What is Iaido?
Iaido is the traditional Japanese martial art of drawing and cutting with the samurai sword. The purpose of Iaido is to develop awareness, centeredness, sincerity, a calm mind, and mental and physical harmony through the practice of traditional sword techniques. Iaido practitioners, or Iaidoka, perform predetermined techniques, or waza, to replicate a specific situation and the correct way to respond to these situations with defending or attacking techniques. It was derived from Iaijutsu, a specialization of Kenjutsu. It is the Japanese martial art that is most closely associated with the samurai class and Japanese nobility. It is not considered a sport, but rather a unique and ancient traditional art for the development of mind, body, and spirit.
Iai translates literally to “meeting in a place” but a deeper meaning is “flowing from peace, to conflict, then back to peace”. This transmission from peace to conflict and back again with an innate state, neither prepared nor unprepared of mind is the most difficult part to train, for a samurai or martial artist.
The Canadian Iaido Association (ZNIR/CIA) was established in 1993 to promote iaido in Canada, establish formal links with the All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR), to hold seminars on a regular basis with high-ranking teachers of the ZNIR, and to administer dan examinations in Canada in accordance with the standards and methods of the ZNIR.
The Association is a non-profit organization registered with the British Columbia Provincial Government. Instructors are volunteers and receive no pay.
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