Kendo teaches distance and timing with a live opponent, while iaido teaches correct use of a real sword.īeginners will start by learning correct posture, footwork, and etiquette, and how to properly hold and cut with the sword. Iai and kendo have a special relationship, and are sometimes said to be “Two wheels of the same cart,” with many people practicing both arts. The largest group is the Iaido section of the All-Japan Kendo Federation. Iaido was outlawed by the occupation forces after World War II, but after the art was reinstated, iaidoka created groups to standardize practice. Each has its own stylistic differences and approach to training.

In the 16th century, Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu founded Shin Muso Hayashizaki-ryu, a school of iaido that spread across Japan and branched off into numerous other traditions or ryuha. Today, the most popular are Muso Shinden-ryu, Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, Tamiya-ryu, and Mugai-ryu, but dozens, if not hundreds, of other styles exist. Schools of swordsmanship developed that placed a great emphasis on the initial draw-and-cut. Batto (“sword drawing”) was taught as one of the many martial arts required for samurai. The exquisite sharpness of the Japanese sword meant that fights could end an instant after they began, so quick actions with no wasted motions meant the difference between life and death. But when these weapons failed, or when fighting came down to close-quarter combat, the ability to swiftly draw one’s sword and attack was essential. On the battlefields of medieval Japan, samurai were armed with various weapons such as bows, spears, halberds, and eventually firearms.

Iaido quickdraw stance