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About Iai, Page 1 |
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(Photo: Left to right; Wayne Muromoto, Ohmori Masao, and Fujii Kiyoko godan in Kyoto, Japan c. 1990.) Seitei can be translated as “uniform” or “standard.” The Seitei Iai forms are the standardized set of kata developed to grade and rank students of kendo and/or various koryu (older martial arts) iai groups through a single uniform set of kata. One other goal of developing the Seitei iaigata was to train post-World War II kendo students in the use of the real sword, as opposed to the bamboo and wooden practice swords used in regular kendo practice. To these ends, a committee was first formed by the All Japan Kendo Federation to develop a standardized set of kata beginning in 1953. Technical goals were set and it was agreed that various koryu iai forms would be the basis of any new standardized system of iai. After many meetings, the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Iai, or the Seitei Iai forms, were first presented in 1969 at a Kyoto Taikai demonstration. The first seven kata were demonstrated, based on various koryu styles, and approved as a system of study in 1970. In 1981, three more were added to bring the total to ten, balancing the ten sword kata of the Kendo Federation. In 1989, the Kendo Federation further refined the forms and published its revised standards. In 2001, two more kata were added, bringing the current total to 12. Names
of the Seitei Iai kata: 1.
Ippon me (the -me names simply mean number (1) and so on. Ippon me means
number (me) one (ippon): Mae (front).
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General
Introduction: Seitei Iai