Iai-Do

Iai-Do

The spirit of the Martial Arts is not different, from the spirit

of the traditional Budo . The Budo is a Way, is to start a

discipline, a science, a technique whose essencial principles,

can be found through all the other disciplines.
The times changed, but the fundamental principles, the deep

science of the movements, the gestures, the breathing, the

energy, the tactic ... remain immutable. Those principles, are

the root, ( secret enough, in some cases), of the tree of the

Martial Arts known today.The unitary vision of the principles,

continues be an alive reality. Our Western spirit has a big
difficulty, in conceiving, how the idea of the Sword, that

symbolizes, precisely a weapon of death, can be connected to

a plan of wisdom and more still, to the notion of Way.

Therefore, certainly more than the traditional wisdom, to

which we are acustomed, more than the idea of

contemplation, back to itself , to resign the world, to resign

the material things of life and more than the septic idea , that

she points to, the Way of the Sword, in her final definition,

includes in it, all of the essential paces of the wisdom, and

in a certain way, takes their expressions to the Absolut.

Evidently, we do not already have the necessary conditions,

and it is even extremely díficult to conceive, what would be

the definition and the application of the Way of the Sword in

Japan. Therefore the texts that arrived to us and the tradition

that remained in certain old schools (Koryu) give this idea,

more or less close or a representation than what could signify
this Way. Only the practice and the total endeavor of oneself,

gives the true sense to the Way.

.

== Ki == Universal energy

The spirit and the body are two apparently distinct entities,

however the spirit command the body (what is one of the

rules of Budo). The interior achievement, the real efficiency,

the fulfillment of all the action, commands the union of the

body and of the spirit. The energy that carries out that union,

is called the KI, this energy obeys to the spirit that can orient

it, control it in a point, make it flow. ..etc. The Ki is the secret

of all of the Budo, there is not possibility of some progress in

any Martial Art without the control of the Ki, it is defined as

original vital energy, be it as "breathing", be it as spirit. It is

necessary to understand, behind these words, lays an unique

reality, therefore the Ki, fundamental energy of the Universe

(what links, what unites everything), is also the true body of

the things in it´s subtle sense. So the Ki can unite to the

"breathing", to the spirit and be at same time the emanation

of the "breathing" or of the spirit. Ki is the life, while Ki exists,

the life continues, when the vital energy disappears the life

puts out itself. The domain of the Ki signifies in this way the

control of life, of health, of harmony and therefore of the

energy in general. The death is the ending of the Ki, it´s

therefore the hopeless detachment of the body and of the

spirit. Inversely, the more we will maintain the Ki, the more

we will prolong life. If the Ki gives, at least that immortality,

it is because, it is the energy or original power that manifests

itself, since the creation of the Universe, and that is why, the

man being to emanation of the Universal Nature, all the

knowledge returns and comes back to the Nature, thit is for

all men the Golden Rule

.

== HARA ==

How to set the Ki? How to learn how to feel it, how to

exercise it and how to Project it ? All of the Budo Arts agree

about a point: the control of the energy passes through the

Hara. The control of the Hara, translates itself often, wrongly,

by control of the belly. The Hara can be imagined as a circle,

that would be the center of a diffuse energy. It is evident that

the center of gravity is always dropped, if we will relax the

body, the force comes down naturally to the lower body, and

this location is the Hara, that is situated two centimeters below

the navel. However if the Hara represents a circle, his central

point is called Seika-no-Itten, what means "The Unique Point"

and that is the true balance point of the Ki, or of all the vital

energy of the body. This point, is the geometrical,

psychological, spiritual, location, where the laws of the spirit
and of the body conjugate.This knowledge alone, permits the

physical and mental coordination, without the which, all the

power is barely momentary and illusory

.

== Fundamental Rules ==

The "Nuki" should redress itself of a most supreme, deep ,

and wise form. The natural expression of itself , therefore the

" Nuki " should be the unit of the three principles : "Real,

Beautyfull and Right". Fundamental rule: "One unsheathe...

one life...". Put your life, in the hands of one unsheathe of
sword, "Nuki" is learned without Verb. If you want to live in

the harmony of heaven and earth, agreement that is the Way

of the Iai-Do, don´t try to reach the objective, don´t try to

find the pleasure of the objective, take the road of the union

between the soul and the body. The identification of the

conscience of the "Nuki" and the action of "Nuki", this is the

true form of the "Nuki". All the training that does not have the

Spirit of the Way, can contain violence, the "Nuki" without

the Way, becomes mediocre and degenerated, because the

true "I" or the "I" authentic, is the divinity, the Buddhism or

Inner Self, is especially the immortal soul that resides Fìsicly
in the Belly (tanden). This pure soul that exists in the Tanden,

works efficiently, and is correctly what should be called the

true "I". The disciples of Iai-Do that want to live on this, most

supreme and noble Way, should never forget, neither by an

instant, that only the big spirit of desinteressament, and the
abandonment of themseves , can permit to enter the Sacred

world of the Absolute "No Ego" and "There" achive the

Supreme Beautiful. It is therefore necessary to separate the

Way of the Iai-Do and the technic of the "Nuki" = Iai-jutsu.

The Iai-Do is a Test of the "I", created for the relation that
exists between the adversary and the "I", while the Iai-jutsu is

the handling of the weapon aiming at to kill the enemy. To

grab the moment of vulnerability is the point of the Great

Masters. That is why it is said, that the adversary should

continue transparent and that at the same time is necessary
"to see and not see the adversary, look at him, as you look at

the Mountain in the distance"..." the adversary is the mirror

of himself ", it is therefore a fight against oneself that the Arts

of Budo, invite in its purpose. It is therefore necessary the
meditation and the silence to obtain the calm of the "clear

water", a state of mind without tension, a total interior

calmness, an Absolute Disatchement. "Pure mirror, Quite

water" or "The refletion of the Moon over the water",
healthy examples of the state of that one, that being a

Master acquired a similar, interior harmony, to the subtle

union of the refletions of the Moon over the Water.
The Kiai in battle can be definite as a force of union between

the spirit and the body (or the sword), so we can say, that the

totality of the physical body...is invested in the Art, as the

totality of the spiritual functions as well.
Finally the Sword represents the vector unique of those

forces, unifying them and concentrating them in one point.

This "point" is the final objective that decides to Way of a

progression, at the of which, the Sword and the Battle are

only the instruments of a different achievement,diferent

and inexpressable of the Life Itself.

............