Iaidō, the Art of Sword Extraction
Iaidō, abbreviated with iai, is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack.
Iaidō is associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard (or saya), striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.
Practitioners of iaidō are often referred to as iaidōka: the beginners may start with the bokken, a wooden sword, while most of the practitioners use the iaitō, a blunt edged sword made of an aluminium-zinc alloy, which is cheaper and lighter than steel. Few, more experienced, iaidō practitioners use the shinken, a sharp edged sword.
Bokken
Iaitō
Shinken
Iaidō is for the most part performed solo as an issue of kata, a series of codified movements, executing changed strategies against single or various fanciful rivals.
The term iaidō appears in 1932, and its meaning is approximately "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction". The term emerged from the general trend to replace the suffix -jutsu ("the art of") with -dō in Japanese martial arts in order to emphasize the philosophical or spiritual aspects of the practice. Iaidō is a reflection of the morals of the classical warrior and has the purpose of building a spiritually harmonious person possessed of high intellect, sensitivity, and resolute will.
Link:
Iaidō Demonstration Video
Iaidō Explanation Video
