1. What do I need to do to get started?
2. I have practised another style of Iaido in the past. Can I
come along and train at your club?
3. Is there a beginner’s class I can attend?
4. I cannot sit in a kneeling position because of an existing
medical problem, joint replacement and/or
injury. Can I still practice Iaido?
5. I am unsure what do in a class when I want to attract the attention
of the instructor. What should I do?
6. How should I behave in the Dojo?
7. I have a question but the instructor looks
busy, when is it best to ask the instructor my question?
8. I have practised some kata and I am unsure
when a kata begins and ends.
9. I have just performed Gan Men Ate (kata number eight from ZNKR
Seitei gata) and my scabbard (saya)
has gone down inside my hakama as I drew the blade out. Is this a mistake
and how do I proceed,
especially if grading or giving a demonstration?
10. How much time do I have to perform my kata at
a grading?
11. I want to join the BKA but the Membership Fees page is confusing
- how much is it?
1. What do I need to do to get started?
If you have practised or are practising another
martial art you will normally have a gi (Judo gi or Karate gi or similar
with a belt). Please attend with your gi and belt and you can practice
as you would normally. If you have a bokken (wooden sword) or Iaito
(imitation Japanese sword) bring them along to practice. If it is your
first class please check with the instructor if these items are appropriate.
Note that some ornamental swords were never intended for practising
Iaido and may be damaged by repeated practise. Please do not buy anything
until you have been to a class and understand what is the required dress
and weaponry.
However, if you are a complete beginner then you can attend with some
loose clothing and we can provide basic equipment such as a belt and
a bokken. When you are ready to buy some equipment and clothing (hakama
and keigogi) we recommend various suppliers and we have links to these
suppliers on the web site(click
here). Ask your seniors or the instructor.
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2. I have practised another style of Iaido in the past. Can I come along
and train at your club?
Yes of course please come along and share
your experiences with us. We practise ZNKR Seitei gata and also Muso
Shinden ryu Iaido but some of our students have practised other styles
such as Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu, Mu Gai ryu and Arakimuninsai Iaido.
During periods of free practise you may practice any style of Iaido
you wish. If you are graded we may ask you to demonstrate your style
or even take a class on special occasions.
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3. Is there a beginner’s class I can attend?
At present we do not have a beginner’s
class but simply split the class into two or sometimes three groups
which train at their own speed and with different katas (preset forms)
under the instruction of a senior graded person in the club.
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4. I cannot sit in a kneeling position because of an existing medical
problem, joint replacement and/or injury. Can I still practice Iaido?
Yes, you can still practice Iaido. There are
several standing forms in the school of Iaido we practice and there
are also some standing forms that can be practised, which are equivalent
to the seated forms (Seitei gata especially). The opening and closing
ceremony can also be performed standing. Several of our members have
problems and it is quite usual to do this standing. It is also permissible
to do your grading with standing forms so long as the grading panel
is informed of your problems or condition. Inform the instructor or
a senior graded student of any problems.
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5. I am unsure what do in a class when I want to attract the attention
of the instructor. What should I do?
You should shout “Sensei!”
(or the instructor’s name) and/or raise your hand or “catch
the eye” of the instructor to attract the attention of an instructor
or senior grade. They will then come over to you when it is safe to
do so. It is not advisable (and is not correct etiquette) to wander
around the training hall looking for the instructor because other students
are using weapons and may not be aware of your presence until it is
too late. Another student may injure you and this would be very unfortunate.
In addition, it is not advisable to creep up on an instructor, especially
when the instructor is about to make a technique.
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6. How should I behave in the Dojo?
This question comes under the heading of Dojo
behaviour (i.e. behaviour in the training hall) and is partly to do
with safety and partly to do with having respect for others training
and the art form you are learning. It is a serious matter as we should
always be aware of the consequences of our actions. The following list
is important to observe:
• Do not wear shoes or trainers in the Dojo. Normal practise is
barefooted in the Dojo and you can use flip-flops (zori) which can be
easily slipped on and off at the entrance to the Dojo. You should not
be walking outside the Dojo in bare feet and then walking into the Dojo.
• Do not eat or cause a disturbance in the Dojo (e.g. excessive
talking, laughing loudly, fiddling with cameras, mobile phones, etc.),
especially when watching a grading or demonstration.
• Do not leave equipment (especially swords) lying around and
do not walk over swords left lying on the floor. Keep all necessary
equipment at the side of the training area or in a designated area at
one end of the Dojo.
• Do not walk between a teacher and a student being observed by
the teacher and do not walk into the space of someone training.
• Do not be disrespectful of seniors or ignore instructors who
may be giving advice or helping you. Do not argue with an instructor
or senior student. Do feel free to clarify a point or ask for further
instruction if you are unclear about something.
These are just a few points where we have all made mistakes but over
time we improve ourselves and become aware of our behaviour and its
effects on others.
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7. I have a question but the instructor looks busy, when is it best
to ask the instructor my question?
It is a big responsibility running a Dojo and
the instructor has many jobs to do at the beginning of a class mostly
of an administrative nature (e.g. unlocking the hall or building, taking
money to pay for the hall, getting students to sign-in which is a legal
requirement, registering new students, checking their equipment or lending
them equipment, fulfilling promises to other students from previous
classes, handing out information, delegating to senior students, checking
the hall for safety issues, getting ready to teach, train and instruct,
sweeping the hall, remembering the lesson plan, getting changed, getting
in the right state of mind for practice and so on). It is advisable
to try and help out with some of these tasks to free up time for the
instructor to do other things. It is always better to be involved with
the club yourself and you can learn a great deal by working with other
senior students and instructors. By all means ask your question when
you can. Sometimes the instructor will invite questions during the session
– this is a good time to ask your question.
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8. I have practised some kata and I am unsure when a kata begins and
ends.
Beginning:
For Seitei, seated kata begin as soon as your hand moves to touch the
tsuba (guard) just before you sit down. Standing kata begin as soon
as you move your feet or move your hands to the sword depending on which
kata you are performing. A senior student might consider the beginning
of a kata the point at which he/she has decided to perform that kata
and begins the sequence of breathing prior to moving. At this point
the senior student might show a degree of focus and awareness prior
to moving. However, such a feeling of ‘presence’ must not
involve any facial expression or grimace.
Ending:
A kata ends at the point at which your zanshin (awareness) ends. This
is a bit esoteric for most people. For most people this is when you
have returned to your designated starting point and are standing with
your hands at your side in the same position as before starting the
kata. For some senior students this might be on the second or third
breath after your left hand has returned to its starting position.
There are some differences for koryu (old School styles) which need
to be observed.
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9. I have just performed Gan Men Ate (kata number eight from ZNKR Seitei
gata) and my scabbard (saya) has gone down inside my hakama as I drew
the blade out. Is this a mistake and how do I proceed, especially if
grading or giving a demonstration?
This would be a mistake if you were say, a very
senior instructor (having a bad day) and may well result in a failure
at a grading. However, for most people, even at a grading, so long as
you do not panic or stop the kata or pull a grimace you should have
no problems. It does look silly having the scabbard inside your hakama
but it is easily remedied by the following sequence:
• Finish the kata as prescribed by making the thrust to the rear
and turning and cutting to the front. Make yoko chiburi. This is exactly
as in the normal situation with this kata.
• Then immediately prior to making the noto (re-sheathing the
sword) pull the scabbard out of the hakama with as much self-confidence
and decorum as possible, adjust the scabbard so that it is in the normal
position at the end of this kata, then place the left hand in the normal
position on the hip after yoko chiburi and then make noto in the usual
manner. Complete the kata by returning to the start position in the
usual way.
Better still, is to avoid this situation altogether by making sure there
is no gap between the left side of the body and the hakama by moving
the koshi ita (back straightener) slightly to the right to take up any
slack in the hakama. Use of Velcro is also possible on the hakama and
keigogi but this should not be required if the hakama is the correct
size and is adjusted properly.
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10. How much time do I have to perform my kata at a grading?
Normally you have 45 seconds for the opening
ceremony, 5 minutes for the 5 katas you need to perform and 45 seconds
for the closing ceremony. It is unlikely that you would be penalised
for exceeding these times when grading up to about 3rd Dan. However,
it does become a consideration when grading at higher levels and kata
should be chosen that demonstrates your skill but can be completed within
the time allocated. There is no penalty for finishing more quickly than
is required but you will have to wait until the other people grading
finish their katas and the second dismisses the group from the training
area.
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11. I want to join
the BKA but the Membership Fees page is confusing - how much is it?
From 2010 all BKA memberships comprise of a Central Services element and a number of 'add-on' elements depending which arts you are practising. For instance if you are practising Iaido only you would need to pay for the Central Services element + Iai Bu element - taking 2011 full member fees as an example this would be £25 + £10 = £35 for the year.
Any new memberships have an additional joining fee of £10 on top of the above.
If you are a Full time student, over 65 or under 18 years old some of these fees are available at a significantly reduced rate.
A Temporary membership is available if you want to try Iaido, which
covers you for practice in your local dojo but does not cover seminars,
gradings, etc. This lasts for 3 months then you will be sent a letter
to upgrade to a full membership at the appropriate rate and the joining
fee of £10 is waived.
See http://kendo.org.uk/membership-fees for the list of rates and membership types.
Previously all memberships were renewable on 1 January every year but from 2010 all new memberships will be renewable on the anniversary of the date of joining.
You can submit and pay for your membership online at http://membership.kendo.org.uk or via a printable form at http://www.kendo.org.uk/files/bkamembership.pdf which you can print out and return in the post after your dojo leader has signed it.
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