Yes, our online lessons are specially designed for single-person training. You do not require a partner to train and receive the official Dan ranks. On the flip side, taking lessons with two or more people is not a problem. Rather, you can engage in friendly competition by playing the role of each other’s opponent and checking each other’s skills.
Yes, it’s not a problem at all. The Sensei himself has trained in more than five styles and various other weapons. If you don’t want others to know that you are participating, you can join the online lessons with your camera off. To have the Sensei check your progress, you can send us a video of you practicing.
Yes, anyone of any level can join our online lessons.
You don’t need any previous katana martial arts experience to participate in our lessons. Seki Sensei, the instructor of the online lessons, will carefully give you instructions on how to handle the katana regardless of your level. You will also be able to access all the videos of the previous lessons, so you can watch what every other student has learned in the past. Otherwise, if you have any questions you can send us a message anytime, and you can also send us videos of your progress and Seki Sensei will be happy to give you feedback.
Our classes are for anyone of any level.
Seki Sensei, the instructor of the online lessons, is an 8th Dan Kyōshi master with experience in winning the national championship 3 times. He can teach all levels of Iaido trainees from beginners to higher Dan rank trainees. You will train together with the lower rank trainees. However, you will receive more advanced advice if your level is higher.
In Asayama Ichiden Ryu, we train with two different lengths of jō. The shorter jō is 3.2 Shaku, and the longer jō is 5 Shaku. Both have a diameter of 8 bu. However, this jō is not commonly sold at this length, so you can either cut it to adjust to your preference or use it slightly longer, it wouldn’t be such a big problem.
The Shorter Jō：https://tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/4-21-shaku-jo?variant=39604823195781
The Longer Jō：https://tozandoshop.com/collections/polearms/products/5-shaku-bo?variant=34073586106501
There are some rules for the colors. We recommend you buy them at Tozando.
You need a dōgi, hakama, inner obi (belt), and outer obi to participate in the Asayama Ichiden Ryu lessons. For the Musō Shinden Ryu lessons, the outer obi is unnecessary. The dōgi should be dark blue, the hakama should be black, and the outer must be white. The inner obi you can choose whatever color you like because it doesn’t represent anything like a karate belt. However, the black outer obi can only be tied by students who have reached a certain level, so you must choose white.
If you are having a hard time deciding, these are the recommendations.
▶︎Iaitō (zinc alloy training katana):
Byakko – Tenryu Semi-custom Iaito
▶︎Dōgi and Hakama:
Basic Synthetic Kendo Uniform Set
▶︎Inner Obi (any color):
Cotton Kaku Obi
▶︎Outer Obi (must be white):
White Aikido Obi
You don’t have to have everything to start taking the lessons. Just a Bokutō (wooden katana) and any belt are fine to start. However, if you’re willing to participate in Dan promotion exams or online Enbu performances, you must have the correct tools and gear.
2 blocks longer than the standard length.
Regardless of which Ryuha styles you choose of our online lessons, please purchase an Iaitō that is longer than the standard length. The standard length is what is explained here on this chart provided by our most recommended Budo martial arts goods shop Tozando. According to this chart, Seki Sensei is about 177cm, so he should use a 2.45 Shaku long katana. However, for the Asayama Ichiden Ryu and Musō Shinden Ryu training he uses a 2.6 Shaku long katana that is supposed to be used by someone who is 190cm tall. So we recommend you choose an Iaitō that is 2 blocks longer than the standard length. For example, if you are 170cm tall, please use a 2.5 Shaku long katana.
You can start training as long as you have an Obi. However, you need the whole training gear if you want to participate in the online events or training camp.
You need the Dōgi, Hakama, and inner Obi (and outer Obi in Asayama Ichiden Ryu) to train in Kobudo/Iaido. You just need the Obi and the Iaitō or Bokuto (wooden katana) to get started with the training. However, if you don’t have the full training gear you cannot participate in the online performances, Shōdan Dan promotion exams, tournaments, and training camps. Be sure to purchase everything before events are held. Our recommendation to buy these items is Tozando.
The online Dan rank promotion exams are held in March and September. The students will perform the required techniques over Zoom while the Senseis watch. The requirements will be available to check once you join the online lessons. The exam may be taken regardless of how long you have been training. However, it is not possible to skip a dan level. New information will be posted on our Patreon page, so to stay updated, please follow us as a free member.
Our online lessons are held on Saturdays from 10:30 PM to 11:30 PM and Sundays from 0:00 AM to 1:00 AM in Japan Standard Time (JST). Please use this website to check the time in your country. It shows multiple clocks simultaneously, showing the time in different countries.
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Even if you can’t participate in the lessons live, every class will be recorded and available to rewatch as many times as you like. With unlimited access to all past lesson videos, our online lessons are practically a massive learning resource. If you are a member, you could even send us a video of you performing the techniques to have Seki Sensei check your progress.
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