居合道 iaidō Iaido

居合道 is the sword art in which the cut comes in the same motion as the draw. All its schools share one aim: the match is decided as the point leaves the scabbard. The first character is read two ways, as sitting or as simply being there when the enemy appears. Both describe a swordsman whose blade is still sheathed, and that is what sets the art apart from fencing.

居合道 is composed of the kanji 居 (read i) meaning "exist, be present", 合 (read ai) meaning "fit; join; suit; meet" and 道 (read dō) meaning "teachings, the way".

The art of drawing the sword, 居合, is first known from a sword master's license of 1579, where it is written 居相, and is said to go back to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu of the same age; the name 居合道 is first known as the title of a book of 1939, and became the art's general name after the national federation of 1954.

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