Iaido

The arts of the sword as we know them today probably began with Iizasa Choisai the founder of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu. This school included the use of many weapons from sword and stick to spear and throwing knives. One part of its curriculum was the fast draw and instant use of the sword, either in self-defence or as a pre-emptive strike. This section of their study is called Iai Jutsu. Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542-1621) like Iizasa Choisai is reputed to have received a divine inspiration which led to the development of his art called Muso Shinden Jushin Ryu Batto Jutsu. Here Batto means simply to draw a sword. The significant factor common to both of these schools as with many other sword schools which concerned themselves predominantly with the drawing of the sword, was that the art was practised purely as kata.


Ishido Shizufumi sensei (8th Dan Hanshi)

How then can a martial art be fully effective when it it is practised only as solo kata against an imaginary opponent? This is a much more difficult question than it at first seems, the problem begins when trying to define 'fully effective', and consider what 'effect' is required. Of course, in kata there is no repeated opportunity to prove your technique in combat as there is in fencing kendo, and in the repeated patterns of kata there seems to be no opportunity to modify your movements in response to those of your opponent.

As a fighting art of the modern world it is all too easy to see the sword arts superficially and criticise them as inappropriate, simply because we do not walk along the street carrying a sword.The way of the martial artist should be to avoid conflict. This was explained thousands of years ago by Sun Tsu in The Art of War and later by masters of strategy.

The martial artist who trains fully and correctly, directed by a sensei, will develop an ability to recognise difficult situations and avoid them before they become a problem, or will engage the conflict before it has grown to become a significant matter, or will maintain a state of mind and body that will not offer opportunities for an aggressor. This is the meaning of Iaido.

Training at Rochester
At Rochester we study Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido and Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Seitei no Gata . The ZNKR Seitei no Gata, normally referred to as Seitei Iai, is an 'international standard' used in competition and grading regardless of the iaido school a student (iaidoka) might come from. In Seitei Iai there are currently twelve kata or forms, four from a seated or kneeling position and eight from a standing or walking starting position. The traditional style (koryu) of Iaido practiced, Muso Shinden Ryu, is in three levels:

  • Shoden: Seiza no Bu - Omori Ryu (twelve kata);
  • Chuden: Iai Hiza no Bu - Eishin Ryu (ten kata);
  • Okuden: Iai Tachi Waza (eleven kata) & Iai Suwari Waza (eight kata)

New students generally are acquainted initially with the twelve Seitei forms before moving onto learn the koryu forms. As well as the two training sessions held each week at Rochester, there are two all day sessions a month, one of Seitei Iai and the other of koryu, held at the Shin Bu Kan dojo at Brighton under the instruction of Vic Cook Sensei which students are encouraged to attend.

Students start training with a wooden training sword called a bokken. It is inadvisable for a newcomer to iaido to go and purchase clothing and equipment until certain that they wish to study it. The dojo can provide bokken for initial training and loose clothing is suitable to start with. When a student has been training for a few months they then can obtain a metal training sword or iaito. These have an aluminium/zinc blade that is unsharpened. Please note that the decorative swords found in a number of High Street shops in the UK are seldom, if ever, suitable for practicing iaido; the dojo leader and senior students will be happy to advise about what is suitable and where an iaito can be obtained from - these days there are a large number of interenet based stores selling good quality equipment at reasonable prices (see Links ). Once a student has reached Shodan (1st Dan) level, and with the dojo leader's permission, they can start training with a shinken - a steel blade with a live edge. However this is not necessary and many students train for years and to a high grade without obtaining a shinken.

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