The Iaido Newsletter

A publication of shared distribution dedicated to the Japanese sword arts, Iaido, Kendo and the Koryu A Sei Do Kai Publication (Incorporating the OKF News)

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~iaido

Vol 11/1 #98 Jan 1999

$5.00 per issue

PHOTOCOPY AND SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~kataylor

AUSTRALIA David Kolb, 30 Neville St. Kangaroo Point, Qld. 4169 Australia.

BALTICS Tonis Kunnus, Kalatsova kula, Meremae EE2751, Voru maakond, Estonia.

BELGIUM: Erik Pooters Wittestraat 9 Kiel, Antwerpen 2020 Belgie.

CANADA CENTRAL Sandra Jorgenson, 77 Harbour Sq. #3310 Toronto Ont. M5J 2S2.

CANADA EAST Robert Miller, 45 Cedar Cr. Beaconsfield, Quebec H9W 4S9.

CANADA WEST Barry Wiseman, 11038 Greenwood Dr. Mission B.C. V4S 1A9.

CENTRAL EUROPE Zsolt Balassy, H-1046 Budapest, Toth A. u. 19. Hungary.

DENMARK Bjarne Blichfeldt Katholm 210 3670 Vekso Denmark.

ENGLAND Douglas Evans 10 Daglish Close, New Romney, Kent TN28 8XF.

FINLAND Pasi Hellsten, Luuvaniementie 4 D 126, SF-00350 Helsinki, Finland.

GERMANY Klaus Wissmath, Rathenaustrasse 9A, D-91052 Erlangen.

HOLLAND Johan Smits, Dunant Straat 866 Zoetermeer Netherlands 2713 XJ.

JAPAN Colin Hyakutake, Matsubara 4 Chome 6-19, Saga City, Saga Ken, Japan 840.

NEW ZEALAND Hamish Robison 15 Logan Tce. Parnell, Auckland.

SWEDEN Arne Oster, Akerogatan 2, S-417 28 Goteborg.

SWITZERLAND Nicolae G. Bialokur, 18 ch. Champ-Soleil, 1012 Lausanne, Suisse.

USA EAST J.S.S. PO Box 1116 Rockefeller Stn. New York, NY USA 10185.

USA HAWAII Hunter Armstrong, 315 Foothills Dr., Sedona, AZ 86336.

USA S-CENTRAL John Ray, 1909 Archer Trail, Denton TX, 76201.

USA WEST COAST Bill Howell, 2525 NE 23rd St. Portland Oregon, 97212.

COMING EVENTS

Kendo France news

I have the great pleasure to announce that Mr. Claude PRUVOST, currently President of the French "Comite' National de Kendo"(*) passed his 7th dan in Tokyo. Congratulations Claude !!

It is very important that those who are leading the federations, the various committee or associations and clubs, should be as much as possible involved in the everyday practice. Claude Pruvost (formally: France and Europe champion, captain of French national team until 93) is in charge of the organization of the kendo in France and he really allows a better life of the kendo and iaido (and jodo! and naginata!...) to be obtained thanks to his actions and a basic principle: (one meeting <-> one keiko). Now the rule is well known: if I must join a general assembly or a brainstorm meeting, I must plan to go with my bogou and all my equipment as I will have the opportunity to cross shinai with budo friends... the discussions will be then well grounded in the actual practice.

(* CNK = i.e. the French kendo federation, which belongs to the French Judo Federation)

Europe Kendo Championship

The next European Kendo Championship will be held in LOURDES (south of France)

Preliminary program:

13-14-15 April : International Training Camp

(Under the direction of many sensei 8th dan and 7th dan)

17-18 April : European Kendo Championships

(Individuals, junior, ladies, men; Teams)

19 April (morning): dan exams [1,6].(may be 7 too, to be confirmed)

There is not an official site yet (we will try to provide some information), but you can get information upon the city of Lourdes on: http://www.bonjour.com/wta/Lourdes/

For any information, please contact the local organization Chairman:

Patrick Descloquemant

23 rue de Bernadaou, 65380 Azereix

tel: +33 5 62 32 87 85

fax: +33 5 62 38 60 94

-Laurent Chaudron

Nihon Budokan Tour 1999.

The USNF (U.S. Naginata Federation) has received notice that the 1999 Nihon Budokan Tour will participate in events in Toronto, Ontario, within the dates of 7-14 May 1999. More details are expected.

I had the opportunity to participate with the Japanese when they were in Boston in May, 1996; I did Naginata and SUMO(!) during their workshop, and Naginata and Kendo at two seminars held by various local Dojo. Also the instructor of our Iaido/Kendo Dojo hosted a BBQ at his house for the Japanese Kendo instructors, which I attended. The Japanese Martial Artists also put on a demonstration at BU (Boston U.) that was *awesome* (in the dictionary sense of the word).

Raymond Sosnowski

Secretary, ECNF

Iai Seminar March '99 Gold Coast Australia

The Queensland Kendo Renmei will be hosting the Australian Kendo Championship during the Easter Weekend 1999.

It will be preceded by a kendo/iaido seminar from Mon 29/3/99 to Thurs 1/4/99.

2 full days will be devoted to iaido training on Wed 31/3 and Thurs 1/4, to be followed by a goodwill competition on Fri 2/4.

Instructors have not yet been finalized but we anticipate having highly ranked teachers from Japan.

We will be catering to all levels with one day devoted to both Zen Ken Ren and Koryu.

The training, accommodation, and competition venue is situated right on a surf beach on the Queensland Gold Coast. And yes the weather will be warm. Seminar costs including meals and accommodation will be approx $200 AUD. Check out our web site (under construction) at http://www.spiderwms.gil.com.au/99champs/index99.htm

FROM THE PNKF DATEBOOK

Jan 23, Vancouver Taikai, Sat.

Feb 13, Steveston Taikai, Sat, 10 am.

Feb 27, PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa, Sat.

Feb 28, PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sun.

Mar 20, Highline Taikai, Sat.

Apr 10, UW Taikai, Sat (tentative date).

May 2, Bellevue Junior Taikai, Sun.

Jun 18/19, possible date of AUSKF Camp in Las Vegas.

Aug 6/7/8, US Championships, Las Vegas.

Aug 21, PNKF Iaido Seminar and Shinsa, Sat.

Aug 22, PNKF Kendo Shinsa, Sun.

Sep 26, PNKF Shinpan Seminar.

Nov 13, PNKF Taikai, Sat, Renton. (kenyu)

NEWSBITES

ALL UNITED STATES KENDO FEDERATION INFO BULLETIN

1. At the Oct. 24/25, 98 board meeting officers were elected to complete the 97-99 term. Two officers were changed. Mr. A. Hori is V.P Education and Mr. N. Otani is Recording Secretary. No other officers were changed.

2. A motion was passed to provide some financial assistance to summer camp instructors on an individual, as required basis.

3. The initial tryouts for the AUSKF team to the 11th WKC will be in Los Angeles tentatively in mid March. Exact time and place to be announced by formal communication. The first tryout will select 20 men and 20 women. There will be a one-time entry fee of $40 that covers both the first and second tryout. The second elimination will reduce the candidates from 20 to 9+1 wild card. If the winner of the AUSKF Tournament in August is not one of the 9 and is eligible for the team they would get the 10th position. If the winner is in eligible or already on the team the wild card will get the 10th position. The location of the 2nd elimination will be determined by the composition of the candidates.

4. The coach and manager for the US Team will be selected at the spring board of directors meeting (April /Detroit)

5. The fall kodansha shinsa for 5th to 8th Dan will be held Dec. 12/13 in Los Angeles. Dec 12th will be a workshop for the examiners and others conducted by Aoki Hikoto Sensei Hanshi Hachidan and Masago Takeshi Kyoshi Hachidan. Masago Sensei is a Professor of Kendo at the Japanese National Police Academy. The Japanese Sensei will be part of the examination board. AUSKF Kodansha are encouraged to participate in this very valuable workshop. AUSKF Kodansha who are members of the examination board must attend. These workshops will be conducted before every Kodansha examination.

6. The 1999 AUSKF summer camp will be in July and somewhere in the East. An ikkyu to nanadan examination is scheduled for the summer camp.

7. AUSKF will be hosting the America Zone IKF Shimpan Seminar tentatively scheduled for Feb. 99. Formal announcement will be made by IKF. There is a two-seminar requirement between world kendo tournaments to qualify to be considered as a shimpan.

8. AUSKF Tournament August 6/7/8, 99 in Las Vegas, NV. Membership eligibility cutoff date is May 8th, 99. Entries due by June 20th, 99. Friday Aug. 6th is shimpan seminar and certification along with a workshop for court officials. (Scorekeepers, timers, etc.) This will probably be a full dress rehearsal for the 11th WKC.

9. AUSKF certification and re-certification of 5 Dan and above for shimpan will be starting in November and continuing up until August 6th.

10. Mike Minami of NCKF was the only name submitted for the Nakakura Ki Taikai and will be the AUSKF representative. Mike was a member of the AUSKF Team at 10WKC.

11. The Board of Directors worked through further refinement of the processes for testing for hachidan. We now have a two-tier process, which requires the candidates to test by Keiko, kata before an examination board of AUSKF hachidan and Japanese hachidan. Successful candidates will then be referred to the AUSKF Board of Directors for final approval. Those successful candidates will also do a video interview detailing their personal history, philosophy and insights into kendo.

12. With the approval of the hachidan examination process final approval of the AUSKF Promotion Regulations was completed. This was a long arduous process requiring many hours of work by the promotion committee and the directors as a whole.

13. A motion was made and passed to provide all new AUSKF members with a membership card, a patch and a brief history of kendo and our organization in the Unites States.

-Jeff Marsten

KODANSHA SHINSA,

November 14, Tokyo. IAIDO 7TH DAN: Shozo Kato (Shidogakuin).

NSW Kendo Association Circular Decmber 1998

NOTES

1: Fennessy Sensei of Sydney Kendo Club achieved 7th Dan at the Tokyo Budokan on November 25th. This is a landmark both for Jamie and for Australian kendo.

2: NSW Kendo Championships was held at the Westfield Sports High School in Fairfield West on Saturday 5th December. 8 NSWKA dojos were represented, 6 Japanese style - Sydney, Central Coast (Gosford), Sakura (Milton), Wollongong, UNSW and Charles Sturt (Bathurst), together with Wen Wu (Carlingford Taiwanese dojo) and Han Rim Kak (Eastwood Kumdo dojo).

RESULTS

Kyu Individual -

1: H.Y. Jang (Han Rim Kak) 2: Marcus Clarke (Sydney) 3: Craig Law (Han Rim Kak), 4: Johnny Lee (Wen Wu)

Womens Individual -

1: Lisa O'Connor (Sydney), 2: Paula O'Beid (UNSW)

Open Individual -

1: Tai Eto (Sydney), 2: Maki Tani (UNSW), 3: Stuart Burke (Sydney), 4: Quentin Chen (Wen Wu)

Junior Individual -

1: Andrew Burns (Sakura), 2: Kyle Brennan (Central Coast), Melanie Burns (Sakura)

Kyu Teams -

1: Han Rim Kak, 2: Wen Wu

Dan Teams -

1: Sydney, 2: Han Rim Kak

Fighting Spirit -

Quentin Chen (Wen Wu), Rick Pedley-Smith (Wollongong), Maki Tani (UNSW).

3: SUMMER CAMP!!!

3rd Australian Kendo Summer Camp has been confirmed, Milton/Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast Training venue: Milton Basketball stadium Contact Jonathan Cross for details

email <jcross@health.adelaide.edu.au>

Tel: 0 8 8303 4772

Arrive: Monday 4th Jan

Kendo : Tuesday 5th Jan - Sat 9th Jan (ie 5 days)

Depart: Sunday 10th Jan

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY 1999

3rd Australian Kendo Summer Camp, Milton/Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast Training venue: Milton Basketball stadium Arrive: Monday 4th Jan

Kendo : Tuesday 5th Jan - Sat 9th Jan (ie 5 days)

Depart: Sunday 10th Jan

8th Australian Iaido Championships

Sat 23rd & Sun 24th

De La Salle College

Bankstown

Contact Sensei Bob Burton on 02 47571146

FEBRUARY 1999

Picton Bash

NSWKA Family Weekend and State Grading Also incorporating national high performance training 6th & 7th

Ulladulla Games

Kendo Tournament & Training

20th competition & 21st training

MARCH/APRIL 1999

Iaido, Jodo & Kendo Seminar 29/3-1/4 (2 day Iaido/2 day Kendo/Jodo?)

Iaido Goodwill Competition and Kendo grading 2/4

Australian Kendo Championship 3/4-4/4

Gold Coast Schedule not yet fixed.

Website: www.spiderwms.gil.com.au/99champs/index99.htm

Contact QLDKR Secretary for details

JUNE 1999

ACT Kendo Championships/WKC Squad Training/ANUKC- 21st Birthday Celebrations (Come help cut and eat the cake)

June 1999 Long Weekend

Any enquiries or correspondence relating to this circular to

Aden Steinke

Secretary

NSW Kendo Association

53 Shoobert Cresent, Wollongong, NSW, 2500.

email aden_steinke@uow.edu.au

ph 02 4221 3921 (BH)

02 4228 8846 (AH)

fax 02 4225 8355

The NSW Renmei calendar and other material is on the WWW at

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9431/

Errors and omissions excepted

Miyazaki wins his 5th All Japan Kendo Taikai

-Robert Stroud

Nippon BudokanTokyo, Japan; Masahiro Miyazaki of the Kanagawa Ken Kei Police won his fifth All Japan Kendo Championship on November 3rd. His younger brother and 1997 champion Miyazaki, Fumihiro was put out in early tournament rounds despite being heavily favored this year.

LIST OF PAST ALL JAPAN KENDO CHAMPIONS

1. Sakakibara, Tadashi : Aichi, Renshi, 33 years old

2. Konishi, Yuhichiro : Hukuoka, Renshi, 32

3. Nakamura, Taro : Kanagawa, Kyoshi, 33

4. Asakawa, Haruo : Gifu, Kyoshi

5. Morita, Nobutaka : Nagasaki, Kyoshi 6 dan

6. Suzuki, Moriharu : Aichi, Kyoshi 6 dan

7. Nakamura, Taro : Kanagawa, Kyoshi 7 dan

8. Kuwahara, Tetsuaki : Miyazaki, 5 dan, 21 years old!!!

9. Ibo, Kiyotsugu --- Tokyo, Kyoshi 7 dan, 41

10. Toda, Tadao --- Very strong Jodan (now nitoh practioner), Shiga, 5 dan

11. Yano, Taro, Hyogo, Kyoshi 7 dan

12. Toda, Tadao Shiga 5 dan

13, Nishiyama, Yasuhiro: Tokyo, Renshi 6 dan

14, Chiba, Hitoshi: Tokyo, 5 dan, 22----- Another Jodan Master

15, Hotta, Kunihiro: Hyogo, Kyoshi 7 dan

16, Yamazaki masahira: Niigata, Kyoshi 7 dan

17, Chiba, Hitoshi

18, Nakamura, Tokyo Renshi 6 dan

19, Kawazoe, Tetsuo : Tokyo, 4 dan, 21! --- Strongest Jodan in history

20, Chiba, Hitoshi

21, Yamada, Hirotoku : Kumamoto, Renshi 5 dan, 25

22, Yokoo, Eiji : Wakayama, 5 dan, 24

23, Kawazoe, Tetsuo : Kochi, 5 dan 25: he became a High school teacher

24, Migita, Kohjiro : Kumamoto, 4 dan

25, Ogawa, Isamu : Osaka, Kyoshi 7 dan 34

26, Ishibashi, Masahisa : Hukuoka, 5 dan, 27

27, Sueno, Eiji: Kagoshima, Renshi 6 dan, 30

28, Toyama (or Sotoyama?), Mitsutoshi : Miyazaki, 5 dan, 26

29, Nakata, Shuji : Tokyo, Kyoshi 6 dan

30, Ishida, Kenji : Osaka, Renshi 6 dan

31, Azuma ( or Higashi ) , Kazuyoshi (Aichi, Renshi 6 dan 33)

32, Harada, Tetsuo, Kyoto, Renshi 6 dan

33, Ishizuka, Yoshihumi, Osaka, Renshi 6 dan

34, Iwahori (or Iwabori), Tohru, Osaka, Kyoshi 7 dan

35, Nishikawa, Kiyonori, Tokyo, Renshi 6 dan 32

36, Hayashi, Akira?, Hokkaido, Renshi 6 dan 30

37, Nishikawa, Kiyonori

38, Miyazaki, Masahiro, Kanagawa

39, Miyazaki, Masahiro, Kanagawa

40, Ishida, Toshiya, Osaka

41, Miyazaki, Masahiro

42, Nishikawa, Kiyonori

43, Ishida, Toshiya

44, Miyazaki, Masahiro

45, Miyazaki, Fumihiro

46. Miyazaki, Masahiro

Note; 46th Taikai was 1998 & 1st was 1953

USNF International Team 1999.

The USNF (U.S. Naginata Federation) is pleased to announce the following selected competitors and officials for the 2nd World Naginata Championship in Paris, France, to be held on Easter Sunday, 4 April 1999:

REFEREES: Mss. Miyako Tanaka, Helen Nakano, Malyne Chiu.

TEAM MANAGER: Ms. Diana Payne.

COACH: Ms. Takami Tanner.

WOMEN'S TEAM SHIAI: Mss. Yoko Fujita, Diana Garrett, Jean Yien.

MEN'S TEAM SHIAI: Messers. Ian Ono, Kevin Saxton, Bob Peterson.

ENGI (FORMS) PAIRS: Messers. Temuchin Lowe & Bob Peterson, Mr. Dan & Mrs. Diana Garrett

WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL SHIAI: Mss. Fran Vall, Marcia Toyohara, Margaret Green.

MEN'S INDIVIDUAL SHIAI: Messers. Kurt Schmucker, Kevin Saxton, Temuchin Lowe.

Good luck to all! Participants were selected based on participation in the 1998 USNF Biennial Shiai, and a special Seminar in CA at the end of October.

Other activities in Paris include a seminar, a friendship tournament, and Shinsa (promotion exams); from the USNF, there will be at least one challenger for Yondan and one for Godan -- only at large gathering like this are there enough high ranking people for a grading panel for Yondan and Godan outside of Japan (the annual exam is held in Japan in May). Good luck, challengers.

Raymond Sosnowski

Secretary, ECNF.

IAIDO PRACTICE TOPS

100% cotton, sized to you and supplied at cost through the Sei Do Kai. $70 (includes postage). Black or white, other colours may be extra. Measure the chest size at nipple height, shoulder point to shoulder point, and from neck to mid-thigh. Send your measurements to Sei Do Kai. 44 Inkerman St. Guelph, Ontario Canada N1H 3C5.

SEMINAR REPORTS

REPORT ON THE 1998 SWUSKIF FALL KENDO SEMINAR

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

DECEMBER 4-6, 1998

During the first weekend of December, the New Orleans Kendo Club hosted the1998 SWUSKIF Fall Seminar at the University of New Orleans. The seminar was conducted by Jeffrey Marsten sensei from Seattle, Washington, assisted by senseis Mark Uchida (Colorado Springs), Kiyoshi Abe (Dallas), Harry Dach (Memphis), and Russell Ichimura (Dallas). Attending kenshi represented four regions of the AUSKF--Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and Great Lakes including participants from Dallas, OK City, Phoenix, and a newly formed dojo in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The first day consisted of instruction on kendo kata in the morning, and following a lunch break, students were instructed in kihon waza and simulated shiai. Before breaking for the day, everyone participated in a one-hour jigeiko with sensei. Sunday morning began with invaluable advice for testing from the sensei, followed by the testing up to Nidan. One last session of jigeiko was enjoyed before people began departing.

Given the number of participants, there was practically a two-to-one student-to-sensei ratio at the seminar! Needless to say, everyone received ample individual attention and instruction. Since lines were not long, it was possible to train with all sensei during the jigeiko sessions. Everyone agreed that all had benefitted immensely, especially in the proper mental state needed to "grow your personal kendo" from the instruction provided by sensei. One of the most informative sessions of the seminar came at the conclusion of the testing, when the judges addressed everyone in attendance about the examination. Not only did all participants--whether testing or not--learn why and how the judges scored and ranked those taking the exam but also learned how to improve their individual technique.

Kendo instruction was not restricted to the dojo. Participants had the opportunity to speak extensively with the sensei during the lunch breaks and the dinners on Friday and Saturday nights. Everyone seemed to have a great deal of fun visiting various parts of the city, sharing wonderful meals at typical "New Orleanian" restaurants, enjoying the jazz that makes New Orleans unique, strolling though the French Quarter at night, stopping for Hurricanes at O'Brians, and enjoying the company of all those kenshi who had made the effort to come to New Orleans for the seminar.

In conclusion, the members of the New Orleans Kendo Club would like to thank all those kenshi and their family who joined us and supported our seminar during a very busy time of the year. We appreciate and recognize your effort and dedication to furthering kendo instruction in parts of the country where adequate instruction is sorely lacking. New Orleans kenshi have been training without a sensei since 1993; therefore, this seminar was immensely beneficial to our members and was a wonderful experience that we will never forget.

We also want to acknowledge that this seminar would not have been possible without the financial support that we received from both the SWUSKIF and the AUSKF. Given the success of this seminar and the much needed help that we received to hold it, we would encourage the national federation and all regional federations to continue to support and assist the smaller dojo of this country that are without adequate instruction. This is time and money that is very well spent, and it would be impossible to measure the return on such investments for kendo throughout the United States.

In closing, the members of the New Orleans Kendo Club would like to thank all those individuals who supported our seminar. Please know that you are ALWAYS welcome to return to New Orleans any time you wish! And don't forget your bogu...

The New Orleans Kendo Club

Frank Anselmo

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Obi

I enjoy both Jujutsu and the sword arts and question the modern practice of tying the obi with the knot at the back. If in combat a samurai lost his sword(s) and then fought hand to hand, the knot at the back makes any breakfalls or rolls very painful. Does anyone know of a good knot to tie at the front, using a wide obi? Are there any Koryu which practice rolling with a sword in the obi?

The kimono-obi-hakama combination of apparel wasn't designed for battlefield use (or even worn on the battlefield), nor was it designed with even street fighting or bugei training in mind--it was just fashion. Which is why it's not necessarily the most comfortable outfit to wear for bugei training--especially for modern folk, who don't normally dress like this. For a samurai to have modified his outfit in order to make it easier to fight, in the very unlikely event that he might have to do so on any given day, would have been pretty much the same thing as a modern American refusing to wear dress shoes or a business suit for the same reason--not a good way to get ahead in mainstream society! (Actually, I know people who insist on wearing nothing but extra-baggy pants and extra-light weight shoes, just in case they're ever called upon to employ their Tae Kwon Do kicking skills; I also met a guy once in Tokyo who was wearing laborer's canvas-and-rubber jika tabi boots--which he referred to as "ninja shoes"--with his business suit; we refer to such people as quaint.) For most samurai (as for most people today), dressing appropriately for the 99.9% of the time they weren't fighting was a much bigger priority that dressing for the few times that they might have to.

Then too, the style of obi knot usually prescribed by how-to-wear-kimono books for wearing under hakama is relatively flat, and doesn't cause much trouble when rolling over it--the little "plate" at the back of the hakama itself digs into your back just as much. The trouble with this knot, though, is that it doesn't seem to hold together real well during the rigors of jujutsu training--but then again, this is probably more due to the fact that I only dress like this a few hours a week than to anything else. You could always switch to a modified obi, with thinner ends for tying an unobtrusive knot, and wear the knot in front. I found a few like this in a shop in Suidobashi a few years back and have used them ever since!

As to rolling with a sword: most ryuha I know of that teach both sword and jujutsu also practice this once in a while--albeit usually with a bokuto or shinai rather than a live blade or iai-to, because of the prohibitive expense and the prohibitive danger that would result from landing wrong on the sword.

Karl Friday

Dept. of History

University of Georgia

IAI, IAIJUTSU AND IAIDO

I seem to be getting contradictory information from different books on the origin of the terms Iai, Iaijutsu and Iaido. Could someone help me clarify this? I've found different dates for the allegedly first time these terms were used and who coined them.

I don't think that there is a definitive answer to this question, simply because the documentary evidence is so sketchy. As I've noted earlier, bugei terminology wasn't consistent from school to school until this century. The art of sword-drawing was called iai (written in at least three different character combinations), batto, bakken, and various other things in traditional times (and today by various koryu). The "jutsu" and "do" suffixes, of course, were always interchangeable until the modern era.

In general bugei usage, an "iai" is sometimes defined as a combative encounter that begins from a seated or kneeling position, as opposed to one that begins with the opponents standing just outside of range from one another (tachiai) or with the opponents walking or running toward one another (yukiai). The two variant characters I've seen used to write "i" both imply sitting (which, in the early modern Japanese cultural context, also includes kneeling). Some koryu, in fact, distinguish between iai and batto, on the basis of whether the swordsman begins while standing or while seated. That would suggest that the use of "iai" to mean sword-drawing originally derived from the idea of a swordfight that begins while one is seated.

Beyond that, it's hard to even speculate with any real conviction. I don't know of any documentation on sword-drawing that predates the Edo period, but then again there's very little documentation of *any* kind surviving from before the late 1500s. It's unlikely that sword-drawing was a major concern of samurai prior to the early modern period--the 1580s and beyond--when samurai began to be gathered into towns and cities and the likelihood of surprise "muggings," streetfights and such increased. Before that swordsmanship was mostly oriented toward battlefield usage, where the need to draw rapidly wouldn't have been much of a factor. (In early modern times, of course, the ability to respond to an attack that begins when one's own blade is still sheathed was probably a more important self-defense skill than regular kenjutsu.) All of which suggests that iai/batto as a significant part of any ryuha's curriculum was probably mostly a 17th-19th century development. The idea of iai/batto as the exclusive focus of a ryuha's curriculum seems to have been a 19th century development.

Karl Friday

Dept. of History

University of Georgia

Yearly subscriptions (12 issues) to the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts are $36 cdn in Canada, $36 US in USA, and $48 overseas. Subscriptions, stories, news, views, and anything else should be sent to Kim Taylor Editor JJSA, 44 Inkerman St. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 3C5.

519-836-4357

WEB PAGES

Sei Do Kai Iaido homepage:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~iaido/

Kim Taylor's webpages

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~kataylor/

Canadian Kendo Federatin:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~kataylor/ckfindex.htm

Ontario Kendo Federation homepage

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~kataylor/okfindex.htm

IAIDO GRADING COMMENTS

The 1998 Central CKF gradings last December included some 60 challengers.

17/20 first kyu passed (85%)

21/23 first dan passed (91%)

8/10 second dan passed (80%)

0/2 third dan passed (0%)

3/5 fourth dan passed (60%)

Once more a high proportion of students have passed the grading and I congratulate them. However, I had one instructor say to me that he was not interested in hearing my comments about his students. They had passed. Well you're all going to hear them, and whether or not you pass, you should always listen to comments since that's the only way to improve. Here is Kim Taylor's outlook on the 1998 crop of iaido students in Canada. Remember this is my personal view, there are four other people sitting on the panel.

1 Kyu: Many people stopped at the top of their final cut (at furi kaburi). This may be fine in some koryu, but for ZenKenRen iai, there is no pause at this point. Slow it down, make big clear, correct cuts, we aren't interested in your wrist speed. Finally, I saw quite a lot of poor sword control. This is dangerous! You must demonstrate control of the sword at all times during (and before, and after) your grading.

1 dan. Here I'm looking forward to big cuts, with smooth transitions between movements. The wrist and the tip must be in the correct cutting position during a cut, especially for the one handed cuts. The cut angles must be correct, hit the correct "kata points" and forget about showing how strong you are. Again, the kata are too fast.

2 dan. Technically you can grade for 1 dan three months after passing 1 kyu, so we can't ask for a lot more skill. However, 2 dan requires 2 years more training. You must hit all the correct points by this time, and you must be able to cut properly.

3 dan. By third dan I assume you can do the kata perfectly, at least physically, you've been at it for almost 5 years minimum. Now I start to look for more than being able to hit the marks and cut straight. Any mistakes in the kata or the etiquette are liable to fail the challengers.

4 dan. Here you have likely been doing iai for almost 10 years. To pass you won't make any physical mistakes at all, not even small ones. Beyond this, you must begin to demonstrate power in the cuts, pressure toward the opponents, a deep understanding of the meaning behind the kata, and a feeling of dignity. You must convince anyone that you belong out there in front of whoever is watching, and that you know you're good enough.

Just some thoughts I scribbled down while watching. -Kim Taylor

IAIDO MANUALS

BBI-1 KIM'S BIG BOOK OF IAIDO (I):The Manual

8X11" 108 pgs. Kim Taylor:

BBI-2 KIM'S BBI (II): Seitei Gata

8x11" 100 pgs. Kim Taylor

BBI-3 KIM'S BBI (III): Omori Ryu

8x11" 94 pgs. Kim Taylor

BBI-4 KIM'S BBI (IV): Eishin Ryu

8x11" 127 pgs. Kim Taylor

BBI-5 KIM'S BBI (V): Oku Iai

8x11" 100 pgs. Kim Taylor

OTHER BOOKS

PH-1 SONGS OF THE SWORD

5X8" 100 pgs. by Kim Taylor

SD-1 RESISTING SEXUAL ASSAULT

8x11" 130 pgs. by Kim Taylor

SD-2 STUDENT GUIDE TO SELF DEFENCE

8x11" 150 pgs. by Kim Taylor

VIDEO TAPES

VHS/NTSC format only.

VID-1 SEITEI GATA IAI 1993

VID-2 SPRING SEMINAR/TACHI UCHI NO KURAI

VID-3 THE 1994 SENIOR CLASS, SEITEI GATA

VID-4 THE 1994 SENIOR CLASS, KORYU

VID-5 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1991, 1992

VID-6 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1993

VID-7 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1994

VID-8 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1995

VID-9 THE 1993 UG SUMMER IAIDO SEMINAR

VID-10 THE 1995 JOHN RAY SEMINAR AT UG - 1

VID-11 THE 1995 JOHN RAY SEMINAR AT UG - 2

VID-12 1994 SEMINAR WITH HARUNA SENSEI

VID-13 OMORI RYU AND SENIOR CLASS 1995

VID-14 1996 SEMINAR WITH HARUNA SENSEI

VID-15 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1996

VID-16 TACHI UCHI NO KURAI (includes material from VID-2)

VID-17 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1997

COMPANION VIDEO TAPES TO THE BBI MANUALS

VIDBBI-1 BEGINNING IAIDO I

VIDBBI-2 BEGINNING IAIDO II

VIDBBI-3 SEITEI GATA IAIDO

VIDBBI-4 MUSO JIKIDEN EISHIN RYU SEIZA NO BU

VIDBBI-5 MJER TATE HIZA NO BU

VIDBBI-6 MJER OKU IAI IWAZA

JJSA Journal of Japanese Sword Arts $36 Cdn in Canada,

$36 US in USA, $48 overseas.

JINX-1 IAI JINX WRITING CARDS

SEI DO KAI ORDER FORM

Please send me:

BBI-1. $30 __

BBI-2. $30 __

BBI-3. $30 __

BBI-4. $30 __

BBI-5. $30 __

BBI-SET. $120 __

JINX-1 $7 __

PH-1. $17 __

SD-1. $25 __

SD-2. $25 __

SD-SET. (1&2)$45 __

JJSA $36 __ Can/USA

$48 __ Overseas

VID-1. $25 __

VID-2. $25 __

VID-3. $25 __

VID-4. $25 __

VID-5. $25 __

VID-6. $25 __

VID-7. $25 __

VID-8. $25 __

VID-9. $25 __

VID-10. $25 __

VID-11. $25 __

VID-12. $25 __

VID-13. $25 __

VID-14. $25 __

VID-15. $25 __

VID-16. $25 __

VID-17. $25 __

Any 5 Vid tapes $100 __

VIDBBI-1. $25 __

VIDBBI-2. $25 __

VIDBBI-3. $25 __

VIDBBI-4. $25 __

VIDBBI-5. $25 __

VIDBBI-6. $25 __

VIDBBI-7. $25 __

7 Vidbbi tapes $175 __

TOTAL $_____

Address:

Prices include postage, Send order form to: Kim Taylor 44 Inkerman St. Guelph Ontario N1H 3C5. Payment in Canadian or US funds. Make checks or money orders payable to Kim Taylor or to Sei Do Kai Iaido.

For a catalogue, or price quotes on weapons contact Kim Taylor at the above address,

tel 519-836-4357, or email kataylor@uoguelph.ca