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ABOUT IAIDO
Iaido is the Japanese art of drawing the sword.
It originated with Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu, although the forms practiced
in Iaijutsu are  modified
slightly in Iaido. Unlike Iaijutsu, which was used in real
combat, Iaido is much more of a spiritual and mental discipline.
The primary goal of Iaido is to be able to draw
one's sword so quickly that one's opponent has no time to to act
and therefore cannot defend. Practitioners of this art practice
drawing the sword for many hours every day. The draw is done at
a slow, very controlled pace and consists of 20 movements for drawing
and 50 movements for slicing and cutting. All these movements are
slightly different.
This art is part of the Japanese Kendo Federation
but it is not a style of Kendo. Iaido is more of a spiritual discipline
than a self-defense art. It combines elements of Zen, Shinto, Confucianism
and Buddhism.
Schools important to Iaido are Hoki-ryu, Ichiden-ryu,
Mugai-ryu, Omori-ryu, Tamiya-ryu and Toyama.
Hokushin
Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do consists of twenty eight offensive and
defensive movements (kata). Many of them start from the
formal sitting position (seiza), rise through to the standing
position and end by sheathing (noto) the sword while returning
to the sitting position (seiza.) It is this distinctive
flair that sets Koryu, Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do apart
from other schools of swordsmanship.
Iai-Do is the ancient Japanese art of drawing
the sword and cutting in a single movement. It was created for
the physical and mental discipline of the Samurai warrior.
Students are taught Iai-Do techniques for use
against single and multiple attackers, even against spear (yari) and
armour (yoroi). Iai-Do combines various offensive and defensive
movements teaching a swordsman to receive and counter an attack
from any direction.
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