Structured, self-paced instruction in Japanese sword fundamentals. No dojo required. No prior experience needed. No actual sword necessary.
Maybe you've picked up a stick and moved through what felt right, piecing it together from videos and instinct. The interest is real. The framework isn't there yet.
Or you trained in a dojo once and the nearest one is now 40 minutes away. Life moved on. The interest didn't.
Or you already train — karate, judo, jujutsu — and you understand body mechanics. Sword work is its own language. You want to learn it correctly, without starting over somewhere new.
You've been moving on your own. This course gives you correct foundations to build on what you've already started — without embarrassment, without an audience.
Distance. Timetables. Commitments. Structured instruction you can work through at home, on your schedule, at your pace.
You understand discipline and body mechanics. Add sword fundamentals without joining another dojo. This course respects your existing foundation.
This is a beginners course in Japanese sword. You do not need a Japanese sword to take it. The foundations of this art are in the body — posture, movement, weight, intention. The weapon is the eventual tool, not the prerequisite.
Progress through four natural stages at your own pace.
Posture and body movement. Trainable anywhere. The 3-Day Free Starter begins here.
Grip, extension, cutting direction. A broom handle works. A 40cm dowel works. Whatever you have.
Proper training begins. The belt holds the bokken for drawing practice. No scabbard needed yet.
Draw and cut as one motion. Nukitsuke. The complete Iaijutsu practice.
One lesson sequence per day, delivered to your account. By Day 3 you'll have correct stances and complete body movement vocabulary — trained with nothing but your body and a small amount of space.
Free account required. No payment, no credit card.
Who's teaching, why this course exists, and what you'll need. The Improvised Bokken lesson — why a straight stick is enough to begin.
Outcome: You're set up correctly. No equipment needed today.
Tai Sabaki overview, Shizentai (neutral stance), Migi Hanmi (right foot forward), Hidari Hanmi (left foot forward).
Outcome: Three correct stances. First physical training. Still no equipment required.
Irimi (moving forwards), Hiraki (moving aside), Nagashi (moving backwards), Practice session.
Outcome: Complete Tai Sabaki vocabulary. You can move in all three directions from correct stances.
After Day 3: "You can stand correctly and move in three directions. The next step is Kamae — the six sword positions. This is where the bokken comes in for the first time. A straight stick works to start."
Begin the 3-Day Starter — FreeNot a specific ryu or style. The physical principles drawn from Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, and Iaido — built for someone starting from the beginning.
The Way of the Sword. Orientation, equipment, and what to expect — including the Improvised Bokken lesson.
Six sword positions named for Water, Earth, Fire, Wood, Metal, and a sixth sideway stance. First chapter requiring a bokken.
7 lessons in body movement and footwork. No sword required — muscle memory first. Covered in full across Days 2 and 3.
Three draws — Yokomen, Shomen, Gyaku — each in three parts: preparation, the draw, and Noto. Requires bokken and belt.
The sword is designed to slice, not hack. Four discrete cuts — Shomen Uchi, Kesa Giri, Do Giri, Tsuku — taught before they appear inside kata.
Japanese combative sword has no defence — it has Tai Sabaki. The body movement you learned free becomes the foundation of everything here.
The combative quick draw. Four draws combined with the cut in one motion. Requires bokken and saya.
All 12 ZNKR Seitei kata with ZNKR reference, paired demonstrations showing the attack each form answers, and movement illustrations.
"My goal is for you to discover if your desire to learn the way of the sword is strong enough to take action beyond this course."
This course does not replace a live instructor or a dojo. What it gives you: correct foundational knowledge, structured practice, and the vocabulary to understand what you're training. If you reach a dojo, you'll walk in better prepared. If you don't, you'll train with more clarity than most people who start alone.
In 1995 I attended my first Japanese sword class and started Aikido in the same year. I haven't stopped training in either since.
For 25 years I trained and instructed at Jan de Jong Martial Arts — a school founded in 1952, where Shodan is awarded as a teaching licence. "Train, or don't train, you decide" was the founder's philosophy. It's still mine.
Today I train three times a week with Kobukai International Budo under Darren Edwards Shihan — Aikijutsu, Iaijutsu, and Jojutsu in the Yoseikan tradition. 4th Dan.
The content is drawn from Katori Shinto Ryu, Yoseikan Iaijutsu, and Seitei Iaido — adapted for a beginner course. My sword influences my Aiki and my Aiki influences my sword.
Yoseikan founder
10th Dan Aikido · 8th Dan Katori Shinto Ryu
8th Dan Iaido · 9th Dan Nihon Jujutsu
Yoseikan
8th Dan Aikido · 8th Dan Iaijutsu
8th Dan Kobudo · 4th Dan Kenjutsu
Free entry. A focused Iaido reference. Or the complete foundations course.
Do I need a sword to start?
No. The 3-Day Free Starter requires nothing at all — just your body and enough space to take one step in any direction. A straight stick is sufficient for the early paid content. A bokken and belt become useful from the Draw chapter onward. A live blade is never required.
What equipment do I need for the full course?
The course follows a natural progression: nothing for Tai Sabaki, a straight stick or bokken for Kamae and Sword Cuts, a bokken and belt for Draw, and a bokken with saya for Draw and Cut. You can start today and acquire equipment as you reach each stage.
Which style or ryu does this teach?
No single style. Content drawn from Katori Shinto Ryu, Yoseikan Iaijutsu, and Seitei Iaido — adapted for beginner level. A foundation, not a lineage.
What's the difference between the $9.95 and $29.95 options?
The $9.95 Seitei Iaido product is for existing Iaido practitioners who want paired kata demonstrations. The $29.95 Foundations Course is the complete curriculum — all 8 chapters including Seitei Iaido with paired kata.
I already train in another martial art. Is this suitable?
Yes. You already understand body mechanics and discipline. This course adds the sword-specific vocabulary on top of what you already own. You won't be starting over.
Does this replace training at a dojo?
No — and the course says so directly. A live instructor who can see you move is irreplaceable. This course gives you correct foundations so that when you reach a dojo, you arrive prepared.
How long do I have access?
Lifetime. Pay once, the content is yours — including all future additions.
"Train, or don't train, you decide."
Start free. No equipment. Three days. See where it leads.
No subscription · No pressure · Lifetime access