Iaito Sword

Iaido – General Background

Iaido is the art of drawing the sword and striking an armed opponent at lightning speed. It is the art of strategy, achieving precision in all aspects of mental and physical ability, including accurate footwork, balanced posture and crititcal timing. Live blades are razor-sharp and experienced practitioners are the only ones permitted to use them. The risk involved is thought to be worthwhile because this is the only way achieve the ultimate in awareness and concentration, and to unify the mind and the body together in total harmony.

Although Iaido may be classed as a separate martial art, it is closely related and complementary to Kendo. Kendo practice requires 2 people fencing each other armed with shinhai (bamboo swords) and wearing armour, whereas Iaido is practised on an individual basis wearing a gi, juban, hakama and obi. Practitioners use a real or an imitation sword, called an iaito. The aim of the exercise is to perform a set of movements (kata), in which the sword is drawn, an imaginary opponent is cut, and then the sword is resheathed. The ultimate purpose of Iaido, however, is to master the ability to overcome the enemy without the sword being drawn in the first place – in other words, to conquer the enemy “spiritually”, with the sword still in the sheath, and so resolve problems without having to even resort to violence. There is one quote that explains this way of thinking: “The mind is not disturbed by the self being beaten up but by the self beating up others.”

History:

Iaido derives from the ancient way of the Samurai warrior (bushi), and the forerunner of the art we know today, Iaijutsu, was used in earnest on the battlefield, whereas Iaido was designed to practise “the way of the sword”.

Evidence suggests that the bokken used today in Iaido has been used as a weapon since around 400 AD. The bokken is a solid wooden stick with the same shape, weight and approximate length as a sword, and is usually made of red or white oak. Bokken technique was followed by the art of tachikaki (drawing the sword from its scabbard). The blade (tachi or katana), was long and straight and the Japanese warrior would carry it on his left side. A shorter blade was used for quick-draw techniques known as batto.

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CAS Hanwei & Cheness iaito sword review

WKC Swords Dragonfly-Iaito Sori 0.6 Inch 28 Stainless Steel Blade WKC Swords Dragonfly-Iaito Sori 0.6 Inch 28″ Stainless Steel Blade…

WKC Swords Dragonfly-Iaito Sori 1 Inch 28 Stainless Steel Blade WKC Swords Dragonfly-Iaito Sori 1 Inch 28″ Stainless Steel Blade…

Paul Chen 6000IGC 27 Blade Practical Iaito Katana with Imitation Rayskin Handles & Imitation Leather Wrap $281.83 Paul Chen – 27″ Blade Practical Iaito Katana with Imitation Rayskin Handles & Imitation Leather Wrap. Model: PC6000IGC. 38 1/2″ overall. 27″ unsharpened forged stainless tempered blade. Imitation rayskin handle with imitation leather wrap. Handle is removable. Black lacquered scabbard….

Paul Chen 6007IGE 28 Blade Tori Iaito with Black Rayskin Handles & Brown Leather Wrap $458.24 Paul Chen – 28″ Blade Tori Iaito with Black Rayskin Handles & Brown Leather Wrap. Model: PC6007IGE. 39 1/2″ overall. 28″ powder steel folded blade. Flying Crane themed tsuba. Black rayskin handle with brown leather wrap. Brown textured finish scabbard with black lacquered rattan wrap. Cloth storage sleeve….

Paul Chen 6001IGE 28 Blade Practical Plus Iaito with Genuine Rayskin Handles & Cotton Cord Wrap $375.46 Paul Chen – 28″ Blade Practical Plus Iaito with Genuine Rayskin Handles & Cotton Cord Wrap. Model: PC6001IGE. 39 1/2″ overall. 28″ unsharpened forged tempered steel blade. Genuine rayskin handle with cotton cord wrap. Iron sunburst design tsuba with Japanese Dogwood motif fittings. Black textured finish scabbard….

Big Mens Wine A Little T-Shirt (Big & Tall and Regular Sizes) Your Custom T-shirt is Heavyweight 6.1 oz 100% Cotton constructed with an exacting eye for quality. Features shoulder to shoulder taping, coverseamed neck, and double-needle stitched hem. All sizes available in 12 colors! NOTE: Keep in mind the colors of the graphic when selecting Tshirt color. For example, you would not want to put a light color graphic on a light colored shirt. *Since each …

Unsharpened Carbon Steel Iaito Practice Sword Katana $48.98 This is the Iaido Carbon Steel Iaito Practice Sword Katana. The blade of the iaito has been constructed from carbon steel and features a bo hi. An aesthetic hamon has been added to the blade. The kissaki of the blade has been slightly rounded off. The iaito comes full tang and unsharpened….

Bushido Musashi – High Carbon Steel Iaito Katana $59.99 High carbon steel, unsharpened handmade Iaito designed for heavy training use. This sword has the same weight and balance of your “battle ready” katana without the sharp edge. The 1045 high carbon blade is polished and designed to look just like its sharpened counterparts. The blade is full tang and secured with dual bamboo pegs. Your Iaito can be taken apart for care, display, or demonstration. T…

Whetstone Cutlery Dark Wooden Practice Samurai Bokken Sword $10.14 This classic hardwood sword is perfect for the martial art trainee to the professional. Sword is made of Solid Dark Wood and is 40″ in length. Bokken is a training sword, used as a relatively safe and inexpensive substitute for a real blade in several martial arts. They are used in the early stages of iaido when a practitioner has not yet reached the level where use of a iaito would be safe. The e…