Sussex Iaido Club

Iaido (pronounced ee-eye-doe) is a traditional Japanese martial art that can be translated as 'the art of drawing the sword', or 'the way of mental presence and immediate reaction'.

Iaido emphasises controlled precise movements and perfect form which are taught as individual techniques called kata. Training in Iaido does not generally include any direct contact or sparring (although there are some paired training techniques taught to experienced students).

At the Sussex Genbukan Iaido Club, we practice Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (MJER) Iaido, which is one of the most widely practiced classical Iaido schools. Our syllabus includes the seitei-gata which are the standardised set of iaido forms formulated by the All Japan Kendo Federation (Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei, ZNKR). There are now twelve seitei forms taught within a number of Iaido/Kendo federations to teach and promote iaido around the world.