You can read more about that style and my first days in the dojo here) I am fortunate enough to train in a Koryū (古流) tradition (Koryū means 'old martial ways' - the original martial arts of feudal Japan that pre-date modern arts like Kendo and Karate) of Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū (無双直伝英信流). Today many of these ryu have been lost and died out, though some precious few remain. During the sixteenth century, when Japan was gripped by conflict and political upheaval, many hundreds of such styles – known as ‘ ryū’ – were practised.
Iaido then is a term used to describe a wide variety of traditional styles of swordsmanship which trace their origins back as far as the fifteenth century. Loosely translated then, Iaido means being in harmony with one’s surroundings, always being prepared for any eventuality. Roughly, “ I” comes from Iru, to be Ai (as in Aikido) means coming together, harmony, or love and Dō means road, or Way (in the Buddhist sense). The word is comprised of 3 Japanese characters: i-ai-do.
Each is dependant of a subjective translation as the word itself, like many Japanese martial concepts does not translate into English at all easily. The word itself has a number of meanings and interpretations. Iaido is the art of Japanese Swordsmanship. Iaido The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship By Paul 'Batman' O'Brien B.A., N.C.E.H.S., Dip.
