What are the differences among kendo, iaido, and aikido? Are they just different styles of sword-fighting (or sword-use to be more exact) or are the differences more fundamental than this?
Thanks!
WRS - Maybe the Nazgul can conquer Middle-earth with Japanese martial sword arts
Having done a little Kendo, and read about Aikido and Iaido. Here is my IMHO.
Kendo is very much sport based, and is directly related to Kendo matches where armored opponents fence with Bound Bamboo swords of length greater than a usual Katana. The sport includes such rules as requiring a correct kiai (shout) and a stamping of the lead foot when making a strike in order for the strike to count.
Iaido, from my reading, seems to derive from sword drawing techniques, but I beleive that general sword fighting would be taught in an iaido dojo, this would be practiced firstly with wooden swords of the same size as Katana, and then with air-cutting swords (metal swords, without a cutting edge) and perhapse live blades at a very high level of competence.
Aikido on the other hand is primarily an unarmed combat system based on throws, locks, grappeling and circular defensive manouvers, any sword skills learnt are mostly as an adjunct to the unarmed skills, and I believe only practiced at a high competence level.
Some Kenjutsu schools exist, which teach sword fighting techniques, and several offshoots of Jujutsu include study of sword fighting techniques. These would be similar to what you may learn in advanced Aikido, or Iaido, and may include techniques for use against armored opponents, and lots of small cutting manouvers that would not count in a Kendo match.
I believe it is common for Kendo practitioners to gain kenjutsu skills if they are interested in such aspects.
Iado is the art of drawing a sword. The idea is that if a samurai can be attacked at any time, then he needs to be able to fight as he draws it. The art is basically all kata, i.e. forms. There are a couple of precise movements and then the sword is returned to the scabbard (sp?)—more or less.
Aikido is a grappling MA that is, IIRC, based on the movements utilized in sword play. It uses a lot of wrist & elbow locks, and hand throws. One does use the wooden sword among other weapons, but it is mostly unarmed.
In Aikido, bo-kens (wooden swords) are used for learning purposes. Many of the techniques utilize arm motions that are derived from swordplay, and many of the stylized attacks are derived from sword attacks. However, Aikido is not a style of sword fighting or sword use. It is an unarmed art, to be used in defense against unarmed or armed attackers. I would say that well less than 5% of my study included bo-ken use.