Permission of the Iaido instructor is required.

Most students practice Aikido for at least 6 month or are training in another martial art before starting Iaido. Beginners and intermediate students use an iaito, a metal sword without a cutting edge. Iaido practice is done wearing a hakama, pleated flared trousers, and with a metal sword. Emphasis on etiquette, repetition, proper posture, breathing and timing makes Iaido physically and mentally rigorous. Some techniques begin from a kneeling position, some from a standing position and most end with the practitioner standing. Each of these techniques consists of drawing a sheathed sword, making one or more cuts and then re-sheathing the sword. It is organized into groups of prescribed movements which are practiced without a partner. Every kata starts and finishes with the sword sheathed.Iaido is a traditional Japanese martial art whose origins date back to the 16th century. Iaido is for the most part performed solo as an issue of kata, executing changed strategies against single or various fanciful rivals. 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 encompasses hundreds of styles of swordsmanship, all of which subscribe to non-combative aims and purposes. Before then, the sword drawing koryū were known as Iai-jutsu. The word ‘Iaido’ was first coined in 1932 by Nakayama Hakudō, the founder of Musō Shinden-ryū. From the moment the sword is released from its scabbard the practitioner maintains a mental acuity and uses deliberate motion to dispatch all opponents in an effortless, efficient manner. Practitioners of Iaido develop the use an imposing presence and mental pressure to dissuade an opponent until the use of the sword is the only option. To draw your sword ahead of time would be a display of aggression only serving to escalate the encounter. The mindset, though, is that one is practicing methods of using a sword from the outset of a hostile encounter with a potential enemy. However, this is not the sole component of the art and most kata incorporate additional actions with the sword after it is drawn, covering a wide variety of scenarios. Iaido focuses on drawing a sword directly into a cutting technique. The term ‘Iaido’ acts as a designation for a number of related sword arts focused on drawing techniques performed with a smooth and efficient motion. Iaido (居合道) is a martial art that involves the use of the Japanese long sword, the katana.

Iaido technique