Iaido Gradings

[Musashi898]

Hello

As i have justed started Iaido i was wondering what the grading system is like

can anyone tell me?

Thanks

[splice]

This is completely dependent on what federation or organization (if any) your club is a part of. Ask your sensei. More than likely, at regular intervals, sensei sends who he chooses to grade for whatever rank, you pay the fees, demonstrate waza to the judges, have a written test, wait, and get results. Some don't have written tests. Some don't have judging panels and sensei is the one to decide. Some don't have grades at all and you just get your ass on the dojo floor and practice.

More than likely you don't have to worry about any of this. Let your sensei guide you, he'll let you know when the time is near, he'll tell you what's expected of you. That's a nice rule of thumb to follow when you have questions about something, too: ask the one who's teaching you about it.

[Dave Fowler]

Ya but what if your a poor schmutz like me who is self teaching?

[splice]

Ya but what if your a poor schmutz like me who is self teaching?

Then there's nothing to worry about. You're not doing a Japanese Sword Art, you're not part of a dojo, you have no sensei, you are not in any way connected to a federation or organization or ryu. Therefore, no grading, as you have nothing for which to grade. It's really, really simple.

[Theodore]

Stroud Sensei has posted the grading criteria for iaido. (http://www.idaho-kendo.com/Iaido/iaido_checklist.html)

[Andoru]

Stroud Sensei has posted the grading criteria for iaido. (http://www.idaho-kendo.com/Iaido/iaido_checklist.html)

Excellent link! thanks!

[iam_pk]

Stroud Sensei has posted the grading criteria for iaido. (http://www.idaho-kendo.com/Iaido/iaido_checklist.html)

i thought Iai Shinsa is different from actual iaido..

[Ren Blade]

Ya but what if your a poor schmutz like me who is self teaching?
According to your site, your dojo teaches Iaido as well. Can't you arrange something for Iaido training with your sensei? Iaido's no good self taught.

[Musashi898]

Theres a limit what can be taught with a book

[Kaoru]

According to your site, your dojo teaches Iaido as well. Can't you arrange something for Iaido training with your sensei? Iaido's no good self taught.

hehehe, Since you beat me to it, I'm just going to add to what you said...

Fowler-san,

Why didn't you ask if anyone at your dojo teaches Iaido? You shouldn't be teaching yourself Iai. That's very dangerous. If you do Kendo, you should know that already. Please save yourself the trouble and go ask your sensei about Iai training, ok?

Trust me, you will be MUCH happier to be in a dojo training under someone qualified to teach Iaido than not. Your hands and fingers will thank you too. :) You seriously could lose fingers and that, if you are using a live blade.

So, please go ask your sensei, ok? I will also be very happy to hear that are learning in a dojo and not teaching yourself. I can just see you losing something along the way if you keep teaching yourself. Besides, you aren't doing Iaido. You are just waving a sword about when you try to teach yourself. Just think of all the bad habits and mistakes you are picking up. It is MUCH harder to unlearn bad habits and that, than learning everything right the first time in a dojo. Just please stop that and go to the dojo to learn. :)

Kaoru

[Dave Fowler]

According to your site, your dojo teaches Iaido as well. Can't you arrange something for Iaido training with your sensei? Iaido's no good self taught.

No we don't teach Iaido, I just offer for others to practice with me... in other words i'm about the only one doing it in the city.

[Dave Fowler]

hehehe, Since you beat me to it, I'm just going to add to what you said...

Fowler-san,

Why didn't you ask if anyone at your dojo teaches Iaido? You shouldn't be teaching yourself Iai. That's very dangerous. If you do Kendo, you should know that already. Please save yourself the trouble and go ask your sensei about Iai training, ok?

Trust me, you will be MUCH happier to be in a dojo training under someone qualified to teach Iaido than not. Your hands and fingers will thank you too. :) You seriously could lose fingers and that, if you are using a live blade.

So, please go ask your sensei, ok? I will also be very happy to hear that are learning in a dojo and not teaching yourself. I can just see you losing something along the way if you keep teaching yourself. Besides, you aren't doing Iaido. You are just waving a sword about when you try to teach yourself. Just think of all the bad habits and mistakes you are picking up. It is MUCH harder to unlearn bad habits and that, than learning everything right the first time in a dojo. Just please stop that and go to the dojo to learn. :)

Kaoru

While that's all fine and dandy, i'm the sensei so.... :-)

My comments were more along the line of I go practice in a dojo with a sensei (for iaido) but it is a 2 hr flight so it happens 2 or so times a year the rest I practice myself. I just couldn't remember up to what form the first ikkyu grading covered and was wondering. I'll go check that link posted and see what it states.

[Ric Flinn]

While that's all fine and dandy, i'm the sensei so.... :-)

My comments were more along the line of I go practice in a dojo with a sensei (for iaido) but it is a 2 hr flight so it happens 2 or so times a year the rest I practice myself. I just couldn't remember up to what form the first ikkyu grading covered and was wondering. I'll go check that link posted and see what it states.

So you're not "self teaching" but just attending seminars and practices with real instruction when you can. Big difference; you gotta watch what you say when you talk about training with no sensei present, the wolves around here will eat you alive. :)

Anyway, assuming you're practicing under ZNKR rules and regulations, you don't really have to worry about anything below ikkyu. For ikkyu you'll need to demonstrate 5 seitei kata. The CKF doesn't typically have written exams, I don't believe. The key for ikkyu is to know your reiho inside and out; mess that up and it's all over. And don't drop your sword at any point either. Seriously though, it'll be obvious to any instructor how long you've been practicing; next seminar you should simply ask one what they think about when you should consider testing.

[Ric Flinn]

I just couldn't remember up to what form the first ikkyu grading covered and was wondering.

Oh yeah, as for the kata, most people grading for ikkyu pick the first 5 but it's not a requirement. Although you also should stay away from the last 3 as well. I think I did the first 6, skipping ushiro since I didn't feel I was doing it very well at the time.

[Dave Fowler]

So you're not "self teaching" but just attending seminars and practices with real instruction when you can. Big difference; you gotta watch what you say when you talk about training with no sensei present, the wolves around here will eat you alive. :)


Well if practicing with real instruction only once a year isn't "self teaching" I don't really know what would be :-)

[Ren Blade]

Well, that's a relief that you're not self teaching yourself Iaido. I would call what you do as self practice. Because you see an Iai sensei twice a year for real instruction and all you're doing is practicing what he taught you while you can't see him which is what I call self practice.

Self taught or self teaching is when you haven't any exposure to actual live instruction from a legitimate sensei and you're just trying to guess and copy movements from what is in a book, video or in the case of the backyard Samurai disease out there learning from movies and anime.