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05-06-2004, 04:05 PM

It's the japanese martial art of drawing a katana and striking in one move. 
 
Anyone? Magnus/Matt 
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix" 
Niagara Falls, Canada

scythius · 05-06-2004, 04:57 PM

One of my best friends studies iado and iajutsu... 
 
Scythius 
LEG IX HSPA - COH III EXPG - CEN I HIB 
 
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Hibernicus · 05-06-2004, 05:20 PM

Fora moment there I thought you were talking about Disney artists working on a new samurai cartoon engaging in a work stoppage. 
 
Maximus Minimus

05-06-2004, 05:52 PM

Adam, can you ask him what the Iaido Katas are like? If they involve any sword play other than drawing? Magnus/Matt 
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix" 
Niagara Falls, Canada

05-06-2004, 10:09 PM

I studied Yamate-ryu kenjistsu for a little while. My memory is getting a little hazy, but I think I recall that we referred just to the drawing-cutting moves as Iaijitsu, yet it was seen as a component of our larger kenjitsu curriculum. 
 
One key thing to note: it might depend on the style. There are oodles of styles ("ryu"s) of kenjitsu, jujitsu, aikijitsu, and doubtless iaijitsu, too. 
 
I'm not sure about iaiDO. The "do" forms ("do" translates "way") are generally "modern" forms that depart somewhat from the older, more combat-oriented "jitsu" forms ("jitsu" translates as "art"), in trying to become a "way toward enlightenment"... partly with the idea that this helps them to continue to be relevant to the modern world that no longer "needs" samurai. (You see, after the Meiji Restoration, some samurai joined Tom Cruise in suicide-charge rebellions, others founded "do" martial arts... ) Whereas the "jitsu" forms all have, oh, who knows how many "ryu"s ("schools") at least some of the "do" forms have essentially a single modern founding father and are thus really their own "ryu". I know this is true of judo and aikido, but I'm not sure about kendo and iaido. 
 
But jeez, I'm drawing on memories that are so old that I'm practically talking through my hat here. Let's see what Adam's friend has to say. I'm interested, too. 
 
Aaron

05-07-2004, 02:33 AM

Thanks AGLarsen. I'd love to study Kenjutsu, unfortunately instructors in the combat art of the sword are extremely few and far between. Kendo and Iaido seem to dominate the japanese sword martial arts. 
 
A brief (well, not really!) bit of info on Iaido: 
 
Iaido is the art of drawing and attacking with a sword. "Iai" is composed of the characters "i(ru)" (to be, to stay in, to sit, to remain seated) and "a(u)" (to come together, to meet, to harmonise). There is some debate among experts as to how and why the term "iai" came to refer to drawing the sword. One school of thought contends the terms originated with the practice of drawing the sword while seated, which had no practical value in traditional times, since samurai did not wear their long swords while seated. Another possibility is that "iai" was adopted for this purpose to connote the idea of handling an opponent instantly and without moving from the spot on which one is attacked. 
 
Iaido is usually used to refer to mainstream iaido: the standard set of techniques proscribed by the Zen-Nippon Kendo Renmei (seitei-gata) or those proscribed by the Zen-Nippon Iaido Renmei (iaido toho). Iaidoka generally practice both those techniques and an accompanying koryu, usually either Muso Jikiden Eishen Ryu or Muso Shinden Ryu. 
 
Iaidoka (and kendoka) wield a sword not to control their opponent, but to control themselves. Iaido is mostly performed solo as a series of kata, executing varied techniques against single or multiple imaginary opponents. Each kata begins and ends with the sword sheathed. In addition to sword technique, it requires imagination and concentration in order to maintain the feeling of a real fight and to keep the kata fresh. Iaidoka are often recommended to practice kendo to preserve that fighting feel; it is common for high ranking kendoka to hold high rank in iaido and vice versa. 
 
In order to properly perform the kata, iaidoka also learn posture and movement, grip and swing. Sometimes iaidoka will practice partner kata similar to kendo or kenjutsu kata. Unlike kendo, iaido is never practised in a free-sparring manner. 
 
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The site i got this info also goes on to say that iajutsu is just another term for iaido. But, i'm hoping there's a bit of swordplay...I'd like to know how to handle a real blade. It is my hope to one day own a traditionaly made nihon-to...a katana would be nice. One with a bit of history to it. The only minor problem is that a blade by itself is usually around $2,500 USD to start. So it may be a while yet... 
 
Magnus/Matt 
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix" 
Niagara Falls, Canada

05-08-2004, 10:11 AM

Well, handle a real blade you will do in Iaido, though how much swordplay beyond the first cut is perhaps the open question. btw, my former instructor and dojo is still in town and that year (about 6 years ago) he'd found a smith in China that was making katanas to his (very exacting) standards for about 500 bucks. I could try and track him down and see if he still has the same contact (or similar ones). 
 
Kenjitsu katas, btw, are usually fairly short, especially ones that involve a partner. The Japanese concept of swordplay involved less parrying (they liked to avoid banging blades, if possible) than most Western styles and less extraneous movement than Chinese styles. The whole switch from tachi to katana was all about the whole "fast draw" thing. (The difference between a tachi/conventional sword mount and a katana is much like the difference between a cavarlyman's secure flap holser and a gunfighter's fast-draw holster.) The samurai envisioned short and deadly encounters. So an iaido draw-cut motion is already about half as long as most of the kenjitsu katas I'd been shown. 
 
One other aside on a minor point: it wasn't just the katana that they used in iaijitsu, but the wakisashi; the samurai generally left their katanas at the door, not just as a sign of respect, but the long katana could be awkward indoors anyway. I don't know if you've heard that old wives tale that the wakisashi was used just for seppuku, but it's not true. Some special "two-sword" styles even taught them to use both at the same time, much as western duelists sometimes trained w/ sword and parrying dagger. 
 
Aaron

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