Even sillier is when an Iaijutsu practitioner goes through a battle repeatedly sheathing his sword so that he can use the cut from the scabbard on every single enemy, despite this being a huge waste of effort and dangerously predictable. Rule of Cool kicks in if a swordsman refuses to draw his sword ahead of time in open battle, since the sword can be used more quickly and in a greater number of ways if it’s already drawn. The use of a weaponized draw makes sense as a reaction to a surprise attack, or if a character avoids drawing his sword until the opponent attacks so he can claim self-defense. Another variant dates back to Italian swordmaster Fiore de'i Liberi, who taught swordsmen how to block weapons with a sheathed sword and then dual wield the scabbard and blade for powerful combo attacks. The names Battoujutsu and Iaido are often used interchangeably, although the words have nuances in the Japanese language.Īlthough usually associated with Japanese swordsmanship, there are similar western versions for cavalry sabers. The technique often includes multiple slashes, swiping the blade off, and the subsequent re-sheathing of the blade. Iaijutsu is a catch-all name for several martial art schools which center on drawing and attacking in one move. If you find a person who is good at combining them, then you have an Iaijutsu Practitioner. Slightly less well-known is that the Quick Draw is pretty damn awesome in its own way. Uesugi Kenshin describes this technique, Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes

Samurai iaido stance deviantart