Iaido
Japanese martial art / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Iaido?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Iaidō (居合道), abbreviated iai (居合),[3] is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks.[4]
Focus | Weaponry |
---|---|
Hardness | Forms competitions only. |
Country of origin | Japan |
Parenthood | Iaijutsu[1][2] |
Olympic sport | No |
Iaido consists of four main components: the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard (or saya), striking or cutting an opponent, shaking blood from the blade, and replacing the sword in the scabbard.[1] While beginning practitioners of iaido[5] may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the practitioners use a blunt-edged sword called an iaitō or mogitō.[6] Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp-edged sword (shinken).[7]
Practitioners of iaido are called iaidoka.[8]