Taimishu
Blue Belt
This is an article I am writing, your comments please.
Iaido - A brief description
In iaido, the practitioner battles non-material opponents with techniques that today are completely obsolete and devoid of any practical application, and do not even offer the satisfaction of affirming technical superiority over other practitioners through competitive encounters.
As a true Budo, iaido is a battle with the self, a cutting away of all redundancies. Trough the precise and immutable movements of the kata, the practitioner seeks to mobilise his entire being, to unite the intention, the action, and the sword, every detail being vital, a matter of life and death. Through this unification of sense, will, and action, the sword becomes a tool for spiritual development (seishin tanren). For this reason, more and more budoka turn to the austere practice of iaido
Iaido is :-
Safe - There is no combative element. We do not hit each other.
Healthy - The exercise is a steady aerobic workout. Suppleness and posture are particularly emphasized.
Cheap - All you need to start training is a wooden sword which are less than £15.
Friendly - Everybody trains at their own rate and to their own ability. Our aim is to keep our art alive so we help each other as much as possible.
The basic kata are done from seiza (sitting) and involve a single attacker. More complicated ones begin at other positions and deal with multiple attackers and "obstacles" such as walls and non-combatants.
The kata are made up of four classes of movement:-
Drawing - Nukitsuke
Iaido is a self defense art not a battlefield art. So, each kata begins from a disadvantaged position, i.e. you must draw your sword to deal with an attack. Naturally, this must be done without taking the eyes off the attacker.
The exact method and timing of the draw varies according to different attacks. The draw should ideally lead straight into a cut.
Cutting - Kirititsuke
The purpose of the sword is to kill. There was no dueling tradition in Japan. Once the sword is out the intention is to cut the enemy down.
Removing Blood - Chiburi
If a bloody sword is replaced into the scabbard it will stick and become useless. Excess blood can be shaken or wiped off in a variety of ways.
Resheathing - Noto
Putting the sword away makes you vulnerable again. Alertness must be maintained. So, even though the sword is literally razor sharp, it must be replaced without being so much as glanced at.
A Short History of Iaido
The Shoden or basic style is based on Omori ryu, founded by Omori Rokurosaemon Masamitsu. Omori was a swordman of the Yagyo Shinkage Ryu(Bishu style) founded by Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Fujiwara Nobutsuna (or Hidetsuna), himself a student of Kage ryu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shinto ryu, and heavily influenced by Zen master Takuan (1573-1645). Omori had also studied under Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin Hidenobu but was thrown out over a personal conflict.
Omori combined the kata of Yagyu Shinkage ryu with Osagawara ryu reishiki of which he was also a student. Omori taught his style together with Shinkage ryu to Hayashi Rokudayu Morimasa (1661-1732) and to Oguro Motoemon Kiyokatsu, both headmasters following Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin Hidenobu in what was then called Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu. They continued teaching the Omori ryu together with the other styles then contained in this ryu.
In the 20th century an extra kata was added to Omori ryu, the names and order were changed, and the ryu was simplified a little to fit its new role as beginner's kata.
David
Iaido - A brief description
In iaido, the practitioner battles non-material opponents with techniques that today are completely obsolete and devoid of any practical application, and do not even offer the satisfaction of affirming technical superiority over other practitioners through competitive encounters.
As a true Budo, iaido is a battle with the self, a cutting away of all redundancies. Trough the precise and immutable movements of the kata, the practitioner seeks to mobilise his entire being, to unite the intention, the action, and the sword, every detail being vital, a matter of life and death. Through this unification of sense, will, and action, the sword becomes a tool for spiritual development (seishin tanren). For this reason, more and more budoka turn to the austere practice of iaido
Iaido is :-
Safe - There is no combative element. We do not hit each other.
Healthy - The exercise is a steady aerobic workout. Suppleness and posture are particularly emphasized.
Cheap - All you need to start training is a wooden sword which are less than £15.
Friendly - Everybody trains at their own rate and to their own ability. Our aim is to keep our art alive so we help each other as much as possible.
The basic kata are done from seiza (sitting) and involve a single attacker. More complicated ones begin at other positions and deal with multiple attackers and "obstacles" such as walls and non-combatants.
The kata are made up of four classes of movement:-
Drawing - Nukitsuke
Iaido is a self defense art not a battlefield art. So, each kata begins from a disadvantaged position, i.e. you must draw your sword to deal with an attack. Naturally, this must be done without taking the eyes off the attacker.
The exact method and timing of the draw varies according to different attacks. The draw should ideally lead straight into a cut.
Cutting - Kirititsuke
The purpose of the sword is to kill. There was no dueling tradition in Japan. Once the sword is out the intention is to cut the enemy down.
Removing Blood - Chiburi
If a bloody sword is replaced into the scabbard it will stick and become useless. Excess blood can be shaken or wiped off in a variety of ways.
Resheathing - Noto
Putting the sword away makes you vulnerable again. Alertness must be maintained. So, even though the sword is literally razor sharp, it must be replaced without being so much as glanced at.
A Short History of Iaido
The Shoden or basic style is based on Omori ryu, founded by Omori Rokurosaemon Masamitsu. Omori was a swordman of the Yagyo Shinkage Ryu(Bishu style) founded by Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Fujiwara Nobutsuna (or Hidetsuna), himself a student of Kage ryu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shinto ryu, and heavily influenced by Zen master Takuan (1573-1645). Omori had also studied under Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin Hidenobu but was thrown out over a personal conflict.
Omori combined the kata of Yagyu Shinkage ryu with Osagawara ryu reishiki of which he was also a student. Omori taught his style together with Shinkage ryu to Hayashi Rokudayu Morimasa (1661-1732) and to Oguro Motoemon Kiyokatsu, both headmasters following Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin Hidenobu in what was then called Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu. They continued teaching the Omori ryu together with the other styles then contained in this ryu.
In the 20th century an extra kata was added to Omori ryu, the names and order were changed, and the ryu was simplified a little to fit its new role as beginner's kata.
David
