Iaido

Iaido is the art of drawing and handling the Japanese sword (katana). It is a fighting style with a tradition that dates back to the samurai of the 16th century and was initially a fighting technique intended for self-defense and battlefield training. Over time, the techniques in iaido have been standardized and developed into its own form of budo, where one can gain experience in handling a real sword.

Today, iaido is practiced to improve concentration, conscious presence and body control. Those who practice iaido do so for various reasons, out of interest in Japanese history, popular culture, mythology; or because they admire the craftsmanship that a traditionally made katana represents.

The iaido we practice in our club is the official kata series of the Japanese Kendo Federation, sometimes called Seitei iaido. The most common name for this series is ZNKR-iaido, which is based on the abbreviation of the Japanese name of the federation, Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (全日本剣道連盟). You can see Ogura-sensei demonstrating these forms here.

Advanced students also have the opportunity to practice koryu (old style) from the Musō Shinden–ryū (夢想神伝流) sword school, which is part of the origin of the standardized ZNKR kata.