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Iaido - roughly translated as "the way of mental presence and immediate
reaction" - emphasizes the art of quickly drawing, cutting and returning
the sword to the scabbard. For many aikido students, Iaido is an integral
part of training, in part due to its dynamic balance between plyometric,
explosive energy training and an emphasis on meditative, flowing movement.
Iaido is perhaps the epitome of Japanese martial arts in its refinement, power
and precision. Its elegant and precise movements are based on the principles
of one breath, one cut, one victory.
The Japanese sword or katana is a sacred object in Japanese
culture.
Because of its spiritual value and the exquisite level of workmanship, it
was more than a battlefield weapon; samurai viewed the way of the sword as
a method of "spiritual forging" in which the student purges oneself of
personal doubts and ambivalence in a search for moral and spiritual clarity.
In Iaido, the student practices with a metal blade (iaito); many
advanced
practitioners use a shinken (live or sharp blade). Practice is
almost
always done alone. In contrast, aikido is always done with a wooden sword,
or bokken, allowing for paired practice.
The most important element in Iaido is nukitsuke, the initial draw
in which one's timing, speed and precision determined victory or defeat.
The concentration, relaxed power and focus necessary for a decisive cut
teaches the student how to act with a calm focus and awareness in everyday
life.
Iaido also teaches a deep, abiding calmness and sense of repose through
its emphasis on awareness, posture and breath.
Iaido is a method to cultivate the self. The outward simplicity of the
movements belie the incredible subtlety of the techniques, which take many
years to refine, and then many more years to make the sword and body one,
a state in which technique becomes an art that reflects the uniqueness and
humanity of the individual practitioner.
Iaido is often called the most Zen of all martial arts. Like
Zazen(Zen
meditation), the Iaido student lets go of distracting thoughts and
feelings, allowing herself to achieve a profound quietness in which there
is no sense of self separate from movement, no sense of subject separate
from the world.
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We prefer if Iaido students simultaneously practice Aikido; one art
complements and informs the other in an organic way. If the student does
not wish to practice Aikido, we prefer if the student is at least 18 years
of age, has at least the equivalent of an Aikido shodan (first
level black belt - or about 7 years of practice in another martial art).
A private interview with the chief instructor is also necessary.
Exceptions to these
requirements may be made at the discretion of the Chief Instructor if
there is sufficient maturity and commitment.