Iaido Lesson How to Draw and Return the sword

[valor992]

Thank you my friend... As a martial artist of 16yrs iv decided to broaden my horizens and begin the study of Iaido... Without the availability of a proficient teacher your video has proved invaluable...

[lovecraft4780]

Sir, I have an honest question. How do you learn this without slicing the web part of your hand like a piece of roast beef? It seems exceptionally dangerous to practice with live steel.

[lennybruce8]

@lovecraft4780 if you watch my other videos you see me doing noto with live edge no problem. this video demonstrates putting away the sword casually with the basic ideas. it is not demonstrating noto. i have yet to make a noto nukitsuke tutorial. after making the video i realized that some people might confuse this with an actual noto. i thought it was clear it was simply the general mechanics to putting the sword away. apparently i need to make a new video.

[lovecraft4780]

@lennybruce8 This video is perfectly awesome. I will commence viewing your other videos forthwith. Yeah I wasn't asking because there was anything wrong with this vid. I was asking because I am about to buy my first katana and I am concerned about the possibility of injury. There is certainly no one in these parts that teaches kenjutsu or Iaido so I'm on my own...

[lennybruce8]

@lovecraft4780 if its your first sword simply buy an iaito. do not get a sword with a sharp edge. get a good quality practice sword.

[NekoGamiYuki]

@condemnedsnake XD that's why reverse swords aren't common

[condemnedsnake]

lol rubbing the sword against your hand with a revers blade wont work

[aznlonewuff]

Do you have any katana or blunt blades that you suggest practicing with?

[lennybruce8]

@aznlonewuff i would not use a sharp sword unless you have a great deal of practice and skill. iaito - non sharpened swords are available easily on the net. you can get a decent one for 200 bucks. just make sure its a decent sword.

[aznlonewuff]

@lennybruce8 What defines a decent sword?

[lennybruce8]

@aznlonewuff i think you need to find an instructor in your area and learn in a class. its best. then you can see what a decent sword is like. i cant really explain it to you and let you make a correct buying decision, i'm sorry.

[aznlonewuff]

@lennybruce8 Thanks for the Info. It's all good. I'm continuing to search around town, but the closest school is about 3 hours away. I'm very cautious about training and interested in Iaido for the Zen aspect. Do you have any suggestion on literature? Eventually, I'll have more time to devote learning under an Instructor. But for now, I practice some kata's to wind down after work.



[lennybruce8]

@aznlonewuff not sure what your cautious about. there is zen aspect in anything. iaido though doesnt contain too much 'zen' something like tai chi or bagua etc will give you more internalization. literature for doing sword? hmmm. maybe flashing steel. its an ok book. talks about lots of spiritual stuff. also that teacher put out a video thats easy to find. its eishin ryu iaido. it also covers cutting etc. really you need a teacher. i'm not trying to be annoying but its just how it is.^^

[waysofbushido]

@aznlonewuff if anything i would check out the book of five rings and the hagakure..... five rings was written by miyamoto musashi a highly venerated swordsman though it dosnt touch on zen verry much it gives you a good idea of swordsmanship strategy. and the hagakure is the samurai code of conduct.,.. an touches on an experiential model of zen, as well as duty/

[EllyMcCormack]

In Feudal Japan i'd be useless, I'd remove both of my own fingers just withdrawing the damn thing :P it's amazing that they would do this fast.

[UrbanMusashi]

Thank you for the formal lesson. Especially the withdrawal tips on how to use your index and middle fingers. This was very helpful and easy for me to follow. :)

[kazemizu]

Definatly a video to save, all the small technical fingure action is exactly what I'm lookng for

[Fight040Allah]

i thought you were not supposed to touch your blade because it can corrode

[lennybruce8]

@Fight040Allah no. thats what cleaning the blade is for. the sword gets touched quite often. especially in kenjutsu.

[KJTheSamurai]

very good video. thank you for sharing your knowledge

[nycrea]

Nice video, shows perfectly how to handle the sword delicate, and not with strong grips.

[tranglomango]

MAJOR STUPIDITY AND CRAPNESS....

FOR GOD'S SAKE WHAT A FUCKING CRAP...GIMME A BREAK

[johnnyhorton2]

is there a special name for sheathing the sword or what its use is (ie cleaning the blood off of it)

[lennybruce8]

@johnnyhorton2 sheathing is called NOTO. the symbolic removing of blood is called chiburi.

[dakoata121212]

@johnnyhorton2 You should also know that Chiburi does not clean the blood off the blade. It may dispose of a little bit of blood, but not all of it. This is why the Samurai would carry a paper/cloth in their clothing, to wipe the blood off. Blood actualy cause the blade to rust quickly. So it was important that the Samurai made sure they got all the blood off well. Katana are (and were) not cheap, at least real Katana anyway.

[locoramen]

very nice. i have a sword but didn't know the proper way of holstering it on my waist ( was it supposed to be up or down?) and drawing it back in without stabbing my hand was a problem. it helped me out and i felt proud. thank you, lennybruce8.

[TheBuddhaTv]

I will be starting Iaido next week Friday, this is a great intro to the teachings of this martial art.

Does Iaido actually relate to Zen and Bushido, or Mushin?

I'd appreciate a reply!

[lennybruce8]

@TheBuddhaTv All activities can relate to Zen and or Mushin. if you focus on anything you can develop a state of mushin. if you practice iaido with the right mindset then mushin will be a byproduct that happens fluidly.

dont get into any spiritual aspects at first. just learn the forms and practice.

practice, and practice. like walking in the forest eventually your feet flatten the foliage and a path is presented.

[toshishimura]

Also its interesting that people who viewed this clip to learn nuki and noto left totally non iaido comments, dick heads

[toshishimura]

Lennybruce8 it wasnt meant as a criticism, theres obviously a few variations. I dont know about other ryu, but Eishin hasnt always been cutting edge up, be interesting to know how noto was performed cutting edge down

[toshishimura]

In eishin ryu we hold the saya vertical and pull the sword across it at right angles, that is, with the blade horizontal, middle finger round the saya, blade between finger and thumb. When the kissaki reaches the saya we turn the saya onto the blade and move the saya over the blade then push the blade home. Much more control than dragging it over the back of your hand. Good in depth tutorial though

[lennybruce8]

@toshishimura at the time i was trying to point out some other points. and other points got lost. i've been wanting to add to this video but...eh..kind of been lazy to do it. but your right i didnt point out the way to do noto. i was focused on kind of a basic way to get the sword out and in. wasnt really doing nukitsuke or noto in a classic way. thanks for the notes though.

[takeshimiyagi]

the drawing is too slow, but the time he takes out the katana he will be cut by the opponent.

[lennybruce8]

@takeshimiyagi are you serious? its a 'how to video' there's no nukitsuke being demonstrated here. simply how to remove and put the sword away very simply.

[fiestamaniak]

thankyou i was always getting that wrong now i can show my sensei that i can do it :)oh by the way cool sword !!!:D

[thegiantduck]

he has a serial killer voice

[Dragonpwnage23]

thankyou but always wrap you sageo on your belt

[Cronos844]

a samuri said pinky thats funny

[painfulhug]

man, stop doing martial arts and go work at sex calls.. or just stop drinking whisky and talk faster and normal.

[Bigvader]

Thank you very much for yhis video! My instructor is very adept at kenjutsu, the actual use of the samurai sword and bokken, however, noto has always been an issue for me with the katana. The simple switch to placing the middle finger at the edge of the saya mouth has made an immediate difference. Thanks again. Osu!

[Oginatrix]

Thank you very much. Your devotion to sharing details is greatly appreciated.

[lennybruce8]

@Oginatrix really need to add more details to this as people seem to be confused by what i was showing..however thanks for the comment.

[LiquidFilter]

nice video.thanks

[kishimoto199]

That helps me as a bigginer。

[fredlecut]

Very nice, thank you for sharing

[lennybruce8]

@fredlecut you are welcome. thanks for watching.

[rinwhr]

2:26 wouldn't you cut yourself?

[lennybruce8]

no. again this is the rough idea of what the hand does.

when done quicker there is more sayabiki. i have to make a 2nd video.

[rinwhr]

@lennybruce8, I think it be cool if you make videos on the foot work too.

[nav2491i]

damn sounds like glen quagmire!

[TheOnibato]

Thank you! very instructive and well made video.

[tejumo7]

As long as we can agree that the Japanese sword was actually invented before anime...right? Katana is always carried either loosely in the hand or blade-up while in the obi. Tachi (referring mainly to the sword dressing) was carried blade-down, since it was carried while the samurai was wearing chest armor (think tactical thigh holster vs belt holster while a special forces soldier is wears body armor). Again, as cool as anime is, the Japanese sword came first.

[HellsCowBoy666]

My brother an I are habit a debate about how the sword goes on the hip. I got a reverse blade sword recently and from what I can tell the crest and point of the blade always point up is this right?

[lennybruce8]

you have a reverse blade? what does that mean?

the katana is worn through the obi(belt) with the cutting side facing upwards. this is mostly standard. wearing the sword down is usually done with a tachi style sword. you can see this done on horseback frequently. and the blade faces downward..however its possible to twist the grip and draw the sword upward or downward from either starting position. whether its cutting edge up or down.

[HellsCowBoy666]

Yes it's a kenshin anime style sword. So the bladed edge is alwas pointing up?

[anro478]

you can buy those ? !

[HellsCowBoy666]

Yeah just got to go to an Asian specality store

[Creationsofmyown]

its an anime style sword, the blade is on the inside of the curve, allowing him to use it traditionally to bludgeon, he also consequently cant contact his thumb during noto. he uses normal moves, but doesnt kill people cuz its the front dull side of his sword.....

so complex to explain something so silly, still a decent sword anime,

[CaptainHitsugaya66]

Not to sound gay or anyhting, but you have a relaxing voice. anyone ever tell you that?

[FakePriest]

@CaptainHitsugaya66 Geee, Do you have a bankai or something? Hitsugaya Tai Chou? :D

[CaptainHitsugaya66]

....No...I just like the name. Whats wrong, dont like anime?

[sanderfilon]

at my school they teach us to also do saya-biki when drawing the sword and making the first cut (nukitsuke). I understand this is not a nukitsuke but in iaido you always do a nukitsuke when drawing.

We also learn to (when doing noto) turn the saya horizontally (90 degrees angle from normal position), but that's maybe different at every school?

but besides the nitpicking it's a very nice and detailed video and useful!

[kbs1138]

Yes schools will differ on this and many other things. The possible variation was probably even greater a couple of centuries ago. It's only nitpicking if you are suggesting he actually do it like you learned it at your particular school which I hope you are not suggesting by this comment.

[DjCapnWolf]

Great vid! Thank you for sharing! I especially like the way you show in great detail what you are explaining. The shots are great, as well as the explanations. I actually learned something useful from this vid. Arigatou!

[lennybruce8]

youre welcome.

[ChishioAme]

Though badly worded, tairo78 is quite correct; in a proper draw, from what I've been taught, you turn the saya horizontally (or about a 45 degree angle) away from your body, clear the mouth, and then draw, particularly when performing battokiri, an essential part of both iaido and battojutsu. That way, you don't cut your own stomach open, but (and I don't want to sound insulting, though that may be inevitable) I guess you don't have to worry about that with a dull sword.

[lennybruce8]

this is a simple removing sword from saya. this is not a nukitsuke. the sword does not need to be turned to 'clear the body'. its simply removing the sword. this isnt a comprehensive video either. but thanks for trying to be constructive. appreciate it.

[woopass1234]

nice sword !!

[tairo78]

......this is strange it might be bekuse I dont train in the same school as you but you dident turn the saja at the begining and that can lead to that you cut your self...

and then I think in my school we do only use the half index fniger bekuse if you have more out at the blade its more risk you cut your self. But im sure its bekuse im not in the same school as you ^^ just wanted to tell this. and there are some more stuff at the end but I cant write more about it im not the best student ^-^.

[sitsutam]

what about the part when the japanese samuri stop putting the katana into the sheath and pull the sheath on to the sword and then draw the sheathed sword back into position on their hip?

[draco7694]

Resheathing is different for each style, some may use that method, and some may not. In some styles, it is acceptable to adjust the sword position on the hip slightly at the end of each kata, but in Muso Shinden Ryu iaido the saya and sword meet each other almost halfway, no one part does the majority of the motion

[sitsutam]

thanks mate.

[DianaCMcC]

thank you. My sword was a gift although it was meant for me. It did not come with lessons. Only those I get from praying and bringing in knoledge from my heart. I must look funny. And I will practice this until I get good at doing it right. Do you do lessons.

[lennybruce8]

i'm glad you got something out of it.

[kendoka0girl]

Very nice! Joo ah yo!

We call the initial open hand grip - Tatsu no Kuchi, the dragon's mouth.

[thehuckabee]

nice video! I find the different noto forms for different styles to be interesting. My video response is of a different style, feel free to check it out.

[lennybruce8]

thats one style. mostly i use another style which is from muso shinden ryu.

[thehuckabee]

hai, muso shinden ryu is my practice as well.

[Naisho07]

At 2:15, if you look closely you can see splinters from the saya fly up from the tip of the sword scraping it.

[kfkonrad1]

Actually, that is a pine needle or something else falling from above if you look closely.

[Naisho07]

I thought that had to be something falling but could not figure for the life of me what in the world would have fallen from the sky that looked like a splinter :) That darn tree picked a crummy time to drop a pine needle on ya, but the outside scenery is far better for a vid than a dark dojo for sure. That's a good looking sword by the way.

[soyuz79]

Nice! thanks alot!!..

[lennybruce8]

youre welcome

[EvenTakenIsTaken]

What style of Iaido do you study?

[lennybruce8]

siljondobup and some others non-formally.

[soobeng]

thank you very much for sharing. this clip is totally amazing.

[robertmrivers]

You have a nice talent for teaching and I appreciate the videos. I must say, though, it is really hard for me to watch you noto... in iai we do not let the kissaki scrape down the hand and then "catch" the kissaki with the finger and thumb. I understand the statement "different styles do it different ways", so perhaps the title should be "siljondobup lesson". I think you have perhaps gotten good at doing it like this... but in iaido we avoid having anything sharp touch our body when we do noto.

[lennybruce8]

Hello. I made this as a general overview. I didnt go into intense details. Also i explained why the fingers are pinched together at the mouth of the saya. This is a breakdown of the action. When done smoothly there is no scraping, and the kissaki is in without actually 'resting' on any fingers.

if you dont show things slowly people can have trouble comprehending things. If you watch the end you can it done slowly but smoothly without any scraping or hanging. thanks for the input.

[Narkodas]

You are left handed?

[Narkodas]

Oh sorry, nevermind lol "-.-

[LatinoGuitarer]

I know there are dozens of different ways things are taught in Iaido, but isn't a bigger sayabiki(sp) necessary on the draw?

[lennybruce8]

there are different schools that have different methods for that. however there is a general guideline. this is what i was showing. you only need to move enough to free the tip. some applications require a more grand movement.

but to move into a basic posture as i showed you dont need a large movemnt. just enough to free the kissaki from the saya.

[LatinoGuitarer]

Fair enough. Being from an Eishin Ryu school, I've gotten used to seeing my school's kata. It's always interesting to see how other schools have different ways to about the details.

Have you ever seen an Aikido type of iaido? They're chiburi is just strange...

[draco7694]

Great video, and not to be a stickler but the romanization of the japanese sword return term i believe is nooto, with an extended "oh" sound. notto in romanization implies a break in the word, such as in "bi-kuri desita."

btw i love ur voice, and what style do you practice??

[lennybruce8]

yes, notto is not correct romanji. i wasn't sure of the romanji for that. thanks for the heads up. style is siljondobup.

[Jeeperrandy]

Thanks for the vids lb8. I see a lot of variances in the saya grip and hand positions well as the grip on the stuka. No wonder so many people criticize videos and technique as being 'wrong'. I guess it's all in how you have been taught.

[lennybruce8]

Thanks.

Well i feel strongly that some things are NOT CORRECT no matter how long its been taught or who taught it. i feel some things increase the odds for an injury. also some postures make better energy with less effort etc. There are some postures and ways to do thing that are just school specific but some things fall into the realm of, 'ummm thats not the best idea...'

[Hyoujinsama]

Hmm...I think my comment died.

Anyhow, Great vid! I faved it!

[lennybruce8]

was it the comment about what sword that is?

[Hyoujinsama]

No. I posted a comment on this vid...and it didn't show up. Just saying the same as above. ^_^

[lennybruce8]

thanks, brother. ^^

[jonislow]

good stuff, thanks for the contribution, it's exactly what we need

[lennybruce8]

thanks brother. i realize i left out some little details but i'll wait until someone notices and asks for them. ^^

[kfkonrad]

Very good basic instruction. A must for beginners.