Originally Chiba Sensei practiced Musô Shinden-ryû under Mitzuzuka Sensei. 'Iai Battoh-Ho,” meaning 'sword-drawing method,' is based on Iaido, 'the Way of sword drawing,' and other traditional forms of Japanese sword work. Read a reflective article written by a 3 year student of Iaido in our dojo. Learn more about the benefits of practice and what you might expect in a first class on our Dojo News blog post. Self-compassion, patience, self-efficacy. Resilience, self-awareness, fortitude, perseverance,Ĭalm, easier breathing, reduced stress, improved focus, sitting in seiza for bowing in and out at the start and end of class). No falling is required in the martial art of Iaido. Footwork patterns in Iaido practice include pivoting, sliding, and stepping forward and backward. We do some brief kneeling (e.g. You may borrow a wooden bokken from the dojo for use in the class. Initially you do not have to own a Japanese sword to participate. Through practice we learn to formulate clear intention, gather oneself, organize our many parts to work together toward unified action, and then move fluidly, powerfully, definitively.

Iaido requires of us: mental discipline, sustained focus, attention to detail and awareness of how we recruit the self to perform action. Practicing Iaido engages the mind and body fully. The way of learning to draw the Japanese sword becomes a practice in refining the self. Iaido is known as 'the way of sword drawing.' In practice, it is the way of drawing, cutting, and re-sheathing a sword. In Japanese martial arts the term way refers to a path of self-development or cultivation.

Iaido classes