What is iaido? And why talk about it?
Iaido is a Japanese martial art that consists of the quick drawing of the sword and striking (by cutting or thrust) in a single gesture. The sword used in Iaido is the famous katana, made popular by countless books, films, TV series, anime, and manga and inextricably linked to the figure of the Samurai.
The word Iaido is made up of three kanji:
(I) 居 to live, to exist
(AI) 合 union, harmony
(DO) 道 way
and therefore one of the most accredited translations is “Living in union with the Way”.
But what is this Way that we hear about every time we come across Japanese art, not only in combat disciplines such as Karate and Judo but also in Shodo, the art of calligraphy, and much more?
How can using a sword allow us to live in union and harmony?
What does this martial art practically consist of?
What is the SENSE of talking and practicing this martial discipline in the twenty-first century, in a world where swords are no longer used and no apparent practical benefit is seen?
These are just a few questions I have asked myself since I started practicing and walking the Way and that I hear myself being asked by my new and advanced students. The answers I found on the tatami, in the dojo (by the way, what do these words mean?), and in the course of endless conversations, washed down with substantial doses of cold beer, which I had the honor of having with kind, prepared and available Sensei and Senpai, I would like to share them with you.
I will try to answer in a simple but not simplistic way to these and other questions, through examples, explanations of terms, films, comics, books, descriptions of techniques, and interviews with Masters of Iaido in the following posts. I hope that they will be of interest not only to those who already practice or would like to approach this splendid discipline but also to those curious readers who want to know more.