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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsVideo -Adorable Young Japanese Girl practicing Sword -Iaido
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Iaido teaches discipline and focus. Iaido (居合道, Iaidō or just Iai 居合?) is a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard or saya, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.[citation needed] While new students of iaido[1] may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, many of those who study iaido use a blunt edged sword (iaitō . Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp edged sword (shinken).
Recursion
(56,582 posts)We did that and jodo in college. The thing she's doing is very difficult.
enlightenment
(8,830 posts)So serious and determined! Must be frustrating when your arms are just a little too short to get the sword back in the scabbard in a smooth motion - she's going to be great.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Paul E Ester
(952 posts)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido
In some ways this sounds good for the martial arts, in other ways it is deeply, deeply disturbing. Nakamura discusses exchanging ideas with Takayama Masayoshi, a war criminal who was sentenced to twenty five years "because of his sword testing in China." As footnote #4 explains, the euphemism "sword testing" translates to "killing 10 Chinese prisoners of war with his sword."
That image--a dedicated martial artist killing prisoners to perfect his technique--is a haunting one. It is perfectly understandable that many teachers refused to keep the lessons from the War and "reverted to old-school sword techniques." In fact, I think I now understand why many lineages of iaido discourage tameshigiri (test-cutting).
But yet...as horrible as the Japanese war crimes were, were the samurai of old any better? Or do they just seem safe and pure because of the distance of history? Swords are designed for killing. We may play at creative-anachronism, but the real truth is messy and tinged with evil.
http://www.yachigusaryu.com/blog/2006/06/thoughts-on-iaido-by-nakamura.html
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)generally they were there to give you the upper hand in combat.
Combat. You know, mankind's greatest sport.
Even today, while we practicing tameshigari against a bamboo pole, we acknowledge the idea that the pole we are cutting through is worth approximately two bodies that I would technically be slicing through.
"...real truth is messy and tinged with evil."
"Truth"...meh. Its all in your perspective.
No one in Iaido I know denies anything about the uses the the sword has been put to.
That's what the Samurai code of Bushido was meant to mitigate.
I've seen several people initially enthused with Iaido and Kendo, drop out because it suddenly sunk in, that this discipline is at it's core is about how to kill efficiently. In an of itself the discipline is neutral. It's is the sword's wielder's own morality that makes it a clean or bloody path.
A movie I heartly recommend is
"Sword Of Doom" it explores the nature of evil.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)It could be considered evil.
Kendo might be considered less evil. Aikido even less.
That a child would practice wringing blood off the blade of a sword, imaginary blood of a human, is disgusting. There is nothing wrong with adults being killing machines and budo arts are generally good for you. Some martial arts are better for your soul than others.
I'll check out the movie thanks.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Will haunt me forever. Cheers for the link to the old movie I'll check it out. "Total Massacre"
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)If you can supply us with some verified links in which this little girl is about to, or is in the process of, decapitating a prisoner of war or a political prisoner with no provocation, then I'll consider the moral relativism.
Until then, I'll simply let the idiots who consider themselves clever debate it, whilst I label it "adorable"
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Uto - sit face north, 90 degree turning from west to north, right leg forward, make a cut on the level of the neck,
Sato sit face south, 90 degree turning from east to north, left leg forward, make a cut on the level of the neck
Atarito sit face west, 180 degree turning from south to east to north, left leg out, make a cut on the level of the neck
Inyoshintai - sit face east, make a cut on the level of the neck
Maybe she'll learn Junto
Junto - (ceremonial) - very calm and relaxing waza. You helping another samurai to finish his life. In case he will not have enough courage to cut his stomach, you will cut his head off. Sit face south, face to the left, left leg forward, draw the sword, upper block, jump to the facing direction to the forward-right side, make a cut (horizontal cut) on the level of the pelvis, move forward with the upper block, make a cut till the belly button, move blade over the opponent's body, switch tsuka when a tip of a the blade points to your right foot, "swing shiburi", notto, hold hand on kashira, three steps back.
it goes on and on, adorable really.
http://www.artofiaido.com/fight-techniques/omori-ryu-shoden
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)whine about people with guns going target shooting??
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Aikido is mostly defensive. Even when it is used offensively it harnesses the attackers energy to use against him.
The other end of the spectrum is krav maga which has as it's goal the destruction of a person. I think what we choose to teach children is important and I think a child would learn much more positive things practicing aikido than Krav maga.
Kendo, another japanese sword art, removed all the beheading, neck cutting, and belly cutting replacing it with points scored by hitting parts of the opponents body. kendo is a sport, Iaido is a meditative art focused on efficient killing, based on actual experience.
Regarding gun target practice, I would not approve of a child practicing the "art of shooting a person". Most ranges will not allow the use of lifelike human targets for that reason.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)Or maybe just MYOB.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)I don't want to ban swords.
I am just saying what she is doing is not adorable and some may consider it evil.
The blood thing is GROSS. Hara-kiri practice, please.
Peace.
snooper2
(30,151 posts)Rabbits
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Marr
(20,317 posts)Paul E Ester
(952 posts)It is a martial art but closer to kendo in that the violence of swordsmanship is more abstract. No imaginary dripping blood in fencing.
This is more akin to training with a bayonet or a broadsword.,
AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever read on DU.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Baka was one of the first words I learned from my wife.
More often, I'm told I am kuchi ga umai.
Peace
AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)WilliamPitt
(58,179 posts)You did not disappoint.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)nt.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)One can only image where she will be with the skill in ten years.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)And a Bleach reference in this thread. Gotta love it.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Whats he talking about...!!?!
Rex
(65,616 posts)sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Or "final release" as the kanji is translated.
Rex
(65,616 posts)nt.
Are you reading the manga?
I was fearful they were finally going to can the series. So happy to see it going!
What do you think about the current arc of Ichigo's mom being a Quincy? I love how they keep me guessing as to what will be next! This latest episode has me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what is going to happen between Ichigo's dad and that familiar figure that shows up at the end of the episode.
sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Proven right when Ichigo used Blut.
Rex
(65,616 posts)all those wrapped up in one person. I hope he gets to use ALL those powers - wouldn't THAT be something!
sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Ever since he lost his fulbring powers to Ginjo, he hasn't gone vizard.
Didn't notice and wondered why he has not. Didn't for see the head captain getting taken out so soon after losing his arm. That was a surprise.
Given that Yamamoto is so stubborn, I don't think he'd want Orihime's help.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Like you said so stubborn I think he is drifting somewhere healing in some realm he knows about from his zillion personal adventures before becoming the boss. I mean when you fight like a boss, you die like one too so won't be surprised to see him just show back up out of the blue and start kicking ass like a young yoda.
sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Bucky
(53,936 posts)If King Arthur didn't have the right to own his swords, we'd all be speaking Ork today.
Paul E Ester
(952 posts)In Japan the people are not allowed to freely own a real katana without a license.
You can own, without a license, something that looks like a katana but it will made of a non ferrous metal. At the airport in japan they x-ray all the luggage. If they see a Katana they will test the blade and if a magnet sticks to the blade and you do not have a license they will confiscate it on the spot as an illegal weapon.
Japanese law prohibits owning a blade longer than 5.5cm without a permit.
Pocket knife lands tourist, 74, in lockup
Bucky
(53,936 posts)First they came for the Japanese, but I didn't speak up because I don't get manga. Then, when they came for me, there was no one left who could fight Iaido style.
--Elie Wiesel
cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)Aerows
(39,961 posts)was the very best thing I ever learned from the martial arts, along with calm in the face of difficult situations. Both of my nieces are in martial arts now, and I couldn't be prouder of both of them.
AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)be an expert. I was probably younger than her when I took Kendo and Judo. I wish I had continued. I was amazed to read that more women take Kendo and Kenjitsu more than men. Kyudo (Archery) as well.
She is really cute though, I would love to give her a big hug!
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)Kawaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ne. Arigatou! Totemo kakkoii desu ne!! totally cool.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)AsahinaKimi
(20,776 posts)Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)sakabatou
(42,134 posts)sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Would've helped when I was bullied.
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Common Sense Party
(14,139 posts)Got it.
sakabatou
(42,134 posts)I've used chinese broadsword (dao), spear and staff inside of a dojo and have never used them outside.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Samurai_Writer
(2,934 posts)Which is the short sword. The katana would probably be as tall as she is.
I study a form very similar to this girl... American Hard Style Japanese Swordsmanship. It takes useful elements from three traditional Japanese Sword Styles and combines them into American Hard Style. They are Batto Ryu, Toyama Ryu and Shinkendo.
Her form is very good... she is going to make a good master of Iaido