Iaido and the Three Initiatives

How much do you know about iaido?

While modern iaido consists principally of solo practice, there are a number of paired kata in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iaido (founded in the late Muromachi period, circa 1590). These kata take the form of ordered sets of waza (“techniques”) in which the practitioners act out martial scenarios. First among these is Tachi Uchi no Kurai (太刀打之位, “The State of Crossing Swords/The State of Striking Swords”). Tachi Uchi no Kurai is performed by two practitioners each using a single long sword. 

Musashi’s Three Initiatives and Munenori’s Three Rhythms describe the relationship of intention, decision-making, and action between two swordsmen in contest. Musashi’s Three Initiatives are the Initiative of Attack, the Initiative of Waiting, and the Body-Body Initiative. Musashi writes, “The Initiative of Attack is when I attack my opponent. The Initiative of Waiting is when my opponent attacks me. The Body-Body Initiative is when both my opponent and I attack at the same time.”

To explain this principle more fully, we turn to Takuan Soho, who writes, “To speak in terms of your own martial art, when you first notice the sword that is moving to strike you, if you think of meeting that sword just as it is, your mind will stop at the sword in just that position, your own movements will be undone, and you will be cut down by your opponent. This is what stopping means.” Thus, we understand that in a rapidly changing environment one must constantly absorb information about what is happening and make quick decisions about how to adapt. To draw an analogy to chess or the Japanese board game of go, one must endeavor to play a few moves ahead. If the environment changes too rapidly, one misunderstands, or if he lets his mind dwell on something then he is more likely to make poor decisions or be unable to adapt. Soho calls this dwelling “stopping,” “attachment,” or “sickness of the mind.”

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