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Iaido is the traditional Japanese martial art of drawing and cutting with the samurai sword. The purpose of Iaido is to develop awareness, sincerity, a calm mind, and mental and physical harmony through the practice of traditional sword techniques.

Age
To contemplate taking up the path of Iaido, one must have acheived full maturity of both body and mind.

Description
A typical form consists of the draw and cut, a finishing cut, cleaning the blade and returning it to the scabbard, all without looking away from the imaginary opponent.
Most practice is solo, eventually with a real blade. Which in contrast with Kendo, Iaido is performed without protective coverings of any kind. Students must strive to achieve power, precision and perfection in their form. Along the way they learn balance, grace, and control both of the body and the mind.

Dedication
Because perfection is the goal, complete dedication is essential. In Iaido there is no sense of competition what so ever, for when this happens the art degenerates into a contest carried out solely for the sake of winning and loosing. When this happens, the purity of technique is lost.
Iaido helps ensure that body movements are logical and effective because they are natural, accurate, and agile.

Potential
SELF-PERFECTION This goal of self-perfection requires time and effort, and direction is always more important than haste, and is only closly obtained by those who are dedicated, and who exert their minds and bodies in rigorous training.

Closely Related Activities
Iaido is the Japanese martial art that is most closely associated with the samurai class and Japanese nobility. Iaido is not considered a sport, but rather a unique and ancient traditional art for the development of mind, body, and spirit.

Level of Demand
The table below shows the maximum levels of demand that this activity requires. NOTE: These are not entry levels or levels of requirement and has nothing to do with ability.

Energy

Arms

Legs

Sight

Hearing

Speech

Learning

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