Iaido 居合道

Iaido pronounced “ee-eye-doh” and Iai Jutsu are primarily concerned with the drawing of the sword (batto) and the dispatching of the enemy in a clear and decisive manner. 

In feudal times it was said that there were three possible outcomes in a sword duel: (i) both combatants would kill each other, (ii) one person would be victorious or (iii) one of the combatants would be overwhelmed by the confidence or presence of the opposing swordsman and simply withdraw from the conflict. This latter outcome is considered to have occurred rarely and is the outcome that we prepare for when training. In Japanese this is referred to as “saya no uchi” or “saya no uchi de katsu” which translates as “to gain victory with the sword still in its scabbard”. 

In modern times the use of the sword is now defunct. As students of the art, we invest many years of training with the aim of perfecting our techniques, when in reality this goal is unrealistic as we will never be perfect. This is where the challenge and enjoyment of the art is sought – with training it is possible to slowly polish away the rough exterior to reveal the simple beauty of the art and ones self.