Iaijutsu (居合術 ), the art of drawing the sword, is one of the Japanese martial disciplines in the education of the classical warrior (bushi).[1]
Iaijutsu is a combative sword-drawing art but not necessarily an
aggressive art because iaijutsu is also a counterattack-oriented art.
Iaijutsu technique may be used aggressively to wage a premeditated
surprise attack against an unsuspecting enemy.[3]
The formulation of iaijutsu as a component system of classical bujutsu
was made less for the dynamic situations of the battlefield than for the
relatively static applications of the warrior's daily life off the
field of battle.[4]
Iaijutsu is extant today but there exist also a modern form for drawing the Japanese sword, called iaido. Iaido (居合道 Iaidō ) , the way of drawing the sword, appeared as a term in 1932 and was popularized by Nakayama Hakudō (1869-1958).
While new students of iaido[1] may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, many of those who study iaido use a blunt edged sword (iaitō). Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp edged sword (shinken).
Practitioners of iaido are often referred to as iaidoka.
Because iaido is practiced with a weapon, it is almost entirely practiced using forms, or kata.
Iaido does include competition in form of kata
but does not use sparring of any kind. Because of this non-fighting
aspect, and iaido's emphasis on precise, controlled, fluid motion, it is
sometimes referred to as "moving Zen."[citation needed]
A very important part of iaido, is nukitsuke or the life of iaido.
This is a very quick draw of the sword, accomplished by simultaneously drawing the sword
from the saya (scabbard) and also moving the saya back in saya-biki.[citation needed]
Most of the styles and schools do not practice tameshigiri, cutting techniques.