Today Iaido lives on in the form of the educational demonstrations and iaido experiences that Abe-san offers in his Murayama City dojo. While traditionally the art is practiced with a real sharpened katana sword, those looking to experience and train in the art will learn using a dulled steel blade to replicate authenticity while still maintaining safety. During the iaido experience, you will learn traditional forms known as “kata” that embrace some of the essential elements of this martial art. Removing the blade from the scabbard in one smooth motion, making a clean cut strike with the blade, removing the imaginary blood from the blade with a graceful flick of the arm, and receding the blade back into the sheath in one movement are four of the foundational elements that you will learn during this experience. While sounding simple in nature, these four elements take years of training to master. Under the guidance of Abe-san’s expert instruction, you will be able to appreciate the truly hard work and devotion that go behind this 450-year-old art in addition to the meaning and cultural significance the legacy of iaido has to offer.

The climax of your iaido experience will be combining what you have learned into attempting to slice a rolled tatami mat in half with a real sharpened blade. As this is one of the few places in Japan where you will have the opportunity to handle a real sharpened katana, Abe-san will first demonstrate the technique and safety precautions before he instructs you. If you are successful in slicing the head of the bamboo mat in half, you can keep it as a souvenir of your triumph to take home.