Author Archives: iaidotsj

A Japanese sword is designed to slice. An ax is designed to chop. The mass and balance of a sword is designed to slice at the tip, instead of chopping near the hands. Since this is the case, a sword’s tip should move along the greatest arc from a center point. By applying the principlesContinue reading “Using the Arc”

Iaido, as a path, always teaches its practitioners. There is always something new. A true student will go beyond the moment and unpack all its meaning. Some moments are small and some are momentous, yet each is equally important. Most of us don’t listen to the lessons in every moment and require more dramatic eventsContinue reading “Iaito Fatigue & Failure”

There are many paths we walk. Sometimes they are groomed by our teachers, and sometimes we must carve them out of the wild using the techniques and methods of our teachers. This path leads to a shrine O’Sensei helped create on the Northern island of Hokkaido. Keep training to stay on the path.

There are many obstacles when training in Aikido and Iaido.  The biggest one I face is the language barrier.  There are so many Japanese phrases that have approximate English translation definitions.  One of my Iaido students has been trying to teach me some Japanese, though he, himself, isn’t fluent.  He gave me a dictionary andContinue reading “The Axle and Torque”

At the end of kirioroshi(vertical downward cut) the hands should be slightly below the knee.  Note the angle of the sword and thigh.  Even though the cut is finished, the feeling with the tip is still pressing down.  Keep training!

When doing the first chiburi in Inyoshintai(also known as Eishin ryu chiburi or Suhei noto[horizontal or level] chiburi), it is important to keep the blade edge to the right and the tip slightly lower than the hand so that a drop of water/blood could roll down the slope. If executing Suhei noto chiburi, one shouldContinue reading “Chiburi in Inyoshintai”