Iaido

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Iaijutsu or Battjutsu.

"Iai" redirects here. For other uses, see IAI (disambiguation).

Iaido

Focus

Weaponry

Hardness

Forms competitions only.

Country of origin

Japan

Parenthood

Iaijutsu[1][2]

Olympic sport

No

Official website

International Kendo Federation(FIK):

http://www.kendo-fik.org/

Iaido ( Iaid ), abbreviated with iai ( ),[3] is a modern Japanese martial art/sport.[4]
?

Iaido is associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from
its scabbard or saya, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then
replacing the sword in the scabbard.[1] While beginning practitioners of iaido[5]may start learning with
a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the
practitioners use the blunt edged sword, called iait.[6] Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use
a sharp edged sword (shinken).[7]
Practitioners of iaido are often referred to as iaidoka.[8]
Contents

[hide]

1 Origins of the name

2 Purpose of iaido

3 Moral and religious influence on iaido

4 Seitei-gata techniques

5 History
5.1 The role of Iaido in Kendo

6 Kata under the respective iaido organizations

o

6.1 Th Iaido

6.2 Seitei Iaido

6.2.1 Other organizations

7 Iaido schools

8 Ranks in Iaido

9 International Iaido Sport Competition

10 Iaido organisations

11 See also

12 External links

13 References

Origins of the name

Haruna Matsuo sensei (19252002) demonstrating Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu kata Ukenagashi

The term 'iaido' appear in 1932 and consists of the kanji characters (i), (ai), and (d).[9][10] The
origin of the first two characters, iai( ), is believed to come from saying Tsune ni ite, ky ni
awasu ( ), that can be roughly translated as being constantly (prepared),
match/meet (the opposition) immediately.[11] Thus the primary emphasis in 'iai' 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 ().
?

The last character, , is generally translated into English as the way. The term 'iaido' approximately
translates into English as "the way ofmental presence and immediate reaction",[9][12] and was
popularized by Nakayama Hakudo.[9]
The term emerged from the general trend to replace the suffix -jutsu ( ) ("the art of") with d ( ) in Japanese martial arts in order to emphasize the philosophical or spiritual aspects of the
practice.[9][13]
?

Purpose of iaido
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.[9]
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. [14] 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. Notwithstanding sword method, it obliges creative ability
and fixation to keep up the inclination of a genuine battle and to keep the kata new. Iaidoka are
regularly prescribed to practice kendo to safeguard that battling feel; it is normal for high positioning
kendoka to hold high rank in iaido and the other way around.
To appropriately perform the kata, iaidoka likewise learn carriage and development, hold and swing.
At times iaidoka will practice accomplice kata like kendo or kenjutsu kata. Dissimilar to kendo, iaido
is never honed in a free-competing way.

Moral and religious influence on iaido

The metaphysical aspects in iaido have been influenced by several philosophical and religious
directions. Iaido is a blend of the ethics of Confucianism, methods of Zen, the
philosophical Taoism and aspects from bushido.[15]

Seitei-gata techniques
Because iaido is practiced with a weapon, it is almost entirely practiced using solitary forms,
or kata performed against one or more imaginary opponents. Multiple person kata exist within some
schools of iaido; consequently, iaidoka usually use bokken for such kata practice. Iaido does include
competition in form of kata but does not use sparring of any kind. Because of this non-fighting
aspect, and iaido's emphasis on precise, controlled, fluid motion, it is sometimes referred to as
"moving Zen."[12] Most of the styles and schools do not practice tameshigiri, cutting techniques.
A part of iaido is nukitsuke.[16] 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.[17]

History
Early history (prior to the Meiji Restoration in 1868) read more in the article Iaijutsu.
Iaido started in the mid-1500s. Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542 - 1621) is generally
acknowledged as the organizer of Iaido. There were a lot of people Koryu ( customary schools),
however just a little extent remain today. Just about every one of them additionally concentrate
on more seasoned school created amid 16-seventeenth century, in the same way as MusoShinden-ryu, Hoki-ryu, Muso-Jikiden-Eishin-ryu, Shinto-Munen-ryu, Tamiya-ryu, YagyuShinkage-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.[18] The founding in 1895 of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) (lit.
"Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society") in Kyoto, Japan.[19] was also an important contribution to
the development of modern Japanese swordsmanship. In 1932 DNBK officially approved and
recognized the Japanese discipline, iaido;[20] this year was the first time the term iaido appeared
in Japan.[9][12] After this initiative the modern forms of swordsmanship is organised in several iaido
organisations.[2] During the post-war occupation of Japan, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai and its
affiliates were disbanded by the Allies of World War II in the period 19451950. However, in
1950, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was reestablished and the practice of the Japanese martial
disciplines began again.[21]
In 1952, the Kokusai Budoin, International Martial Arts Federation (
Kokusai Budoin Kokusai Budo Renmei ) (IMAF) was founded in Tokyo, Japan.[22]IMAF is a
Japanese organization promoting international Bud,[23] and has seven divisions representing the
various Japanese martial arts, including iaido.[24][25]
?

In 1952, the All Japan Kendo Federation (ZNKR) was founded,[26] and the All Japan Iaido
Federation (ZNIR) was founded in 1948.
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)[26] and All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR), each created their own representative set of
kata for this purpose.

Japanese girl practicing iaido with a custom made student's katana or iait. In modern Japan, iaido is
seen as one of the traditional martial arts and it can be practiced by all genders.

The role of Iaido in Kendo

Despite the fact that the purposes of assault in current Kendo are entirely restricted, the strikes
and assaults are performed with an opportunity of will that definitely prompts a component of
rivalry. In correlation with shinai Kendo, Iaido focus on preparing to create right developments.
Therefore, regarding specialized immaculateness it involves a level much higher than that of
shinai Kendo. In short, Iaido can serve to enhance and keep up specialized virtue in shinai
Kendo. Iaido aides guarantee that body developments are legitimate and compelling in light of
the fact that they are regular, precise, and spry.

Kata under the respective iaido organizations

Th Iaido
The All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR, Zen Nihon Iaido Renmei, founded 1948) has a set of five
koryu iaido forms, called Th, contributed from the five major schools that comprise the
organization.[27]

Mus Jikiden Eishin-ry School founded during the late Muromachi period (ca. 1590). ('Maegiri')

Mugai-ry School founded in 1695. ('Zengo-giri')

Shind Munen-ry School founded in the early 1700s. ('Kiri-age')

Sui-ry School founded during the early Edo period (ca. 1615). ('Shih-giri')

Hki-ry School founded during the late Muromachi period (ca. 1590). ('Kissaki-gaeshi')

Seitei Iaido
Seitei or Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaido () ("basis of the Iaido") are technical based
on seitei-gata, or standard form of sword-drawing techniques, created by the Zen Nihon Kendo
Remmei (All Japan Kendo Federation) and the Zen Nihon Iaido Remmei (All Japan Iaido
Federation).[28] This standard set of iaido kata was created in 1968 by a committee formed by the
All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF, Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei or ZNKR).[29] 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.[citation needed]

Iaido schools

Iaido in the Czech Republic

Many iaido organisations promote sword technique from the seiza (sitting position) and refer to
their art as iaido. One of the popular versions of these is the Mus Shinden-ry , a
iaido system created by Nakayama Hakud (18721958) in the 1932.[30] The Mus Shindenry is an interpretation of one of the Jinsuke-Eishin lines, called Shimomura-ha. [31]
The other line of Jinsuke-Eishin, called Tanimura-ha, was created by Got Magobei Masasuke]
(died 1898) and e Masamichi Shikei (18521927). It was e Masamichi Shikei who began
formally referring his iaido branch as the Mus Jikiden Eishin-ry during the
Taish era (19121926).[32]

Ranks in Iaido
Read more in the article Dan (rank).
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 (FIK) and All
Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR) uses the kyu-dan system, created in 1883.[33]
Modern kendo is almost entirely governed by the FIK, including the ranking system [34] . Iaido
is commonly associated with either the FIK or the ZNIR, although there are many
extant kory which may potentially use the menkyo 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. While there are some living 9th dan
practitioners of kendo and iaido, the All Japan Kendo Federation only currently awards up to
8th dan. Most other member federations of the FIK have followed suit.