CKF Iaido Examiners
As of 2010
Chief Examiner
Goyo Ohmi
(Renshi 7 DAN)
West Examiner
Mitsuru Asaoka
(Renshi 7 DAN)
East Examiner
Stephen Cruise
(Renshi 7 DAN)
History of Iaido in the Canadian Kendo Federation
First official grading held in 1991
The study of Iaido in Canada through the CKF is a relatively new activity (20-30 years). Scattered groups of practitioners could be found all over Canada practicing their art, but it was not until 1991, during the World Kendo Tournament was the first official CKF Iaido grading held. Since then, the popularity of Iaido has expanded from 30 to over 300 practitioners nationwide.
Why study Iaido?
Benefits of Iaido practice in Canada
The art of Iaido (pronounced ee-i-do) is elegant and would appear to be simple. The student sits or stands quietly, draws out a blade and cuts through the air all in one motion, then puts the sword back into the scabbard. To the casual observer, there is not a lot to see. Iaido, however, is an exacting art which demands a high level of focus and mental concentration. It is an art of precise motions with only centimeters of tolerance and split second timing. It is also an individual art that involves the student and the sword struggling to achieve perfection of form.