What is Iaido?

IAIDO

Iaido is a model of traditional Japanese Swordsmanship with a focus on drawing and cutting with the sword in one motion.  

Our club practices Muso Shinden Ryu and Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei laido (Seitei laido).  Muso Shinden Ryu is a school of Koryu laido (Old tradition) that traces its origins back to the mid 1700s. In contrast is the ZNKR laido which is an amalgamation of techniques from several schools that enabled various Ryu-ha to have a common set of techniques for grading and taikai (tournaments).

laido is typically practiced through solo kata - a collection of movements put together to teach a concept and build muscle memory. The practitioner uses a dull sword (mogito) or for more advanced students, a live sword (shinken).

from Wikipedia...

The term "iaido' appears in 1932 and consists of the kanji  居(i),  合(ai), and 道(dō).

The origin of the first two characters, iai (居合), is believed to come from the saying Tsune ni ite, kyū ni awasu （常に居て, 急に合わす), which can be roughly translated as "being constantly (prepared), match/meet (the opposition) immediately". 

Thus the primary emphasis in "iai" is on the psychological state of being present (居). The secondary emphasis is on drawing the sword and responding by harmonizing with a sudden attack as quickly as possible (合). The last character (道) is generally translated into English as the way or path. The term 'iaido' approximately translates as 'the way of mental presence and immediate reaction' and was popularized by Nakayama Hakudo.