Are there different styles of iaido/iaijutsu?
Iai is like karate, it is a broad “method of combat” which involves drawing and cutting like karate involves kicking and punching. The various styles are just that, styles. The main thrust stays constant. The most well-known ryu that calls part of its curriculum iaijutsu is the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu. Katori Shinto Ryu is a sogo bujutsu ryu, meaning many types of armed and unarmed combat are taught. Another sogo bujutsu incorporating iaijutsu in its curriculum is Tatsumi Ryu. Most other so-called iaijutsu schools are run by charlatans. Katori Shinto, Tatsumi and Shindo Munen Ryu are three the oldest koryu extant today teaching iai. The other ryu listed here, and most of the ryu practised today come from a common root, the Muso Ryu of Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu. These include Sekiguchi Ryu, Hoki Ryu, Tamiya Ryu, Jushin Ryu, Suio Ryu and Ichinomiya Ryu. The most popular (in terms of numbers of students) forms of iaido are represented by the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and the Mu
