Iaido

[Derrick]

A couple of friends of mine are going to start taking this and wanted me to join in. I have only been taking TKD for about 5 months, so as interesting as this is I am a little concerned about taking on another martial art while still a beginner at the first one.

Anyone think this is a good idea or bad one, and why?:)

[Sub zero]

It's very hard in to say.
In general i would wait a bit longer.Just a few months.Or mayeb a year.

But it completly depends on the person.

Try it for a while. U will prbab;y find (as i did when mixing TKD with Kung fu) that they'l seap thru into each other.BUt that goes away after a while.

[Andy Murray]

Iaido's SO different, I see no problem provided you have the time to practice both!

[Virtuous]

I agree with Andy, Iaido and TKD are light years apart. Iaido is alot of fun and a good work out, you'd be surprise how much energy is required to swing a sword for an hour or two. I cant see how one art would affect the other, it would be very hard to get confused :).

[Poop-Loops]

I can't see how they can conflict. Iaido, like Virtuous said, is with a sword. Basically, what it is, is someone tries to attack you, and 5 moves later he's supposed to be dead. I dont' think there's even any sparring there.

PL

[Kof_Andy]

Go for it if you got time for both.

[Jointlock]

Originally posted by Poop-Loops

Basically, what it is, is someone tries to attack you, and 5 moves later he's supposed to be dead. I dont' think there's even any sparring there.

I think their main goal is to do it in 1 move. It is after all "The art of Drawing the Sword"

I think Iaido could only help with your TKD training, things like focus, balance, and discipline are required in all arts.

[Capt Ann]

I'm taking TKD and Haidong Gumdo (Korean sword arts) at the same time. It's a blast. Works a different set of muscles, too.

[Kof_Andy]

Iaido works on your technique which is most important went fighting with a katana. Sparrings comes later especially for weapon matches. You can seriously kill someone with a bokken if you dont have proper amount of control, and understand of what your doing. Iaidoka never spar that is a flaw answer, it appear like that because sparring is never tought to beginniers. You ask anyone thats 4th dan and up, and ask if they got any sparring experience with katana. Mostly like there answer will be YES.

[Poop-Loops]

Originally posted by Jointlock
I think their main goal is to do it in 1 move. It is after all "The art of Drawing the Sword"

Well, it's supposed to be really fast, at any rate. :)

How do they spar exactly? Aren't you supposed to start with your sword in your scabbard? Doing it Kendo style kinda goes against the art, doesn't it?

My friend, who takes Kendo, says that most people who take another martial art and start Kendo improve their focus drastically. Probably the same with all weapon arts, since if you're not careful, one of you might die.

PL

[Kof_Andy]

Iaido is the art of drawing sword yes, but after the first cut is all kenjutsu. It dosent mean we have to spar with our bokken in the scabbard. However I do suprises a lot of people by my quick draw and block from scabbard. Sparring with bokken is consider advance training because there is much risk without proper control. We do not let people spar untill there 2nd dan, thats around 3-5 years of training in waza. Kendo is too much of a sport, there attack are snap into it rather than cut. Plus shinai is too light, for a katana's subsitutes When we do bokken sparring we treat it as if we are using a live katana. Every attack is a clean cut, rather then snap it fast just to make contact.

[Poop-Loops]

Yeah, I'm just saying weapons training helps your focus a lot. But my friend tells me that in order to get a point, you need to make it look like it would have cut the guy in half, so taps don't count.

Damn, there are so many styles that I want to learn, but just not enough time for them. :(

PL

[Kof_Andy]

Judges might look for that, but the way kendoka applies there waza on shina it would never cut if is replace by a katana. They are taught to snap into it, is just there sport habit. Especially competitive tournament school.

[Jointlock]

I thought Katana was the straight "Ninja" type sword. Is the "Samurai" sword also called a Katana, or am I completely wrong all together?

[khafra]

Completely wrong altogether. You'd easily find a ninja with a katana, but the sword you're thinking of is the ninjato.

[Poop-Loops]

What exactly is a Daito then? I see them online now and then, but I can't see the difference between them and katana's.

PL

[Kof_Andy]

Daito is a Katana but just different name.

[Dark Blade]

Kof_Andy - What are your Iaido blades made from? Assuming your using a metal sword.

[Capt Ann]

Kof-Andy:

What are your thoughts on the sparring/training sequences in "Last Samurai"?

[Kof_Andy]

I got 2 sword from Bugei.com, and 1 from my sensei as a gift. Bugei.com got high quality katanas, I highly recommend it.
I like there sparring/training sequence in Last Samurai a lot. Thats how is done back the old days, now days people are just being a sissy about bokken sparring. With enough control you will not died from getting hit by bokken, worse is some bruises. The skull is not as weak as people might think it is. Is just traggic how many people dont agree with bokken sparring. Practicing with a live blade teach you cut angel which is needed for cutting efficiently, but that does not teach you how to read your opponents attack, or how to block and counter. Bokken sparring is as close it get to a real duel.

[Virtuous]

The blade used in iaido is called an iaito. the main difference is the tskua(handle) is about a third shorter to aid in drawing. Most iaitos are a light weight alloy, for instance the two I own are aluminum/zinc and zinc/berylium and they never have an edge.

In our school the closest thing to sparring we do is simulating what the attacker would be doing for a particular kata. For dans this is usually full speed and looks like actually sparring but it is mostly coreofraphed.

Andy you're right, the skull is very strong but the brain is very weak. A concussions could easily be achieved with a bokken, and once you have had one each one after is that much easier to have. Plus if some one who has been recently concussed recieves another good blow to the head there is a chance they could drop dead on the spot (this is true for any art really...). Shinai is the best way to go for full contact, yeah there is no arc to the blade and they do absorb alot of the impact but safety first. Dead and injured students dont pay the bills.

Also a live blade with a blood grove will teach you proper cutting angles much faster than ones with out. I think you can find bokkens now with a blood groove carved in them.

[Kof_Andy]

yeah you can, but those grooved bokken are dam expensive. I can believe someone would sell a wood sword for over 100-400 US dollar. Anyway there are some cheap one, but I much perfer an Iaito, or shinken.