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Iaido has been
practiced in Finland since the beginning of the 70's in some
aikido and karate clubs. Iaido is, however, an independent budo
art and does not require previous knowledge of any other art.
Finnish Iaido Federation was founded in 1986 to promote iaido in
this country.
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Iaido was brought to Finland by Toshikazu Ichimura sensei.
Ichimura Sensei, the former chief instructor of aikido in
Scandinavia, had also a high grade in iaido: renshi 6th dan (Zen
Nippon Iaido Renmei). He used to include a couple of iaido
lessons in the curriculum of his aikido seminars. Ichimura Sensei
taught e.g. Omori ryu, Oku iai, Keishi ryu and the Seitei Gata of
the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei as well as a few pair techniques. In
1986 he returned to Japan, but one of his best students, Mr.
Martin Stelander from Sweden, came to Finland several times in the
course of the next decade to teach at iaido seminars.
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Other Iaido trained in Finland outside of Finnish Iaido Federation:
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Toyama ryu iaido was introduced in 1988 by Mr. Kauko Uusoksa. He was studying
Hontai Yoshin ryu jujutsu and iaijutsu and also Toyama ryu iai in Japan. |
