ZNKR Exercises
This page summarizes the drills used during ZNKR iaido classes.
Bowing:
We bow when we enter or leave the dance studio and at the beginning and ending of class. Keep your heels together and bend from the waist, keeping the back and head straight. Reserve deeper bows for honored guests (sensei).
Counting:
| one | ichi |
| two | ni |
| three | san |
| four | shi |
| five | go |
| six | roku |
| seven | shichi |
| eight | hacki |
| nine | ku |
| ju | joo |
Iaido Empty-Handed Exercises/Warm-ups:
| neck | left, right, forward, back, around in each direction |
| hand/wrist | twisting down, right and then left |
| hands | palm up, palm down |
| wrists | twisting motion, circles |
| te-no-uchi | contracting pinkies to thumb in sequence |
| shoulder | rotations |
| chest | stepping forward and expanding arms |
| side stretches | side to side stretches |
| back stretches | bending over and then reaching up |
| waist twisting | twist from the waist, not arms |
| knee rotations | left, then right |
| deep knee bends | practicing sonkyu |
| ankle rotation | left, then right |
| jumping | up and down |
| leg stretches | shallow, then more deeply |
| calf stretches | left, then right |
| groin stretches | left leg, then right leg |
| leg stand | practicing a central move of the first kata |
Iaido Sword Exercises:
| matawari | learning to move from the hips | |
| tatehiza suburi | cut from the hips | |
| suburi | cutting down the center | |
| kesagiri | cutting at an angle | |
| makkogiri | big rolling cut | |
| kiritsuke | standing horizontal cut | |
| nukitsuke | new-kit-skay | kneeling horizontal cut |
| chiburi | cleansing the blade |
ZNKR History
ZNKR Kata
Terminology