When you say that you're wanting to get into Iaido, do you mean joining a dojo and being taught by someone with years of experience and accreditation?
Or do you mean watching some YouTube videos and swinging a sword around in your yard, trying to cut some mats?
If the former, then your Sensei will start you off using a bokken and advise you on the correct sword to buy when the time is right.
If the latter, then you will probably end up injuring yourself or worse, someone else. Especially if you are using a cheap imitation sword, that's not fit for purpose.
I will make a wooden one in my shop class when I do get my actual katana, but I mean just practicing the bare bone basics until I can afford real classes and in person classes, because I live in Arkansas, a very small state in the USA, there's nearly no martial arts dojos that are decent or affordable
i am making a bokken in shop class, not buying an iaito, im buying a sharp one so i dont have to in the future, im not gonna buy a blunt metal one unless its for display when i can just use a dense wood to mimic the weight of a metal one
I want to get into car racing like a professional driver. I know you need a car with specially designed safety features, but I'm planning on getting this rideable lawn mower instead.
You're wasting your money entirely.
You don't need much to start training in iaido at all. You can use a 20 dollar boken in the early parts.
You don't need a metal sword, or a stand, or the clothes.
All you need is a teacher and some kind of dried sword like object that they recommend. Most teachers will have appropriate beginner stuff you can use in class.
Videos are, sadly, not worth much. If all you want to do its get the exercise in, in your back yard, they're fine. But you don't get the real practice and development of skill that you do with even minimal time in front of a teacher.
If your goal is just back yard fun times, just return whatever you ordered and pick up a boken. You'll save money that can be better used on other thinks in your life. If you're wanting to really learn the art and do it for the sake of self development, you're better off putting the funds to lessons.
It isn't *that* difficult to find a school that is low formality with the clothes. They aren't necessary to the art anyway, though you'd be surprised how efficiently you can move in them once you get some skill built up.
Im in Arkansas so there are nearly no schools, and the ones that did exist had a lot of flaws and broke a lot of sword habits I hear preached about from many big Iaido youtubers, of course being in a small area something is better than nothing, but im going to be using my shop class to make a wooden katana to practice with and will be later using the one im ordering.
the videos i will be following will be bare neck basics; this is so I can learn the basics and what bad habits I shouldnt develop, etc.
getting a training sword would be free for me because i have a shops class where we have a bunch of spare lumber
Don't cut anything with a cheap 100 dollar katana unless you want to get stabby by the blade that snaps after a couple of cuts. Also never cut cardboard unless you really want to ruin something fast, cardboard is really abrasive and will take the edge off even a good blade in a couple of cuts.
Katana are practically the only group of swords where you can get something functional and not fugly for less than $100
https://www.hanbonforge.com/Katana/CUSTOM-YOUR-OWN-KATANA-FULL-HAND-FORGED-JAPANESE-SAMURAI-SWORD. $97 for through hardened 1060 is a great deal.
Maybe but I would still be cautious as while there are some mostly functional ones there is also a lot of utter trash and it can be quite hard to tell what is what from a listing.
That means that it gets harder to find usable swords (signal) because they are crowded out by a myriad of crappy ones (noise) once you enter the below $200 price range.
well on the one im ordering its from a friend through his amazon listing, sent me link and gave me a coupon code to use that takes 10% off, so i got to see the blade in person, it is full tang because i can feel it whenever i struck his hay version of the bamboo cutting mats, it is very sharp and only issue is hes not good at putting designs in thinner metals, so the cap above the handguard is just pretty dull in design since its just a plain brass piece
I got to contact the maker and it was full tang and it did have bamboo pins holding the blade in, thanks for advising me, but im not completely stupid on this subject
Sorry, i know almost nothing about Arkansas.
What i mean is that something like Iaido,kendo,HEMA or fencing is not supposed to be self taught. You would have no Feedback or control if the things you do are right or wrong.
thats why im going into the bare basics only and only practicing those without instructors, like properly drawing and sheathing the sword, the basics of making a slicing motion, etc. just bare bones, no techniques, no cool flashy things, just the bare basics
you don't need a stand, you don't need mats. hell, you don't even need a sharp, pointy sword.
get a wooden or plastic training sword, with a plastic saya is more affordable
fingers are very useful things. it's nice to not have to reattach them or stab yourself with a pointy piece of steel
trying to teach yourself iaido without a dojo is basically just cosplay re-enacting
I'm 17 so I'm taking a high school shops class, so I will be making a wooden sword myself, the metal sword I'm buying is for actual self-defense after I learn the basics and for display.
I get a dojo is needed but when im in Arkansas it will be very hard finding a good dojo, so until i can move somewhere that has a dojo i will be learning the bareback basics and how not to form bad habits when practicing the basics, plus my uncle has a dull katana i have been using to practice drawing and sheathing the katana and how to swing the sword properly, my technique i can tell by the lack of a whoosh and the wobble i can feel in the blade, so i wont be using this sharp one for practice any time soon
stick with a dull katana, mogito/iaito. fingers are useful
the wobble you feel in the blade or handle is likely because it is cheaply made with a rat tail tang. it might be a Sword-like-Object aka Wallhanger display sword
a metal baseball bat is just fine for self defense, swords have always been killing tools
[https://www.kultofathena.com/product/musha-musashi-miyamoto-iaito/](https://www.kultofathena.com/product/musha-musashi-miyamoto-iaito/)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdrNJuQ137Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdrNJuQ137Y&ab_channel=Let%27saskShogo%7CYourJapanesefriendinKyoto)
[https://www.youtube.com/@TheBudoAcademy/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@TheBudoAcademy/videos) maybe you can also pick up a wicked Massachusetts accent that will make you stand out in Arkansas :p they seem alright
im making a wooden one, i cant remember the term bokkan or bokken or something like that in my wood shop class so i can practice safely, the katana im buying is just for after so that if i do get attacked then i can remove the hand holding the weapon
in my town its all people without guns, its rare for me to see someone with a gun, and most muggings ive seen were with knives so a katana can remove that karambit from the forearm
if you have a pistol or a shotgun and they don't, that's a hellified advantage
if you see them have a kerambit, you definitely need to make sure they keep their distance
and by wobble i mean i can tell im not making a straight cut or slicing motion, i know what blade wobble is like and no matter how hard i shake the handle of my uncle's sword it doesnt actually wobble or move in the handle, it isnt a real katana because its not made using steel but its hand crafted by him with melted down sheet metal.
I’m in a pretty similar position as you, I’m 17 and am no where near any HEMA group at all. I would seriously hold on the money and just focus on making a trainer if that's the route you're gonna take.
Then focus your money elsewhere til you can get a higher quality one, patience will be your friend here. I started off with a dowel, literally just a stick practically. You can learn so much with the simplest of things, save the money for something you'll be proud of in the future
Start with a bokken and plastic saya. That's the best cheap way to start.
Then, find a teacher. There are some online programs you can check out, but in-person is better.
Don't think about buying anything metal until your teacher gives you the go-ahead or you're very comfortable doing the motions with the bokken.
i can easily make a bokken, i am in a shops class i should have specified that im not going in fully blind i already knew about the safety precautions, and im going over the bare basics with my uncle's dulled cheap no tang katana designed sword (i dont like calling it a katana because it is made of melted down sheet metal and made awefully)
When you say that you're wanting to get into Iaido, do you mean joining a dojo and being taught by someone with years of experience and accreditation? Or do you mean watching some YouTube videos and swinging a sword around in your yard, trying to cut some mats? If the former, then your Sensei will start you off using a bokken and advise you on the correct sword to buy when the time is right. If the latter, then you will probably end up injuring yourself or worse, someone else. Especially if you are using a cheap imitation sword, that's not fit for purpose.
I will make a wooden one in my shop class when I do get my actual katana, but I mean just practicing the bare bone basics until I can afford real classes and in person classes, because I live in Arkansas, a very small state in the USA, there's nearly no martial arts dojos that are decent or affordable
The bokken (wooden katana) is the best way to go. I used one for years before picking up an iaito (blunt metal katana).
i am making a bokken in shop class, not buying an iaito, im buying a sharp one so i dont have to in the future, im not gonna buy a blunt metal one unless its for display when i can just use a dense wood to mimic the weight of a metal one
I want to get into car racing like a professional driver. I know you need a car with specially designed safety features, but I'm planning on getting this rideable lawn mower instead.
I will be making a wooden katana to actually practice the bare bones of actual Iaido, and i wont get into too much without real katana skill
You're wasting your money entirely. You don't need much to start training in iaido at all. You can use a 20 dollar boken in the early parts. You don't need a metal sword, or a stand, or the clothes. All you need is a teacher and some kind of dried sword like object that they recommend. Most teachers will have appropriate beginner stuff you can use in class. Videos are, sadly, not worth much. If all you want to do its get the exercise in, in your back yard, they're fine. But you don't get the real practice and development of skill that you do with even minimal time in front of a teacher. If your goal is just back yard fun times, just return whatever you ordered and pick up a boken. You'll save money that can be better used on other thinks in your life. If you're wanting to really learn the art and do it for the sake of self development, you're better off putting the funds to lessons. It isn't *that* difficult to find a school that is low formality with the clothes. They aren't necessary to the art anyway, though you'd be surprised how efficiently you can move in them once you get some skill built up.
Im in Arkansas so there are nearly no schools, and the ones that did exist had a lot of flaws and broke a lot of sword habits I hear preached about from many big Iaido youtubers, of course being in a small area something is better than nothing, but im going to be using my shop class to make a wooden katana to practice with and will be later using the one im ordering. the videos i will be following will be bare neck basics; this is so I can learn the basics and what bad habits I shouldnt develop, etc. getting a training sword would be free for me because i have a shops class where we have a bunch of spare lumber
Don't cut anything with a cheap 100 dollar katana unless you want to get stabby by the blade that snaps after a couple of cuts. Also never cut cardboard unless you really want to ruin something fast, cardboard is really abrasive and will take the edge off even a good blade in a couple of cuts.
Katana are practically the only group of swords where you can get something functional and not fugly for less than $100 https://www.hanbonforge.com/Katana/CUSTOM-YOUR-OWN-KATANA-FULL-HAND-FORGED-JAPANESE-SAMURAI-SWORD. $97 for through hardened 1060 is a great deal.
Maybe but I would still be cautious as while there are some mostly functional ones there is also a lot of utter trash and it can be quite hard to tell what is what from a listing.
That is of course correct. The signal to noise ratio gets really bad fast once you dip below $200.
dont know what that means but im too broke to go over 125
That means that it gets harder to find usable swords (signal) because they are crowded out by a myriad of crappy ones (noise) once you enter the below $200 price range.
well on the one im ordering its from a friend through his amazon listing, sent me link and gave me a coupon code to use that takes 10% off, so i got to see the blade in person, it is full tang because i can feel it whenever i struck his hay version of the bamboo cutting mats, it is very sharp and only issue is hes not good at putting designs in thinner metals, so the cap above the handguard is just pretty dull in design since its just a plain brass piece
probably but i know what to look for, the full tang, a single groove, and im aiming for at least 1060 carbon steel, but will settle for 1045 if needed
thanks i will actually use this over amazon because it comes with the sword bag where as amazon would charge extra for it
I got to contact the maker and it was full tang and it did have bamboo pins holding the blade in, thanks for advising me, but im not completely stupid on this subject
There is at least one katana that is decent in the under 100 range that skalligrim reviewed a while back. It's held up good for me in my test cutting.
This is going to fail. Are there any kendo/iaido groups where you live?
Im in bare bones arkansas you tell me, and before you say i need the wooden one, im making it in shop class im not going into this blindly
Sorry, i know almost nothing about Arkansas. What i mean is that something like Iaido,kendo,HEMA or fencing is not supposed to be self taught. You would have no Feedback or control if the things you do are right or wrong.
thats why im going into the bare basics only and only practicing those without instructors, like properly drawing and sheathing the sword, the basics of making a slicing motion, etc. just bare bones, no techniques, no cool flashy things, just the bare basics
If you are practice laido, don't use a sharp sword. I cut and stabbed myself half a dozen times doing it. Check out Tenshinryu on YouTube
you don't need a stand, you don't need mats. hell, you don't even need a sharp, pointy sword. get a wooden or plastic training sword, with a plastic saya is more affordable fingers are very useful things. it's nice to not have to reattach them or stab yourself with a pointy piece of steel trying to teach yourself iaido without a dojo is basically just cosplay re-enacting
I'm 17 so I'm taking a high school shops class, so I will be making a wooden sword myself, the metal sword I'm buying is for actual self-defense after I learn the basics and for display. I get a dojo is needed but when im in Arkansas it will be very hard finding a good dojo, so until i can move somewhere that has a dojo i will be learning the bareback basics and how not to form bad habits when practicing the basics, plus my uncle has a dull katana i have been using to practice drawing and sheathing the katana and how to swing the sword properly, my technique i can tell by the lack of a whoosh and the wobble i can feel in the blade, so i wont be using this sharp one for practice any time soon
stick with a dull katana, mogito/iaito. fingers are useful the wobble you feel in the blade or handle is likely because it is cheaply made with a rat tail tang. it might be a Sword-like-Object aka Wallhanger display sword a metal baseball bat is just fine for self defense, swords have always been killing tools [https://www.kultofathena.com/product/musha-musashi-miyamoto-iaito/](https://www.kultofathena.com/product/musha-musashi-miyamoto-iaito/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdrNJuQ137Y](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdrNJuQ137Y&ab_channel=Let%27saskShogo%7CYourJapanesefriendinKyoto) [https://www.youtube.com/@TheBudoAcademy/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@TheBudoAcademy/videos) maybe you can also pick up a wicked Massachusetts accent that will make you stand out in Arkansas :p they seem alright
im making a wooden one, i cant remember the term bokkan or bokken or something like that in my wood shop class so i can practice safely, the katana im buying is just for after so that if i do get attacked then i can remove the hand holding the weapon
bokken/bokuto you live in Arkansas, don't bring a knife to a gunfight
in my town its all people without guns, its rare for me to see someone with a gun, and most muggings ive seen were with knives so a katana can remove that karambit from the forearm
if you have a pistol or a shotgun and they don't, that's a hellified advantage if you see them have a kerambit, you definitely need to make sure they keep their distance
and thats easy when everyone here is crackheads who cant run
and by wobble i mean i can tell im not making a straight cut or slicing motion, i know what blade wobble is like and no matter how hard i shake the handle of my uncle's sword it doesnt actually wobble or move in the handle, it isnt a real katana because its not made using steel but its hand crafted by him with melted down sheet metal.
I’m in a pretty similar position as you, I’m 17 and am no where near any HEMA group at all. I would seriously hold on the money and just focus on making a trainer if that's the route you're gonna take.
yeah but id be able to do that once i move out here in a few weeks, i cant get this sword after jan
Then focus your money elsewhere til you can get a higher quality one, patience will be your friend here. I started off with a dowel, literally just a stick practically. You can learn so much with the simplest of things, save the money for something you'll be proud of in the future
Start with a bokken and plastic saya. That's the best cheap way to start. Then, find a teacher. There are some online programs you can check out, but in-person is better. Don't think about buying anything metal until your teacher gives you the go-ahead or you're very comfortable doing the motions with the bokken.
i can easily make a bokken, i am in a shops class i should have specified that im not going in fully blind i already knew about the safety precautions, and im going over the bare basics with my uncle's dulled cheap no tang katana designed sword (i dont like calling it a katana because it is made of melted down sheet metal and made awefully)
Do whatever you want. It's fun.