Thanks to Karl Friday for straightening out my history sections. Thanks to Frank Lindquist and Richard Stein for Section 15 (on purchasing nihon-to). If your organisation has been overlooked or has inaccuracies in its entry, let me know.

Thanks to Jens Nilsson for the WKC results and European federation addresses and Don Seto for most of the rest of the organisation addresses. Thanks to Kjartan Clausen for maintaining the website most commonly used to access this document. Please contact whomever is the proprietor of the web site. WEB-HEADS PLEASE NOTE: If you have trouble with the web page you’re reading this on, please DO NOT contact me unless you are at I do not maintain any other web pages. If you have comments, I’ll either incorporate your changes or explain to you why I didn’t. Heck, corrections or additions on anything in this document are welcome. However, my particular bent is towards kendo, so any flames about other arts are probably deserved. This FAQ is intended to cover all aspects of Japanese swordsmanship. Copying or distribution for profit is expressly denied. Permission is granted for free distribution in electronic or hard copy, provided that the document is maintained as a complete work. This document is copyright 2001 by Neil Gendzwill, all rights reserved.

What do I do? *ġ5.2 Where can I find swords to purchase? *ġ5.3 How can I tell if it’s a good sword? *ġ5.4 How can I tell if the sword is right for me? *ġ5.5Ěre there special concerns for iaido? *ġ8.2 Nihon-to (Japanese swords) and Replica Nihon-to *

1.2 Isn’t bokken technique taught in aikido? *ġ.4Ěre there different styles of kendo/kenjutsu? *Ģ.2Ěre there different styles of iaido/iaijutsu? *ģ.0 What about batto-jutsu, tameshi-giri, shinkendo and others? *ģ.1 OK, so if they’re watered down, why study kendo or iaido? *Ĩ.0 What are those funny clothes kendo and iaido players wear? *Ĩ.1 What virtues do the hakama pleats represent? *ĩ.0 How is a Japanese sword constructed? *ĩ.1 How many layers in a Japanese sword? *ĩ.2 What are the different types of Japanese swords? *ġ0.0 What sort of weapons are used for practice? *ġ0.1 What is required for shinai maintenance? *ġ0.2 What are the regulation sizes for shinai? *ġ1.2 What are you paying for in those expensive sets, anyway? *ġ1.3 What are the two methods used to tie the men-himo? *ġ3.0 How does the ranking work in kendo and iaido? *ġ3.2 What is the traditional system of ranking? *ġ3.3 How are the ranks tested and what do they mean? *ġ5.0 I want to buy a Japanese sword.

Iaido stance names