Today I'd like to write about a very important relationship between the two most important sword arts in Japanese Budo: Kendo and Iaido. First of all, let's see what are their similarities and differences, to have a basic ground upon which to build an analysis of their relationship. Both Kendo and Iaido are exclusively and quintessentially Japanese martial arts that have as their focus the study and the use of the principles of the Katana, the traditional sword of the Samurai. Furthermore, both arts are taught and practiced in the same Federation, the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei, which is a Japanese governmental-approved entity dedicated to the promotion of these classical Sword arts. Kendo is practiced in couples, and it involves free-fighting; for this reason the Katana is replaced with a bamboo alternative of similar size and both partners wear a set of protective armor derived from the ancient and traditional Japanese Yoroi. In Iaido, the practitioner is alone, fighting against imaginary opponents coming from different directions; dressed with simple traditional clothing, he uses either a real Katana or a Iaito, which is a partially unsharpened training sword of identical look and similar weight and feel. For safety and effectiveness of studying, in Kendo the striking points on the opponent's body are the ones actually protected by the armor, and are limited to the top and sides of the head, the sides of the abdomen, the throat and the forearms. In Iaido instead no such need exists and therefore any and all the possible striking, cutting or thrusting points are used, depending on what is the most efficient way to overcome human anatomy. The stances, positions, footwork and way of cutting are largely very similar, with some differences that adapt to the peculiarity of each art: in Kendo the foot is stomped strongly while cutting and shouting, to simbolize being one with spirit, sword and body and also to compensate the fact that, being your opponent a solid object that you'd like to remain alive after practice, you cannot "cut through" him. In Iaido the cut is much larger, deeper and true, and so a more solid grasp on the sword, and a more balanced and stable body postures are needed. There is also a difference in weight, with the Katana used in Iaito is real or as real as it can be and can weigh from 750 grams up to 1.2 kg, while the bamboo shinai used in Kendo is slightly more than 500 grams. These two arts were developed to be studied together; and while it is possible to practice each of them separately and exclusively, practicing both, at least as some point of one's life, greatly enhances the understanding of the Sword and its principles in general. This is even more true for Kendo players, as they tend to forget the origin of what they are doing and drift in a more "sporty" direction, which was never the intent of its practice. In Iaido, you learn the correct angles and the correct ways to cut and use a real, live, sword; in Kendo you understand though that your opponent might strongly object at you doing so. They are both semplifications of reality, in a way, and fully complementary to each other. That being said, while Kendo can be started at any age, it is definitely biased towards young learners, and being a very physically taxing activity, might not be suited to people of any age, sex and health condition anytime. Iaido is more scalable and can be practiced, at different levels, by anyone; it is also a very elegant art that disciplines one's body in unique ways, and can be seen by many also as a way of "zen meditation in movement". Ultimately both arts strive to achieve a perfect understanding of the principles of the Sword, and their application even in our daily lives to the betterment of ourselves, of our families and of our Countries. We hold regular courses of Iaido every week. Anyone is welcome to join and try anytime; please check our course page and/or contact us by email to know more.
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