Iaidō

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Iaidō

Iaidō [ iaidoː ] ( Japanese 居 合 道 ) is the Japanese "way of drawing the sword" and belongs to the large area of ​​the Budō disciplines. It originated from the martial art Iaijutsu of the ancient Japanese warrior caste, the Samurai . The special feature is that the sword is drawn in such a way that it can be used as a weapon while it is being drawn.

history

According to legend, the samurai Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1549–1621) recognized the true nature of sword fighting. He called his technique Battōjutsu ( 抜 刀 術 ) and founded the Hayashizaki Musō-Ryū school . One of his students later became teachers of the Tokugawa - Shoguns . That lifted this style out of the multitude of sword techniques of the time.

The successor in the seventh generation of this lineage was Hasegawa Mondonosuke Eishin . It is said that he was the first to carry the sword with the edge up in the obi .

With the 11th Grand Master there was a split in the tradition, with Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū following one branch (Tanimura-ha), and from the other (Shimomura-ha) later Musō Shinden Ryū ( 夢想 神 伝 流 ) emerged.

meaning

The meaning of the individual syllables:

  • 居 i or iru stands for being present , both physically and mentally
  • 合 ai means to fit in, to agree , in this context as much as immediate action and reaction whenever necessary
  • 道 dō is the way or the principle

So roughly the way of being there .

The oldest name for Iaidō, Battōjutsu, literally means the "art of drawing the sword". This is because the pull and the first cut are one movement. With the appropriate execution of the sequence of movements, the first cut could be fatal. That concentrates the duel in one moment, one cut. From this it can be understood that the mental strength of the samurai was seen as decisive in the fight.

A later name was Iaijutsu. In the 1960s, many martial arts adopted the -dō instead of -jutsu ( 術 - art, craftsmanship, technique, method) in their names in order to enhance the intellectual side of practice compared to pure technique. So it came to the common name today: Iaidō.

education

The sword is the most important utensil of an Iaidoka. It is mainly practiced with the katana , which is performed with one or both hands.

Beginners start with a wooden sword ( bokutō or bokken ) in order to learn movements without running the risk of injuring themselves with a blade.

Advanced students practice in traditional clothing ( Hakama and Keikogi ) and then use an Iaitō , a practice sword, to correctly learn the techniques of pulling (nuki), one or two-handed handling and returning the sword to the scabbard (noto). These Iaitō have a blunt blade made of either a relatively soft aluminum-zinc alloy or steel, with a fully mounted handle and saya ; in shape and weight they largely correspond to a real katana. Iaitō from Japan are usually not made of steel, as the manufacture of swords with a sharpenable blade is subject to a license that is subject to a fee.

The very experienced practitioner can later practice with a Shin-Ken ("real sword" with a sharp edge). The grading at which this takes place is handled differently depending on the association or dōjō. For example, in the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (All-Japanese Kendo Association) and thus also in the European Kendo Federation (European Kendo Association), the 6th Dan exam with a Shin-Ken takes place.

Iaidō is practiced in the form of kata , with each kata form being a special excerpt from a real sword fighting situation. Usual structure of a kata:

  • Nuki Tsuke , pulling out the sword and the first cut
  • Kiri Tsuke , more cuts
  • Chiburi , the shedding of blood
  • Noto , the return of the sword to the Saya

The focus here is on learning how to handle it and how fast it is. The initial kata are used to learn the correct form. In the Koryū (the traditional “older” forms) there is more freedom, as there are quite different interpretations of the situations presented.

Iaidō is mainly performed alone. However, in order to learn aspects of the distance (Maai) and the speed of movement, partner exercises are carried out with one or up to four opponents. This is mostly done with the Bokuto for safety reasons. An advanced form of Iai is the "tachi uchi no kurai", in which two practitioners practice in fixed, controlled kata with "real" swords.

target

The Iaidō reflects the Zen philosophy. You don't fight against a real opponent, you “reflect” yourself. You try to master your own skills and develop your personality.

The goal of Iaidō is to concentrate on the exact and safe execution of the kata and to develop the unity of body, mind and sword (Ki-Ken-Tai-Ichi). Originally, diverse forms were practiced in order to be able to cope with any combat situation and to react appropriately. It is taught that mastery would be achieved by mastering a situation - without drawing the sword. This requires the development of a strong personality through years of practice.

Styles

There are many different Iai schools. Nowadays the two most popular Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū (Ryū means something like school, system, class) and Musō Shinden Ryū . Their movements are very similar, as they both go back to the lineage of Hasegawa Mondonosuke Eishin (17th / 18th century). However, they differ in their style, which has developed in their own tradition.

Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū (無双 直 伝 英 信 流 ; German "the incomparable, direct teaching of the Eishin school"). Here Oe Masamichi (1852-1927) was the reformer of the style by dividing the forms into Shoden , Chuden and Okuiaiwaza andofficiallyintroducing Omori Ryū as Shoden-kata . It was he whochosethe name Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu as the school's official title. Today it is the school with the largest number of members in the Zen Nihon Iaidō Renmei schools.

Musō Shinden Ryū (夢想 神 伝 流 ; German "the school created in the dream through divine instruction") wasrestructuredby Nakayama Hakudō (1869-1958). He divided the traditional forms into three levels / classes: Shoden (beginning level), also called Omori Ryu , Chuden (middle level), also known as Hasegawa Eishin Ryu , and Okuden (the most secret or deepest level of tradition). Nakayama Hakudō coined the term Iai-dō for the first time. Interestingly, he was also friends with Ueshiba Morihei , the founder of Aikidō , who also introduced the concept of the doo into his martial arts .

Mugai Ryū was founded by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (1648–1728) in 1693. Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi developed the style from his experiences as a teacher in the Kenjutsu style Yamaguchi-ryu, after he attained enlightenment ( satori ) through his studies in Zen Buddhismat the age of 45.

Other schools include: Shindo Munen Ryū , Suio Ryū and Hoki Ryū .

For Kendō practitioners, basic movement sequences from various traditional schools (ryu) have been redefined as "Seitei-Iai" by the all-Japanese Kendō Association . The first 7, later 10, today 12 Kata of the "Seitei-Iai" are intended to serve as a kind of elementary school for Iaidō and Kendō beginners and teach them how to use and understand the sword. Sometimes "Seitei-Iai" is also practiced before the traditional, older forms are taught. All the techniques of the "Seitei-Iai" have their origins in traditional schools, they were simply brought into a form that is simplified and clearly defined for the beginner, which can also mean that they have moved away from the origin and no longer the traditional techniques, but Passing on "new techniques". The “Seitei-Iai” clearly defined by the Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei also serves as a uniform evaluation basis for Kyū and Dan exams . There are pure Iaidō associations, outside the large Kendō associations, which do not teach Seitei Iai techniques, but only the "old" traditional techniques of the respective sword school.

There are many small Iai schools. This includes B. the Shinto-Ryū, the Seishin-Ryū and the Koyoshin Kai Ryū. As with karate or aikidō, there are also different styles in Iaidō.

literature

  • Roland Habersetzer : Iaidô. The art of drawing the sword . Palisander Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-938305-59-1 .
  • Nicklaus Suino: The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship: Manual of Eishin-Ryu Iaido . Weatherhill, 1994, ISBN 0-8348-0300-3 .
  • Peter Güthing: Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū Iaidō: Traditional Japanese sword art . Borsdorf, 2013ff. (three volumes so far).
  • William De Lange, Akita Moriji, Akita Moriji: Iaido: The History, Teachings and Practice of Japanese Swordsmanship . Weatherhill, 2002, ISBN 0-8348-0500-6 .
  • Titiaan Stuurman: IAIDO, the way of the sword . Libri Books on Demand, 2000.
  • Master Takuan [Soho Zenji] (teacher of M. Musashi and Y. Munenori): Zen in the art of non-combat. Sword drawing is by far not just about technology! Otto Wilhelm Barth Publishing House.
  • Reinhard Kammer : Zen in the art of wielding the sword . (Original title: Tengu Geijutsu Ron [ book on the art of mountain demons ]) Technology is only part of the whole . Otto Wilhelm Barth Publishing House.
  • Jaff Raji: MUSO SHINDEN RYU - IAIDO - The way of the sword . ISBN 3-939703-25-7 .
  • Erwin Steinhauser: The Soke, the sword and me. Novum Verlag, ISBN 3-900693-09-9 .

Web links

Commons : Iaidō  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Associations

Others