, abbreviated , is a

Japanese martial art Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usag ...

that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing

the sword The Sword was an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band was composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III for most of its t ...

and responding to sudden attacks.Christensen, Karen and Allen Guttmann et.al (2001) ''International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports: H-R''. Macmillan Reference USA, Page 553. Iaido consists of four main components: the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

from its

scabbard A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. As well, rifles may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring carbine rifles and Lever action, lever-action ...

(or saya), striking or cutting an opponent, shaking blood from the blade, and replacing the sword in the scabbard.John Nauright, Charles Parrish, edited (2012) ''Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice''. ABC-CLIO. Page 226. While beginning practitioners of iaido may start learning with a wooden sword (''

bokken A ''bokken'' (, , "wood", and ''ken'', "sword") (or a ''bokutō'' ) is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the ''wakizashi'' ...

'') depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the practitioners use a blunt-edged sword called an

iaitō The is a modern metal practice sword, without a cutting edge, used primarily for practicing iaido, a form of Japanese swordsmanship. Other Japanese swords A real (sharp) katana is called a . In contrast to shinken, iaitō have no cutting edge ...

or ''mogitō''.Armstrong, Hunter B. (1995) ''The koryu Bujutsu Experience'' in Koryu Bujutsu: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan (ed. by Diane Skoss). Koryu Books. Page 31. Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp-edged sword (''

shinken is a Japanese sword that has a forged and sharpened blade. The term ''shinken'' is often used in contrast with ''bokken'' (wooden sword), ''shinai'' (bamboo sword), and iaitō (unsharpened metal sword). Shinken are often used in battōdō, ia ...

'').. Practitioners of iaido are called ''iaidoka''.Pellman, Leonard and Masayuki Shimabukuro (2008, 2nd edition) ''Flashing Steel: Mastering Eishin-Ryu Swordsmanship''. Blue Snake Books. Page 314-315.

Origins of the name

The term "iaido" appears in 1932 and consists of the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

characters (i), (ai), and (dō)., p. 79. The origin of the first two characters, , is believed to come from saying , which can be roughly translated as "being constantly (prepared), match/meet (the opposition) immediately". Thus the primary emphasis in 'iai' is on the psychological state of being present (居). The secondary emphasis is on drawing the sword and responding to the sudden attack as quickly as possible (合). The last character, , is generally translated into English as the way. The term "iaido" approximately translates into English as "the

way Way may refer to: Paths * a road, route, path or pathway, including long-distance paths. * a straight rail or track on a machine tool, (such as that on the bed of a lathe) on which part of the machine slides * Ways, large slipway in shipbuildin ...

of mental presence and immediate reaction",Shaw, Scott (1999) ''Samurai Zen''. Chapter 12. Weiser Books. and was popularized by

Nakayama Hakudo Nakayama (中山) may refer to: People *Nakayama (surname) Places *Nakayama, Ehime, a town in Ehime Prefecture *Nakayama, Tottori, a town in Tottori Prefecture *Nakayama, Yamagata, a town in Yamagata Prefecture * Nakayama-dera, a temple in Hyōgo ...

. The term emerged from the general trend to replace the suffix ("the art of") with in Japanese martial arts in order to emphasize the philosophical or spiritual aspects of the practice.

Purpose

Iaido encompasses hundreds of styles of swordsmanship, all of which subscribe to non-combative aims and purposes. Iaido is an intrinsic form of Japanese modern budo. Iaido is a reflection of the morals of the classical warrior and to build a spiritually harmonious person possessed of high intellect, sensitivity, and resolute will. Iaido is for the most part performed solo as an issue of kata, executing changed strategies against single or various fanciful rivals. Every kata starts and finishes with the sword sheathed. Regardless of the sword method, creative ability and concentration are required to maintain the feeling of a genuine battle and to keep the kata new. Iaidoka are often expected to practice

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

to maintain the combative spirit. It is normal for high-ranking kendoka to hold high rank in iaido as well, and vice versa. To perform the kata appropriately, iaidoka likewise learn carriage and development, grip and swing. At times iaidoka will practice complementary kata from kendo or kenjutsu. Unlike kendo, iaido practice never involves sparring.

Moral and religious influences

The metaphysical aspects of iaido have been influenced by several philosophical and religious currents. Iaido blends the ethics of

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

, methods of

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

, philosophical

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...

, the purifying rites of

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

and aspects of

bushido is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...

Seitei-gata techniques

The 12 official

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...

currently recognised by the

All Japan Kendo Federation The All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) or Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei (全日本剣道連盟 abbreviated 全剣連 ''Zen Ken Ren'') is a national non-governmental organization in Japan, founded in 1952 and officially formed on March 14, 1954. Purpose ...

are (in Romanised form): # ''Mae'' # ''Ushiro'' # ''Ukenagashi'' # ''Tsuka-ate'' # ''Kesagiri'' # ''Morote-tsuki'' # ''Sanpōgiri'' # ''Ganmen-ate'' # ''Soete-zuki'' # ''Shihōgiri'' # ''Sōgiri'' # ''Nukiuchi'' Because iaido is practiced with a weapon, it is almost entirely practiced using solitary forms, or

performed against one or more imaginary opponents. Multiple-person kata exist in some schools of iaido; for safety, iaidoka usually use bokken for such kata practice. Iaido does include competition in the form of

, but does not use sparring of any kind. Because of this non-fighting practice, and iaido's emphasis on precise, controlled, fluid motion, it is sometimes referred to as "moving

." Most of the styles and schools do not practice ''

tameshigiri ''Tameshigiri'' (試し斬り, 試し切り, 試斬, 試切) is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally mean "test cut" (kun'yomi: ためしぎり ''tameshi giri''). This practice was popularized in the Edo period (17th cen ...

'', cutting techniques. A part of iaido is ''nukitsuke''. This is a quick draw of the sword, accomplished by simultaneously drawing the sword from the ''saya'' and also moving the ''saya'' back in ''saya-biki''.

History

Iaido started in the mid-1500s. Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542 - 1621) is generally acknowledged as the organizer of Iaido. There were many different Koryu (customary schools), however just a few remain practiced today. Just about every one of them additionally concentrate on more seasoned school created amid 16-seventeenth century, in the same way as Muso-Shinden-ryu, Hoki-ryu, Muso-Jikiden-Eishin-ryu, Shinto-Munen-ryu, Tamiya-ryu, Yagyu-Shinkage-ryu, Mugai-ryu, Sekiguchi-ryu, et cetera. After the collapse of the Japanese feudal system in 1868 the founders of the modern disciplines borrowed from the theory and the practice of classical disciplines as they had studied or practiced. The founding in 1895 of the

Dai Nippon Butoku Kai ''Dai Nippon Butoku Kai'' (DNBK, ja, 大日本武徳会, en, "Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society") was a martial arts organization with strong ties to WWII-era Japanese government, originally established in 1895 in Kyoto. Following the end of ...

(DNBK) 大日本武徳会 (lit. "Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society") in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

.Dai Nippon Butoku Kai: Honbu, Kyoto, Japan
(2012). Retrieved on November 13, 2013. was also an important contribution to the development of modern Japanese swordsmanship. In 1932 DNBK officially approved and recognized the Japanese discipline, ''iaido'';Dai Nippon Butoku Kai: History and philosophy
(2012). Retrieved on November 13, 2013. this year was the first time the term ''iaido'' appeared in

. After this initiative the modern forms of swordsmanship is organised in several iaido organisations. During the post-war occupation of Japan, the

and its affiliates were disbanded by the

Allies of World War II The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. ...

in the period 1945–1950. However, in 1950, the

was reestablished and the practice of the Japanese martial disciplines began again. The (ZNIR) was founded in 1948. In 1952, the (IMAF) was founded in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. IMAF is a Japanese organization promoting international

Budō is a Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. Literally translated it means the "Martial Way", and may be thought of as the "Way of War" or the "Way of Martial Arts". Etymology Budō is a compound of the root ''bu'' ( 武:ぶ), m ...

,Journal of Combat Sports and Martial Arts. MEDSPORTPRESS, 2011; 1(2); Vol. 2, page 50. and has seven divisions representing the various Japanese martial arts, including iaido.International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) - Divisions
/ref> Also in 1952, the

(ZNKR) was founded. Upon formation of various organizations overseeing martial arts, a problem of commonality appeared. Since members of the organization were drawn from various backgrounds, and had experience practicing different schools of iaido, there arose a need for a common set of kata, that would be known by all members of organization, and that could be used for fair grading of practitioner's skill. Two of the largest Japanese organizations, All Japan Kendo Federation (ZNKR) and All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR), each created their own representative set of kata for this purpose. Sayuri Iaido

Kata under the respective iaido organizations

Tōhō Iaido

The All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR, ''Zen Nihon Iaido Renmei'', founded 1948) has a set of five koryu iaido forms, called Tōhō, contributed from the five major schools whose teachers were involved in the creation of the organization. *

Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū is a Japanese sword art school and one of the most widely practiced schools of iai in the world. Often referred to simply as "Eishin-ryū," it claims an unbroken lineage dating back from the sixteenth century to the early 20th century. 17th und ...

School founded during the late Muromachi period (c. 1590). ('Mae-giri') *

Mugai-ryū or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art school founded by on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無外真伝剣法). History The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻月丹資茂) ...

School founded in 1695. ('Zengo-giri') *

Shindō Munen-ryū is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art school founded by Fukui Hyōemon Yoshihira (福井兵右衛門嘉平) in the early 18th century. The style rapidly gained popularity throughout Japan due to the efforts of Togasaki Kumataro, Okada Junmatsu, ...

School founded in the early 1700s. ('Kiri-age') *

Suiō-ryū is a style of classical Japanese swordsmanship. It was founded by Mima Yoichizaemon Kagenobu at the end of the Sengoku period. The style specialises in iaijutsu but other arts, such as jōjutsu, naginatajutsu and kusarigamajutsu are practised as ...

School founded during the late Sengoku period (c. 1600). ('Shihō-giri') *

Hōki-ryū is a Japanese koryū sword-fighting martial art founded in the late Muromachi period by Katayama Hōki-no-kami Fujiwara Hisayasu (片山伯耆守藤原久安) (1575–1650). History Although often stated to be a student of Hayashizaki Ji ...

School founded during the late Muromachi period (c. 1590). ('Kissaki-gaeshi')

Seitei Iaido

Seitei or Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido (制定) are technical forms based on ''seitei-gata'', or standard forms of sword-drawing techniques, created by the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (All Japan Kendo Federation). This standard set of iaido kata was created in 1969 by a committee formed by the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF, ''Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei'' or ZNKR). The twelve Seitei iaido forms (''seitei-gata'') are standardised for the tuition, promotion and propagation of iaido at the iaido clubs, that are members of the regional Kendo federations. All dojos, that are members of the regional Kendo federations teach this set. Since member federations of International Kendo Federation (FIK) uses seitei gata as a standard for their iaido exams and ''shiai'', ''seitei iaido'' has become the most widely practised form of iaido in Japan and the rest of the world.

Other organizations

Single-style federations usually do not have a standardized "grading" set of kata, and use kata from their koryu curriculum for grading and demonstrations.

Schools

Many iaido organisations promote sword technique from the

seiza ): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo '' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan. Form To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on the ...

(sitting position) and refer to their art as ''iaido''. One of the popular versions of these is the

Musō Shinden-ryū is a style of sword-drawing art (''iaido'') founded by Nakayama Hakudō (中山博道) in 1932. Nakayama Hakudō studied under Hosokawa Yoshimasa, a master of the ''Shimomura'' branch (下村派) of Hasegawa Eishin-ryū, and Morimoto Tokumi, a ...

夢想神伝流, an iaido system created by

Nakayama Hakudō , also known as Nakayama Hiromichi, was a Japanese martial artist and founder of the iaidō style Musō Shinden-ryū. Received hanshi (master instructor) ranks in kendō, iaidō, and jōdō from the All Japan Kendo Federation. In addition, he ...

(1872–1958) in 1932. The

is an interpretation of one of the Jinsuke-Eishin lines, called Shimomura-ha. The other line of Jinsuke-Eishin, called Tanimura-ha, was created by Gotō Magobei Masasuke (died 1898) and Ōe Masaji Shikei (1852–1927). It was Ōe Masaji Shikei who began formally referring to his iaido branch as the

無双直伝英信流 during the Taishō era (1912–1926). Another popular iai school mostly found worldwide is

Mugai ryu or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese '' koryū'' martial art school founded by on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無外真伝剣法). History The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻月丹資茂) ...

. Mugai-ryū (無外流) or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese koryū martial art school founded by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻月丹資茂) on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無外真伝剣法). Actually in the beginning, Mugai Ryu started as kenjutsu only school, but send and recommend its disciples to learn another koryu named "Jikyo-ryu iaijutsu", and after Jikyo ryu vanished without any successor, it is renamed into Mugai ryu iaijutsu/iaido up until today. Toyama-Ryu

Another popular Iaido school is

Toyama-ryū established in 1925 by a committee of senior experts of several sword traditions for the curriculum of the Rikugun Toyama Gakkō. The special school for training army personnel founded in 1873, called Rikugun Toyama Gakkō or " Toyama Army Aca ...

(戸山流), which was established in 1925 in Japan. It was created by the Japanese army during World War II to create a simplified form. This style emphasizes the most important aspects of drawing and cutting. After the war it became obsolete, but was revived after 1952.

Ranks

Ranking in iaido depends on the school and/or the member federations to which a particular school belongs. Iaido as it is practiced by the

International Kendo Federation The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was founded in 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo associations. The FIK is a non-governmental organisation and its aim is to promote and popularise kendo, iaido and ...

(FIK) and All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR) uses the kyu-dan system, created in 1883.The Belt Ranking Game
May 1991. Page 64.

Black Belt Magazine ''Black Belt'' is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports. The magazine is based in Valencia, California, and is one of the oldest titles dedicated to martial arts in the United States. History and profile The magazine was ...

Modern kendo is almost entirely governed by the FIK, including the ranking system. Iaido is commonly associated with either the FIK or the ZNIR, although there are many extant koryū which may potentially use the

menkyo is a Japanese term meaning "license." It refers to the license to teach used by practitioners of various Japanese classical arts and martial arts certifying some license within the school or ryū. The ''menkyo'' system dates back to the 8th cen ...

system of grading, or a different system entirely. Iaido as governed by the FIK establishes 10th dan as the maximum attainable rank, though there are no living 10th practitioners in Kendo, there still remains many in Iaido. While there are some living 9th dan practitioners of kendo, the

only currently awards up to 8th dan. Most other member federations of the FIK have followed suit, excluding Iaido.

International Iaido Sport Competition

Iaido, in its modern form, is practiced as a competitive sport, regulated by the All Japan Kendo Federation. The AJKF maintains the standardized iaido

and etiquette, and organizes competitions. An iaido competition consists of two iaidoka performing their

next to each other and simultaneously. The competitors will be judged by a panel of judges according to the standardized regulations.

European Kendo Federation The European Kendo Federation (EKF) is the member of the International Kendo Federation which is responsible for the European zone. The EKF is the overall organization for the Japanese martial arts Kendo, Jōdō and Iaido in Europe. European Ken ...

has arranged iaido championships since 2000, and this competition is held every year.

Organisations

Many national and regional organisations manage and promote iaido activities. The following is a list of international organisations which include iaido:

(DNBK), established in 1895 in Kyoto, approved and recognized the discipline iaido. The

International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF) is the oldest continuously operating Japanese organization promoting international Budō.''Journal of Combat Sports and Martial Arts''. MEDSPORTPRESS, 2011; 1(2); Vol. 2, page 50. The organization, founded in 1952, has headquarters in Toky ...

(IMAF) was established in Kyoto in 1952 and is dedicated to the promotion and development of the martial arts worldwide, including iaido.

(FIK), established in 1970, an international organization for Kendo, Iaido and Jodo practitioners, which many national Kendo federations are a member of.

All Japan Iaido Federation All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All al ...

(or Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei) (ZNIR) was established in 1954 "in accordance with the Japanese bushido spirit to pass on the time-honoured system of Kobudo Iaido". The World

Iaido Federation, established in Tokyo in 2011, is dedicated to ensuring the orthodox transmission of MJER Iaido to future generations worldwide, as well as promoting and preserving the development of other schools. Zen Nihon Toyama Ryu Iaido Renmei (ZNTIR) established in Machida Japan after WW II was created as "Toyama-Ryu Shinko kai" established by Tokutomi Tasaburo and Nakamura Taizaburo who were Gunto Soho instructors at the Toyama Ryu Military Academy for the Japanese Imperial Army. Over time the "Toyama-Ryu Shinko-Kai" was renamed as Zen Nihon Toyama Ryu Iaido Renmei, and practice eight kata from a derivative of Gunto Soho. Murayama City, the birthplace of iaido, operates a number of iaido experience and training programs. This includes training with some of the iaido masters and english speaking teachers in Yamagata.

References

External links

Following organisations are national Iaido federations in Japan:
All Japan Kendo Federation
(ZNKR/AJKF), a national organization for Kendo, Iaido and Jodo practitioners, member of FIK.
Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK)
in Kyoto, a national - and international organisation for iaido in Japan.
International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF)
in Kyoto, a national - and international organisation for iaido in Japan. (

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

copy)
All Japan Iaido Federation
(Specialized information site ZNIR).

(Nippon Iaido Renmei/NIR) (Wayback Machine copy) Iaido in the United States is under the auspices of th

(AUSKF) and the various regional Kendo federations that are members of the AUSKF. Iaido Training in Japan
Iaido training in Murayama City
{{Authority control Japanese martial arts Dō Japanese swordsmanship Sports originating in Japan Swordsmanship