Practitioners of this sport are referred to as Iaidoka. Beginners usually use wooden swords like the blunt edged iaito but, practitioners who are skilled use shard edged word or shinken. This sport is associated with smoothly controlled movements from the drawing of the sword from its scabbard or saya to striking or cutting an opponent. Thus the practice of Japanese martial discipline began again. After these came organizations that begin to incorporate this in their martial arts or sports discipline. It was in 1932 when the Japanese discipline incorporating this practice was approve. After Japan’s feudal system has collapse, the founders of modern discipline borrowed the theory. This practice started in the mid-1500s where Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu organized it. Iaido is an abbreviation of iai, a modern Japanese martial arts and sport that emphasizes the ability to draw a sword fast in response to an attack. Used By: Beginners Those with Advance Skills Those who practice martial arts and sport Weight: Depends on the blade length, tsuka length and fitting options Handle Length: Depends on the height and strength of the user Even in Europe, Iaido is practiced and organized by the European Kendo Federation, which hosts a competition each year.Blade Length: Depends on the height and strength of the user The sport is currently regulated by the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF), which creates standards regarding kata and etiquette, while also organizing and regulating competitions. This allows practitioners to make proper striking techniques while minimizing the risk of self-injury in the process.Įven after all those years, Iaido is still practiced by thousands of people from across the world. Rather, it's a real sword with a blunt edge. The iaito isn't just another bamboo or wood practice sword. In recent years, however, practitioners have since switched to a different sword for this martial art, known as a iaito. In the past, Iaido was practiced with live-blade swords like the traditional Japanese katana or wakizashi.
An Iaido match always begins and ends with the practitioner unsheathing and sheathing his or her sword. A typical competition begins with a single practitioner unsheathing and drawing his or her sword, after which they perform practice strikes using various techniques. Second, the practitioner must be able to draw his or her sword quickly and respond to an opponent's attack.Īlthough Iaido emphasizes the importance of responding to an attack, the martial art is usually practiced solo. First, the practitioner must maintain a sense of psychological awareness, always looking for signs of impending attack. There are two main focuses of this martial art. Here's the thing: They all focus on non-combative techniques rather than direct combat. Iaido involves the use of hundreds of different styles of swordsmanship. #2) Iaido Involves Hundreds of Swordsmanship Styles According to the All Japan Iaido Federation, there were five major schools that contributed to the development of this now-popular martial art. Around this same time, the Hoki-ryu school also emerged. During Japan's Muromachi period, for instance, the Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū school emerged, bringing this martial art to countless students. To put the popularity of Iaido into perspective, there have been numerous schools that teach this martial art. In this post, we're going to explore this traditional Japanese martial art, revealing five facts that may surprise you.
Originating in feudal Japan, it focuses on drawing one's sword and responding to an attack. Iaido has become a popular form of martial arts that's practiced by thousands of people from around the world.