What is the difference between Iaido and Kendo?

Question

Is there a big major difference between Iaido and Kendo?

Answer 1

Early japanese chanbara or sword slinger movies where the hero out drew the bad guy with his sword were the inspiration for later gun slinger westerns out of hollywood.

The best are YOJIMBO  and THE SEVEN SAMURAI which can be ordered from any video store.

Better still if you can get the ITTO OGAMI  TV series on tape.

Answer 2

Totally different things... Iai is the drawing of the sword. Iaido tends to focus a lot on careful forms and has kind of a meditative feel. Kendo is more combative, where you'll actually face off against another person and hit each other with shinai (bamboo practice swords) while wearing a form of armor. You might get a better picture from the wikis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaido

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendo

Answer 3

from what i undertand iaido is a lot about drawing and strikeing in the draw of the sword.

and kendo is more of the techniques used when the sword is out.

maybe check wikipedia

Answer 4

Actually Joe Iaido and Kendo are nothing alike, but Iaido isn't just about drawing and sheathing.  While drawing and sheathing are of major importance for both beginners and verteran students these forms are only a small part of Iaido.  Iaido is practiced with two actual swordsmen with real Kens ( Blades ) and Kendo is practiced with the Shinai or what is commonly called a "kendo stick".  Kendo is more of a sport than it is the actual practice of swordsmanship.  Iaido is the practice of swordsmanship as well as the japanese ettiquite "A Heart that respects others" traditional bowing techniques from the standing and kneeling positions are understood by Iaido practitioners for several difference reasons all built around "respect".  Iaido practitioners will start off with "dulled practice swords" and work their way up to use of the actual katana blade ( Ken ).  Foot work in Iadio is of major importance as well as a clear under standing of the "Eight Basic Cuts".  Also cutting stationary targets is involved in Iaido as well.  Those who are well adpated to the techniques of Iaido and advanced in the art will practice with another advanced practitioner using the actually katana blade ( Ken ) in combat.  These practitioners will not cut one another, but will use "Control" to execute their moves against the opponent's movements.  Iaido isn't sport based at all.  Kendo on the other hand is sport with "protective equipment" ... Iaido has no protective equipment what so ever.  Big difference between Iaido and Kendo and I mean as different as night and day.

Answer 5

There is really little similarity.

Kendo is a sport. It is derived from swordsmanship, but does not simulate real sword combat. It uses a shinai which is a bamboo sword having little or no similarity to a real sword. It is kind of like japanese fencing.

Iaido is the art of drawing and deploying a japanese sword. Unlike kenjutsu, it is an art with the emphasis on correctness of form and perfection of details. It has developed more into a form of meditation and study in techniques that performed for their own sake rather than being practical. Usually it is performed using an iaito or practice sword which is unsharpened.

By contrast, kenjutsu is the art of japanese swordsmanship. It is based on practical use of a japanese sword and after reaching a certain standard, practitioners use "live" blades and practice cutting real targets in a discipline called tameshigiri.