Iaito or Shinken

[Tim Mailloux]

Just wondering, what do most of you use as your daily practice blade, an iaito or shinken? Also, what did you start off using?

[glad2bhere]

Dear Tim:

Just to clarify my vote---

A great deal of the time I use a muk-guem or wooden sword. However on those occasions when I use a shin guem the focus of the training is to perform a portion of a form and then polish it by performing actual cutting using that segment.

Now I do have a gunto katana that I use for individual practice when I do not want to risk damge to my personal weapon. I hope this helps.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Martyn van Halm]

I don't do tameshigiri, so - as my blade is not used for cutting - I use a Tozando KA-45 iaito. For kata with partner I use a bokken, a kodachi or a bo made from japanese white oak. If I practice with longer weapons [naginata/yari] I can use those belonging to the dojo.
I used to have an oak naginata, but I didn't transport it myself. And after a seminar three years ago it was gone.

[David T Anderson]

Heh -- the first few sessions I used a bokken for practice, until I admitted that I actually had a proper shinken [well, a PK]. Sensei looked surprised and said, 'Bring it man, bring it!' I've been using the PK or the Bugei Crane katana I replaced it with ever since.

Of course that's just for Iai...bokken is standard for kumitachi and pretty much everything else...

[Gene Gabel]

Originally posted by Tim Mailloux
Just wondering, what do most of you use as your daily practice blade, an iaito or shinken? Also, what did you start off using?
...............................................

O.K. Tim,....this is my latest breakdown on the terms....

According to some Sensei the Iaito can also be a shinken... Whereas a shinken is more about the soul of the blade instead of the sharpness of it. The term Katana is more about the sharpness of the blade and not the soul.....as for Iaito, see the next paragraph

Not even being remotely Japanese I dont know.. I always thought that shinken meant it was sharp and Iaito meant it was dull...
Now there are places (Nos) that sell steel Iaito that can cut so it is even more confusing..

Someone with some more Japanese language skills should jump in here...........and at least get me straight.

I have been using the terms practice sword and cutter to make the difference for me, for a while now.. that's how confused I am :)

Gene Gabel :smilejapa

[renfield_kuroda]

Well I'm not one to make the final say, but as far as the opinion of someone who speaks Japanese and currently lives and trains in Japan:

* 'mogito' is a non-steel, non-sharp blade

* 'iaito' generally is another term for mogito

* 'shinken' means a sharp steel blade

* 'nihonto' is a Japanese shinken (forged and registered in Japan by a Japanese smith)

* 'shizanto' is a shinken for cutting; generally meatier (more niku, etc.) than a typical shinken so that it can withstand the rigors of actually slicing targets

* 'katana' just means sword, and can be used for either mogito or shinken

The confusion sets in because iaito can also just mean 'a sword for iai', which can be either be mogito or shinken.

Regards,
r e n

[gendzwil]

Nosyuiaido wrestled with what they wanted to call their "steel iaito that cut" for some time. Although most feel that shinken would have been fine, they didn't want any confusion with Japanese-made traditional construction swords.

As Renfield has said, in common usage iaito and mogito are interchangeable and refer to a dull blade for practice.

[Mark A. Carter]

For Batto-Do - started with iaito - for about 3 months, then moved to shinken.
For Iai-jutsu - just recently moved to a shinken from iaito.
For Ken-jutsu, typically a bokken, though we do occasionally use iaito, or even shinken (talk about a good way to force people not blow through a paired kata) :D

[Tom D]

I use my iaito for kata, Sometimes I use the shinken. I obviously use the live blade for tamashigri. Good poll.