Different Types of Martial Arts

Iado and Yagyu Shrinkage Ryu: Swords as Extensions

Iado

Iado

More than a century before iaido came into being, a similar art, iaijutsu, had been developed by Iizasa Lenao, the legendary founder of the famed tenshin shoden katori.

Both of these arts involve perfecting control of the sword. In its original form this meant drawing it from its scabbard, then striking, cutting, removing the blood, and replacing the sword—all in one smooth, fluid motion.

Instant reactions

It is likely that the art was developed to save crucial seconds in the event of a surprise attack. A warrior trained in iaido would have lightning-sharp reactions and could respond instantly.

Today, practitioners use either blunt or sharpened metal swords, and are trained to achieve an enhanced state of awareness and sensitivity to the wider environment.

Although modern iaido is a noncompetitive art, competitions do take place, in which set movements are performed in front of a panel of judges.

Yagyu Shrinkage Ryu

Yagyu Shrinkage Ryu

The founder of this sword school is credited with bringing radical changes to aspects of swordsmanship, such as posture and grip. He also introduced a type of light armor that gave his men more freedom of movement. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed his school to his top disciple, Yagyu Muneyoshi, who went on to teach the art to the Shogunate—the military government.

Modern times

The codified forms in the current curriculum, developed by Yagyu Toshikane, the fifth heir to the system, include

Yagyu Shrinkage Ryu

aspects of bojutsu, kenjutsu, and shurikenjutsu.

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