| Mahatma Gandhiis the art of drawing the sword | | | | sword being drawn in the first place - in |
| and striking an armed opponent at lightning | | | | other words, to conquer the enemy |
| speed. It is the art of strategy, achieving | | | | "spiritually", with the sword still in the |
| precision in all aspects of mental and | | | | sheath, and so resolve problems without |
| physical ability, including accurate | | | | having to even resort to violence. There is |
| footwork, balanced posture and critical | | | | one quote that explains this way of thinking: |
| timing. Live blades are razor-sharp and | | | | "The mind is not disturbed by the self being |
| experienced practitioners are the only ones | | | | beaten up but by the self beating up others." |
| permitted to use them. The risk involved is | | | | History: Iaido derives from the ancient way |
| thought to be worthwhile because this is the | | | | of the Samurai warrior (bushi), and the |
| only way achieve the ultimate in awareness | | | | forerunner of the art we know today, |
| and concentration, and to unify the mind and | | | | Iaijutsu, was used in earnest on the |
| the body together in total harmony. Although | | | | battlefield, whereas Iaido was designed to |
| Iaido may be classed as a separate martial | | | | practise "the way of the sword". Evidence |
| art, it is closely related and complementary | | | | suggests that the bokken used today in Iaido |
| to Kendo. Kendo practice requires 2 people | | | | has been used as a weapon since around 400 |
| fencing each other armed with shinhai (bamboo | | | | AD. The bokken is a solid wooden stick with |
| swords) and wearing armour, whereas Iaido is | | | | the same shape, weight and approximate length |
| practised on an individual basis wearing a | | | | as a sword, and is usually made of red or |
| gi, juban, hakama and obi. Practitioners use | | | | white oak. Bokken technique was followed by |
| a real or an imitation sword, called an | | | | the art of tachikaki (drawing the sword from |
| iaito. The aim of the exercise is to perform | | | | its scabbard). The blade (tachi or katana), |
| a set of movements (kata), in which the sword | | | | was long and straight and the Japanese |
| is drawn, an imaginary opponent is cut, and | | | | warrior would carry it on his left side. A |
| then the sword is resheathed. The ultimate | | | | shorter blade was used for quick-draw |
| purpose of Iaido, however, is to master the | | | | techniques known as batto. |
| ability to overcome the enemy without the | | | | |