Seriously considering Iaido

[Shiro]

I'm thinking more and more about starting Iaido, but I have some doubts about being able to do a correct seiza or tatehiza. In kendo I sit in seiza with my feet crossed under me, is that a proper way of doing it?
I'd like to know what your first experiences with those were and if you were able to do them before picking up iaido.

Thanks in advance.

[Khabbi]

well , they should meet , under your cabooz , but they shoulden be crossed shiro , one leg shouldent be over the other . like a V . make any sense ? lol

Dont worry about stuff like that , Sensei will tell you whats wrong just like in kendo =) , Iaido is fun , real fun

[SEEK]

Iaido is about perfection, even when you learn to sit in seiza or tatehiza in a correct way, that is not enough for iaido. First the sensei will teach you the (basic) seitei kata's. You will have to practise these katas till your death! Over and over again. Like I said, technical perfection is only a start and then the mental part starts....It's that mental thing that makes iaido, not just the moves.

[mystic_kendoka]

/|\
|_serious for his first post...

[plewis66]

I don't think you have to be perfect before you go to lessons, though. Don't be put off because you can't sit perfectly, otherwise you'll never go to the classes, and never learn *how* to sit correctly!

[mystic_kendoka]

or, just bring a chair.. ;)
remember mingshi's post on favorite weapons?

[Shiro]

Khabbi: I see what you mean. Actually my feet are almost like that, but it's those final inches to make it a V that hurt :).

SEEK: I know perfection lies beyond simple thechniques, but knowing the proper way to do something and asking yourself if you're able to do it isn't futile at all.

[Mishima]

I don't know what picture of Iaido is being painted for you on this page, but it's not one I've ever seen. In my experience Iaido is about relaxation and comfort and there is no obligation to do anything that causes you pain. Remember their are a lot of disabled and wheelchair bound practitioners of Iaido who happily work around their disabilties. In Japan numerous older people who can nolonger get down perform Iaido from an entirely standing position. In my experience, (before reading this posting), I've never heard of anyone in the Iaido world demanding Olympian perfection of practitioners. My advice would be phone up you local dojo and tell them you might not be able to do 100% of the positions and I'd bet money they'll say no problem, work with what you've got. :ko:

[mystic_kendoka]

1. im sure the comfortable aspect has been conveyed in post 6

2. shiro isnt disabled, just whines alot about seiza alot... :P well at least he had a reason for it, he had to fight me before doing 30 minutes of seiza... so that must've hurt :>:>:> kidding shiro...

[Shiro]

I don't know what picture of Iaido is being painted for you on this page, but it's not one I've ever seen. In my experience Iaido is about relaxation and comfort and there is no obligation to do anything that causes you pain. Remember their are a lot of disabled and wheelchair bound practitioners of Iaido who happily work around their disabilties. In Japan numerous older people who can nolonger get down perform Iaido from an entirely standing position. In my experience, (before reading this posting), I've never heard of anyone in the Iaido world demanding Olympian perfection of practitioners. My advice would be phone up you local dojo and tell them you might not be able to do 100% of the positions and I'd bet money they'll say no problem, work with what you've got. :ko:

I'm not disabled or something, it's just that I'm not theleanest person around..... But anyway, your post is quite comforting :)

Mystic whined about it more than I did ;).
That seiza was hell, but at least Fukuda sensei gave us a nice speech..... :)

[mystic_kendoka]

no! you started! first thing you said after the lesson was, and i quote "too much seiza for me"

[Shiro]

no! you started! first thing you said after the lesson was, and i quote "too much seiza for me"

That wasn't whining, that was common sense! :D

[mystic_kendoka]

ur whining now... (——);