The School of Sword and Staff combines various martial arts forms, with Iaido (The Way of the Sword) as our primary focus. We emphasize harmonious training, encouraging students to work together to achieve higher levels of proficiency and self-awareness.
Our approach is built on five foundational principles: Honor, Respect, An Empty Mind, Strategy, and Fun. These values guide our practice and foster a supportive community where everyone can thrive.
Our training program at the School of Sword and Staff is vigorous and holistic, focusing on the mind, body, and spirit. We believe that “You are the sword,” and that overcoming internal obstacles is essential for achieving mastery of self and proficient weapon use.
To master any weapon, it is crucial first to learn how to use your body effectively. This understanding lays the foundation for all techniques. We cherish the time spent training together, fostering a strong sense of community and shared growth among all practitioners.
All students train together with the senior student assisting the newer students. We feel it is our privilege and duty to assist the newer students, just as the senior students helped us as we began our training.
Sparring Principles
- He who controls the center and disrupts the opponent’s center, wins.
- Never do more than is necessary to win. Save your energy, it is a long day.
- Moving in a straight line is the path of defeat. Lateral and spiraling movement is the path to victory.
- Every time the sword moves, hips and hands move before or at the same time.
- Emulate the crouching tiger, sidestep and strike (knees always bent), move offline.
- Never create predictable patterns.
- An empty mind means you are calm, peaceful yet totally alert, ready to do what is necessary without thought.
- Inner calmness brings increased perception, speed and victory.
- To spare with anger, frustration or vengeance, creates a path for defeat.
- It is not, the quickest and strongest, but the slyest and trickiest who will prevail: strategy, not power, brings success.
- Through constant repetition of basic skills, you empty your mind and learn to react without thought. After 1,000 repetitions of a technique, it becomes your ally and is there without thought.
- Only your mind holds you back from victory.
- Constantly change tempo to create confusion and hesitation.
- Thinking of winning or losing brings defeat.
- Remember, win or lose makes no difference, only doing your best is important.
- Fighting with honor and respect always brings personal victory and advancement.
- If you have to think about what you are doing, you have already lost.
- There will always be an opponent who is fastest and stronger, strategy brings victory.
- Be like bamboo, not an oak tree. That means speed and flexibility triumphs over strength and power.
- Train hard, fight at full speed, cause no injuries, and have fun.
School of Sword and Staff 