What is Iaido?

Iaido is the traditional Japanese martial art of drawing and cutting with the samurai sword. The purpose of Iaido is to develop awareness, centeredness, sincerity, a calm mind, and mental and physical harmony through the practice of traditional sword techniques. It is the Japanese martial art that is most closely associated with the samurai class and Japanese nobility. It is not considered a sport, but rather a unique and ancient traditional art for the development of mind, body, and spirit.

Many different schools of iaido have flourished and transmitted over the years. Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei has established a fundamental kata to be learned for the purpose of broadening the training of iaido. In order to complete the training of iaido one must start with the learning of Zen Nihon kendo Renmei and eventually master the different schools of iaido that have been transmitted over the past many years.

The founding father of the modern day iaido, Nakayama Hakudo Sensei learned his iaido under Sensei Hosokawa Yoshimasa and Sensei Morimoto Tokumi. Nakayama Hakudo Sensei went to Tosa during the mid-Meiji period and mastered the well-guarded Eishin Ryu. He then added his own technques to establish Musoushinden Ryu in 1933.