History of Iaido

Iaido was created during the feudal age of Japan by a man named Hayashizaki Minamoto Jinsuke Shigenobu, under the name 'Iaijutsu'. 'Iai' is the name given to a sword motion where the sword is drawn from the saya, or scabbard, a cut is made, and the sword is returned to the saya in a smooth motion, which is the style practiced in Iaido. The 'Jutsu' part of the word means technique, while 'do' in Iaido, means way.

There are many legends about the creation of Iaido, but many say that Kayashizaki Minamoto Jinsuky Shigenobu was diviniely inspired to create this style to avenge his father. This style was mainly used by samurai because it was more efficient for them. Samurai were generally under the rule of a lord, or daimyo, and led their lives by the code of bushido. They very rarely fought in large scale battles or wars, but fought more often in small scale combat, ranging from one on one to small groups of people. Iaido is more efficient for small scale combat, and gave the samurai the advantage in these situation.

Iaido is based off of detailed choreographed movements for specific situations called 'kata'. Each kata has a specific 'story' behind it, which details the number, placement, position, and weapons of the opponents. There are many kata, and masters of Iaido would know exactly how to react in any situation. Each kata has several 'motions' in it, which begin with drawing the sword, cutting, and returning the sword to the saya, with many variations in between. However, all the motions are meant to be as efficient as possible, with no extraneous movement at all. The kata are also very complex while seeming very simple, and one needs time, concentration, and effort to master them. This is because samurai lived and died by their kata, and if they did not know everything as well as they could, they would likely die, instead of live.

Iaido began during the feudal age, and continued for many years, until the Meiji Restoration. During this time period, guns were introduced, making the sword much less popular. Another significant change came when Zen was introduced the the Japanese culture. Zen is very spiritual and peaceful, and these aspects became somewhat mixed with Iaido, making it less about killing, and more about the improvement of oneself through improving mind, spirit, and body. Then, after the two World Wars, Japan was occupied by the American Government, who passed many laws, one of which was a law outlawing most marital arts. This is when the name was changed from 'Iaijutsu' to 'Iaido'. The name was changed in order to allow the people of Japan to continue practicing. It worked because it made Iai change from a 'technique' to a 'way' of life. This was not merely a change in name, as this change was very real in the style of Iaido, taking it from something designed for everyday killing, to something much more spiritual and peaceful.

Iaido today is still very spiritual and peaceful, but is still a very challenging art that retains its ancient ideals of defense and attack. Students of this art today practice kata against invisible opponents, as the art is designed so that one would know how to react in such a situation without ever having fought against an opponent before, and can test to take ranks in Iaido. The highest rank is Hachi-Dan, which is the Eight Rank. People who have attained Hachi-Dan are the masters of Iaido, and are the ones who decide about changes in the art that effect students worldwide.

Iaido is a very deep and beautiful art that can be a lifelong pursuit. However, it is also something that requires and deep respect and understanding for what it is you are doing, and knowing the history of Iaido can help one do that, so that this martial art has a greater impact on its students.