Iaido
Iaido is the art of drawing, cutting with, and sheathing the Japanese Samurai sword.
Our system consists of traditional Battodo and Toyama-Ryu, iai art forms that are distinguished from other systems in that they apply practical techniques for sword combat practiced entirely from a standing position, and that practitioners are taught tameshigiri or test cutting.
Ages 13+
Kumitachi & Gekken
Our curriculum also includes kumitachi (two-person choreographed battle) amd gekken (free-sparring with canvas-covered padded swords to emulate real-life battle).
Tameshigiri
Tameshigiri (test cutting of tatami with sharpened blades) is used to test and enhance the practitioner’s ability to cut a target by using a shinken (a live, sharp Japanese sword). The swordsman’s cuts are evaluated on the precise angles of the cuts, distance between cuts, accuracy, and form. The targets are soaked tatami mats.
Basics
Students will typically spend the first several months of training working on the basics: learning how to properly draw a sword, perform various cutting motions, and re-sheathe the sword, as well as beginning to work on the first of several kata.
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Mountain Stream Budo is the premier swordsmanship school in Beacon NY and the Hudson Valley!
Mountain Stream Budo is an official branch of the United States Federation of Battodo (USFBD) as well as the Zen Nippon Toyama-Ryu Iaido Renmei (ZNTIR). Students will become members of both of these organizations and will be eligible to test for rank from both separately, as well as from the Seizankai (Hataya Mitsuo-sensei’s personal group, based in Japan).
Noah Mitchell is an active iaido student of Douglas Firestone-sensei, owner and chief instructor at Aikido of Westchester in Hartsdale, New York.
