Iaidô by Kyomoto
Come have a look at iaidô, on the Sakura stage with Kyomoto, a master of this art who has created his own school.
Introduction
Iaidô is one of the Japanese martial arts practiced with a sword and it has carried on since the Muromachi period, in the 16th century. The main concept of iaidô is to observe carefully and find the best timing to draw out a sword from its scabbard to defeat the opponent with one stroke.
It is said that the essence of iaidô is “victory in the scabbard of the sword”, that is, one must obtain victory while the sword is un-drawn and harmonize with the whole world which surrounds oneself. It is also said that by training to use the sword and body right, one will achieve the right attitude and position to enhance one’s spirituality.
The ultimate purpose of iaidô is to acquire the virtue, the moral code of behaving in a disciplined manner, respecting others with love, keeping the faith, respecting politeness, being able to be beforehand with enemies without fighting and to achieve victory rather than to defeat others.
Such Japanese traditional moral values have fostered the bushidô, the samurai ethical code, and these values have cultivated the mental climate of the Japanese of any social class – to be strong, calm and polite.
Kyomoto
Kyomoto was born and grew up in the family of traditional iaidô practitioners. He began to practice iaidô at age 2 and started to use a real sword when he was 10. Then, since age 15, he has been teaching 140 disciples in various dôjô.
He has founded his personal style, in Paris; the feature of his school is to use wakizashi, short katana.
Kyomoto is making striking iaidô demonstrations on the Sakura stage at Japan Expo.