Simply put, the Japanese art of sword drawing. It has also been described as the art of reacting to a surprise attack by counter attacking with a sword.

The practice of iaido consists mostly of solo performance of a series of techniques (waza) which begin with the sword sheathed. These techniques are performed against a series of imaginary opponents (see kata). Starting positions can be from combative postures or from everyday sitting or standing positions. The ability to react quickly from different starting positions was considered essential for a samurai.

Books about iaido