Getting Started

Choose an option that best fits your level of interest and schedule. From an hour-long workshop to a 10-week course, you can decide on how deep to go.

Intro Workshop

What is Iaido? Why learn to use the Japanese sword? Come with friends, or make it a team event.

Duration: 60 minutes

Syllabus:

  1. Physical & mental benefits of Iaido

  2. Basics of handling a Japanese sword

  3. Uniform, equipment, and accessories

Join our waitlist to be notified of the next session

Foundations Program

Iaido can be practiced by people of all ages and abilities. Learn how it can fit into your weekly schedule by taking this course.

Duration: 10 weeks

Syllabus

  1. Origins of Iaido

  2. Japanese culture and hierarchy

  3. Developing posture, balance, stability

  4. Katana design, evolution, and use

  5. Sword techniques in prescribed forms

  6. Modern Iaido and Global Standards

  7. Traditional Iaido and lineages

  8. Mindset for competition

  9. Mindset for examination

  10. Equipment and lifelong training

Join our waitlist to be notified of the next session

Membership

Pre-requisites: Foundations Program

The choice of becoming a member of Tokushikai is not to be taken lightly. You are making a commitment to learn, improve, and embody the values of the practice, the dojo, and the centuries of traditions.

You will not be alone. Our instructors and senior members will be your guides. As students of iaido themselves, your participation will also contribute to their growth and development.

As you further explore the art, there will be local, regional, national, and even international opportunities to practice, compete, and engage with members of the global iaido community.

At Tokushikai, we use the practice of Iaido to become healthier as individuals and as a community. Our goal is to help each other discover and improve our whole selves as members of society, so that the lives of those we touch can be made better each and every day.

  • Japanese martial arts begin and end with proper manners, attitude, and decorum. We practice to instill habits of respect and gratitude for our equipment, our environment, and our fellow practitioners.

    Topics include: Japanese greetings, Bowing, Behaviours inside spaces and around objects and people, etc.

  • Becoming an effective martial artist requires a solid foundation, starting with posture and stance. The structure we are able to create - aligning our bones, muscles, and joints - enable us move with strength and adaptability.

    Topics include: How to sit and stand, Mental attitude, Balance etc.

  • In Iaido, there is no opponent - yet the practice is real. The ability to imagine and visualize a scenario and successful outcome is crucial to understanding this martial art, and immensely useful in your choice of occupation, hobby, partner, and countless other life choices.

    Topics include: Visual and mental acuity, Defining intentions, Focus and discipline, etc.

  • Progress towards your goals can be manifested in the physical and mental realm. Are you moving efficiently? Are you able to adapt and change directions effectively? Superior strength and skill mean nothing if you aren’t able to reach your target.

    Topics include: Lower body strength and flexibility, Walking & turning, Use of distance, etc.

  • Indecisiveness and hesitancy can be the difference between achieving your goals and missing the mark all together. Everything in life is a moving target. You can train to be ready to grasp the opportunity when it arrives, and before it disappears.

    Topics include: Decisiveness, Timing, Awareness of opportunities, Use of the centre of gravity, etc.

  • The practice of Iaido helps us become better human behinds through the improving awareness. Awareness of our own thoughts and behaviours; awareness that we - and we alone - have agency over what we think, say, and do; and awareness that through intentional effort, we can shape our future.

    Topics include: Deliberate practice, Interactions of body and mind, Situational awareness, etc.

  • Iaido is about etiquette and culture, posture and stability, mental acuity and focus, mobility and strength. It is also about using the Japanese sword, a tool designed to work optimally in partnership with the human body. When wielded properly, it should feel no different than an extension of your limbs.

    Topics include: How a katana works, Use of the hands, Strategy and tactics, Standardized testing criteria, etc.

Schedule a visit

All prospective students are encouraged check out a class as a spectator or book a chat before registering. We are happy to answer any questions.