Few weapons hold as much mystique as the katana, often said to have a spirit of its own for good or ill. It is depicted as a dueling and battlefield weapon to be wielded by those with unsurpassed might at arms. One of the most well-known tropes in fiction dealing with weapons is that of the so-called “quick draw.” Similar to how a gunslinger in a Western draws his gun and instantly fires accurately from the hip, a skilled samurai could have his sword drawn and cut through three enemies in an instant. Although exaggerated for storytelling purposes, there is a martial art devoted to cutting from the draw: iaijutsu, sometimes shortened to iai. This word means “self-harmony.” Another word used is battoujutsu, or the “sword-drawing art.”
How Did Iaijutsu Come About?
Prior to the katana and wakizashi, a samurai in the late Kamakura or early Muromachi period would have worn the tanto for everyday carry, reserving the tachi for field engagements.
After the Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281, the Japanese realized that their existing weapons were not as effective against outside enemies as they had hoped: to wit, the tachi often wound up with a broken tip and it was too large to use in mass infantry formations. Therefore, the shorter katana was developed.
The earliest recorded system of iaijutsu dates to sometime in the 15th century, when the turbulence of the Sengoku Period was in full swing but before the introduction of firearms. The katana, because of its subtle curvature and edge-up mounting, was well suited to self-defense applications on the street because it works with existing human biomechanics. The arm moves in an arc when drawing and cutting with the sword and the curve of the blade follows this arc.
Fundamentals of Iaijutsu
Each waza (/technique) consists of four parts. First is nukitsuke, the drawing of the sword. From a sheathed position, the samurai brings his sword out in a draw cut usually across the eyes or the throat. Sometimes they would cut from other angles. This was to warn the enemy off or dissuade them from fighting.
Second is kirioroshi, the finishing cut. If, after nukitsuke, the enemy was still hostile, the more powerful two-handed cut would ensure a quicker death. To leave a maimed warrior to die a slow death was viewed as one of the most dishonorable acts possible. After confirming the kill (simulated in training by remaining ready) comes chiburi, the act of shaking the blood off the sword, and noto, which is sheathing the sword while maintaining readiness.
Practical Applications in Fencing
The common trope of a swordsman sheathing his sword mid-fight is the equivalent of a boxer dropping his guard: it is simply excess motion. Iaijutsu is not a “fighting style.” It is meant to complement existing kenjutsu. Although ideally, an encounter would play out as described above, reality often tells a different story. As a way to deploy a weapon instantly, iaijutsu played a lifesaving role: it enabled a samurai to transition from a completely relaxed state to full combat readiness in less than a second. After the sword was out, standard kenjutsu tactics would be the go-to.
Each iaijutsu waza addresses a given situation a swordsman might encounter. This is referred to as bunkai (practical application). Some examples include facing a sudden attack from any direction while in seiza, dealing with multiple enemies, or fighting from inside a low doorway or in a narrow alleyway. The samurai knew that violence does not occur in a vacuum: numerous environmental and social constraints could be in place that would require a different approach to fighting. For example, the waza Kabezoe from Eishin-ryu assumes that the swordsman is walking through an extremely narrow alleyway and thus dispenses with the standard nukitsuke to draw almost vertically before the kirioroshi.
Moving Meditation
Iaijutsu is not only a martial art, it is also a conduit for meditation. While all martial arts require correct movement for effectiveness, iai requires such for the user’s own safety. Incorrect form can cause the katana to slice through the saya and the swordsman’s thumb. Therefore, the art requires absolute focus. Coupled with deep breathing to relax the body and mind, the deliberate movements of iai lend themselves well to developing single-minded concentration, similar to cultivating Zen gardens.
Iai students must use their imagination; to learn to practice the techniques with intent, they have to picture an attacker clearly. This creates a sense of urgency and the need to act with pure focus and intent. This level of discipline can transfer into all martial arts practice. To quiet the mind prior to beginning a waza, it is customary to take several deep breaths to relax the muscles. One problem that iai beginners tend to have is too much tension in their upper body, which drains power and range of motion from the muscles.
During the Edo Period, samurai had largely become government officials rather than the soldiers they had been. It was expected that they would continue to practice with the sword but it took on a more spiritual focus.
Famous Schools
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu
Although not completely iai–focused, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu is one of the oldest and most respected sword styles. It contains 16 iai waza divided into three sets: Omote no Iai (Basics of Sword Drawing), Tachiai Battojutsu (Standing Sword Drawing Forms), and Gokui no Iai (Essentials of Sword Drawing). Only the most advanced students are taught Gokui no Iai. A notable aspect of this school is the dynamic movement. One waza involves the swordsman performing nukitsuke in midair. Also, the traditional seiza is often not used: instead, a kneeling posture called iaigoshi takes its place.
Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu
This is one of the most comprehensive iai styles, with over a hundred waza devoted to a variety of situations in seiza, tatehiza, and standing positions. Eishin-ryu is said to be descended from a style taught by Hayashizaki Jinzaemon. Legend has it that he witnessed his father’s murder and swore vengeance, praying to the kami to enlighten him and aid him in his revenge: these methods of drawing a sword were said to be the result of this prayer and he eventually found his father’s killer.
Tsumaki Tamiya-ryu
Tsumaki Tamiya-ryu is another iai style developed during the late 16th century, as a contemporary of Eishin-ryu. It is notable for including—in addition to its iai curriculum—kenshibu and shigin, or the arts of fan/sword kata and traditional poetry reading. This is in keeping with the expectation of samurai as being skilled swordsmen as well as being culturally literate. There is another school called Tamia-ryu known as the Kuroda branch, and it specializes in the use of swords with longer hilts for leverage.
Benefits of Iai Practice
When dealing with martial arts, the question that inevitably comes up is “Why bother with this art?” That seems especially apt at first glance, for an art concerned with such a seemingly outdated weapon as the katana. The chances of getting into a life-or-death duel with swords is, thankfully, nearly non-existent, but it doesn’t mean the art is useless.
Iai is an art of calm and relaxed focus. By training diligently in iai, one can develop a keen sense of awareness as well. Spatial awareness is important in all martial arts, but even more so when dealing with weapons because the wielder has to know where the weapon is at all times in relation to themselves and any bystanders.
In addition, iai is a low-impact form of exercise that can be practiced by people of all ages. It does not employ sparring or high-contact drills. It is suited for calm, meditative practice that poses no danger to the student; only at advanced levels of study are students allowed to use a live blade, referred to as a shinken, in the dojo.
Modern Iai: Equipment and Training
To practice iaijutsu, students require the traditional dogi that is common in many martial arts. They also need the obi and the hakama. The obi is a thick sash-like belt wrapped around the waist. The hakama is a pleated pair of trousers that feature as part of Japanese traditional dress. The sword is inserted into the obi between the first and second layers; if a wakizashi is worn, it goes under all the layers of the obi.
Only advanced students are allowed to practice with live steel for the purposes of safety. Most beginner iai students start out with a bokuto and a plastic saya. Later, they can upgrade to an iaito, which is an unsharpened katana made of aluminum-zinc alloy that gives the same aerodynamic feel of a live sword without the attendant danger.
Some practice drills call for more elaborate equipment, but this varies by school. For example, some iai techniques in Yagyu Shinkage make use of the fukuro–shinai, which is a leather-bound bamboo sword that cushions the force of a blow. Padded gloves might also be used in practicing partnered forms that involve cuts to the wrist or forearms.
Post-war Japan intended to maintain its martial arts traditions while not making them overtly militaristic as they had been during the heyday of the samurai. Iai was one of these. This is where the Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei comes in.
The Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei, or All Japan Iai Federation, is an organization whose purpose is to unify and preserve iai study, as well as to provide a means for testing fairly across different schools. It was formed in 1948 and in 1956 compiled a list of five waza from the various styles. They come from Eishin-ryu, Mugai-ryu, Shindo Munen-ryu, Suio-ryu, and Hoki-ryu.
These techniques are said to be the most representative of their respective styles and each employs a different skill important across all of iaijutsu.
