Iaido
居合道The Japanese art of drawing the sword, practised solo. Everything rests on a single continuous motion from scabbard through the cut and back to the scabbard.
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About Iaido
Iaido is the Japanese art of drawing the sword. Unlike kendo, which is fought, iaido works with prescribed forms: the practitioner starts from rest, draws, delivers a cut, shakes the blood from the blade (chiburi) and returns the sword to the scabbard (noto). The whole is meant to happen in a single continuous movement. Its roots reach back to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu in the sixteenth century, credited with systematising the draw as a discipline of its own. From his line came the main traditional schools — Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu and Muso Shinden-ryu, still practised today. In 1969 the All Japan Kendo Federation compiled the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iai (seitei iai), twelve forms serving as a common basis for grading across schools. Practice uses a blunt training sword, the iaito; advanced practitioners use a live blade, the shinken. Precisely for that reason iaido is a non-competitive discipline focused on precision: what counts is the angle of the cut, the work of the hips, distance, timing and how cleanly the sword slides back into the scabbard without the practitioner taking his eyes off the space. The physical load is moderate, but the demands on concentration and precision are high. Most forms are performed from a kneeling position (seiza or tate-hiza), which loads the knees and ankles — anyone with knee trouble should raise it with the teacher at the outset. Competitions do exist, and they judge execution rather than a duel.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.