ha, Hasegawa Eishin-ryu and the Omori-ryu to form what is today's Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu.

The last Shimomura-ha (claimed) headmaster, Nakayama Hakudo

Nakayama Hakudo

Nakayama Hakudo , also known as Nakayama Hiromichi, was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the iaido style Muso Shinden-ryu. He is the only person to have received both judan and hanshi ranks in kendo, iaido, and jodo from the All Japan Kendo Federation....
who is considered the 16th, created a new iai-art called Muso Shinden Battojutsu that was heavily influenced by his Shimomura-ha training, but also took elements from other iai-arts and would later become the modern Muso Shinden-ryu.

Although the schools' techniques resemble each other, there are several differences. Outwardly the most obvious differences might be seen for example in the noto (sheathing the katana back into the saya). In Shinden, the entire noto is done on the horizontal plane, i.e. the flat of the blade parallel to the floor. In Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu

nationality = Koryu Japanese martial art| school = Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu| image = Oemasamichi.jpg| imagecaption =...
, the flat of the blade is rotated from 45 degrees to perpendicular to the floor by the end of noto.

There are several branches of Eishin-ryu and Shinden-ryu that are practised today. Different lines and Iaido organisations generally recognise different people as their soke
Soke (martial arts)

, pronounced , is a Japanese language term that means "the head family [house]." In the realm of Japanese traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term iemoto....
.

Mugai-ryu

is a Japanese koryu martial art school founded by in 1695.The ryu retains both iaijutsu and kenjutsu in its curriculum, and has a strong connection with Zen due to Gettan's belief that the "sword and Zen are the way of the same Truth"....
was once one of the more famous styles in Japan in the Edo-jidai and was developed from a strong influence of Zen. It is characterized by short, direct movements. As it was developed in 1697 by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi [or Sukeshige], a Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism, referred to in Chinese as Ch?n. Ch?n is itself derived from the Sanskrit Dhyana, which means "meditation" ....
practitioner, it has deep links with Zen Buddhism. The original style created by Gettan was a kenjutsu school rather than iai. Today's Mugai-ryu Iaido was established by Takahashi Hachisuke Mitsusuke and his younger brother Hidezu in mid Edo

Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
-period. They studied a style called Jikyo-ryu under the fifth and last generation headmasters Yamamura Masashige. There are several distinct lineages of Mugai-ryu throughout Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
today.

Suio-ryu

Suio-ryu is a traditional style that specialises in sword drawing, both solo and paired, but other arts, like jojutsu

Jodo

, meaning "the way of the Jo ", or is a Japanese martial art using short staffs called jo. The art is similar to bojutsu, and is strongly focused upon defense against the Japanese sword....
, naginatajutsu

Naginatajutsu

is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata.This is a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budo, , in which competitions also are held....
, kenpo

Kenjutsu

, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration. It is sometimes used more generally to describe any martial art which makes use of the Japanese sword....
and kusarigamajutsu

Kusarigamajutsu

is the art of using the Japanese weapon Kusarigama. Kusarigamajutsu is featured in several separate martial arts such as Bujinkan and Shinto Muso-ryu....
are practised as well. It was founded by Mima Yoichizaemon Kagenobu c. 1615.

Other styles

Other styles that incorporate sword drawing in their curriculum are, for example, Shindo Munen-ryu, Hoki-ryu, Tatsumi-ryu

Tatsumi-ryu

is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded in the early 16th century by Tatsumi Sankyo....
, Tamiya-ryu

Tamiya-ryu

Iaijutsu is a Japanese koryu martial art founded by Tamiya Heibei Narimasa in the late 1500s.References...
, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu

Takenouchi-ryu

is one of the oldest jujutsu koryu in Japan. It was founded in 1532, the first year of Tenbun on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month by Takenouchi Chunagon Daijo Nakatsukasadaiyu Hisamori, the lord of Ichinose Castle in Mimasaka Province....
and more.

Modern Iai/batto

A newer style of iaijutsu is Toyama-ryu

Toyama-ryu

is a modern form of Iaido created by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1925 at the Rikugun Toyama Gakko, or "Toyama Army Academy" in Toyama, Tokyo, Japan....
battojutsu. This is a style originating in the late 19th century, and taught primarily to officers in the Second World War. It is different from the Edo period styles primarily in that all techniques are performed from a standing position. Toyama-ryu

Toyama-ryu

is a modern form of Iaido created by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1925 at the Rikugun Toyama Gakko, or "Toyama Army Academy" in Toyama, Tokyo, Japan....
was in turn the basis of Nakamura-ryu, created by Nakamura Taizaburo; incorporating noto and kamae from older Koryu

Koryu

is a Japanese language word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as ":wikt:? :wikt:?" or "traditional school." Koryu is a general term for Japanese schools of martial arts that predate the Meiji Restoration ....
, notably Omori-ryu

Omori-ryu

is a set of twelve Battojutsu techniques formulated in the seventeenth century by an expert in the Shinkage-ryu, Omori Rokurozaemon.Omori took several partner exercises of Kenjutsu and Iai/Battojutsu, and combined them with the movements of formal Japanese tea ceremony etiquette to create a series of techniques initiated from the formal seiza...
. It has been a long time since any differing schools have competed using shinken
Shinken

, literally meaning ":wiktionary:? :wiktionary:?", is a Japanese language term used to describe a Japanese sword that is sharp and used for real cutting or combat, as opposed to those that are blunted for other types of practice....
(sharp blades); hence it cannot be said that the traditional schools are superior to the modern schools, or vice versa, in the ultimate test.

External links

.
(AJKF/ZNKR).
(FIK).
(Nippon Iaido Renmei/NIR).

Iaido

Origin

History of Iai

Seitei Iaido

Toho Iaido

Classical period Iai

Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu and Muso Shinden-ryu

Mugai-ryu

Suio-ryu

Other styles

Modern Iai/batto

See also

Further reading

External links