Hi everyone. Newbie here. I've always been interested in swords since I was younger and have decided I want to learn how to wield one now that I have more free time. I've done some research online. What I'm looking for is a former/style that includes some drawing techniques but also prepares you for sparring with another using a sword. I've come across Iaido but on its own it seems to only focus on drawing and cutting quickly before sheathing the blade. It also seems like it takes a long time to learn and want to be adequately proficient in roughly 6 months (but by no means am I looking to be an expert in such a short time). I don't see any videos of sparring in iaido though. I've found Haidong Gumdo but can't find anywhere in Nottingham that seems to teach it. Its heritage seems questionable but seems to have a lot of sparring training involved (which I like). I'd need the place to be local within Nottingham but I'm a little lost. Can anybody help me I'm my search? Thanks
Hi, Kendo seems to be fairly sports orientated and it's not really what I'm looking for. I don't want to get into a debate about how it might be practical as a martial art but I've watched a few videos and it doesn't look like what I'm after. Thanks
Having a read of this indicates that if I want to learn some drills (kata) iaido is the one for solo kata. While for paired kata I should look to Kenjutsu. But Kenjutsu is a generic term most schools use. I wouldn't mind a little sparring but I'm starting to think twice about that if it Kendo is the only art that uses it. I want something that teaches me how to draw a sword, and then perform some kata (solo and paired) before sheathing it again. I noticed that iaido teaches you to draw, swing, and sheath very quickly. I'd like something that incorperates more kata's. Sorry if I'm not making much sense. This is a little new to me.
There is Kenjutsu is the West Midlands, if you are willing to travel. Keep in mind that koryu training is kata centric, if you are after lots of sparring then Kendo would be a better choice. Oh I'd get rid of the notion of being proficient in six months. You might want to ask a few more questions just to ensure you understand what the training involves. Edit: HEMA is becoming more popular in the UK that might be another avenue for you to pursue.
I'm looking for something I can fit around my daily life so that may be too far. What's the place called and where abouts is it?
Hi there, Finding a traditional asian sword that does all those things really isn't going to happen. You're not going to find any amount of sparring in iaido or kenjutsu. You'll get plenty of sparring in kendo, but it's rather sportified which may or may not be your thing. The Nottingham kdf linked above is likely your best bet, though it's German swordsmanship rather than Japanese. KDF stands for "Kunst des Fechtens", which translates to "the art of fighting". In modern German it refers to sport fencing, whereas the late medieval/early renaissance art referred to comprehensive systems of combat from armed to unarmed, armoured and unarmoured, mounted and on foot. Very few schools do all that under one roof today, horses being what they are, and full gothic plate is expensive. Most schools focus on unarmoured combat. It will likely give you the best blend of technical drills and sparring, and perhaps some target cutting as well. You won't be getting sword drawing techniques there though. I train in both Japanese and European sword arts. What you're looking for will likely require you to train in two schools, one Japanese and one European. That's just fine (works for me), but may not work for you. Try every place out and see what you enjoy. -Mark
Shinkendo is a mix of iaido/bokken kata and welding exercises along with bokken sparring drills, if that's any help.
It's very difficult to tell whether they actually teach a genuine style of iaido from their website. Most iaido classes will tell you the tradition they are teaching, while that school only implies that they teach the sword techniques from their style of jujutsu (which is also not confirmed) and call it iaido when it's separated out. Not an absolute guarantee of poor quality, but neither is it very reassuring that such rudimentary information is missing from their About Us section. On the instructors section the only person listed as having an Iaido grade has a shodan, which is not very high at all in that art, especially given the precision and dedication expected. Perhaps understandably given where they say their iaido comes from, they aren't listed in the Iaido section of the British Kendo Association homepage: http://www.membership.kendo.org.uk/html/dojo_listing.php?NOF_StartRow_alldojo_Iterator=1 Caution definitely needed.
Had a quick look and I second what Aegis has said. I'd be very cautious about training there if I wanted to study JSA (Japanese sword arts).
