For practicing Muso Shinden Ryu, how long should the sword be?
It depends on your height, but in our dojo, we use a sword with an average length of 2 Shaku 4 Sun (about 72.7 cm or 28.6 inches). A taller person needs a longer sword. Is there a way to determine the right sword length by measuring one’s height or arm length? The height and arm length are in direct proportion in many cases. (Sensei demonstrates) Stand up straight and hold your sword with one hand using a natural grip, and then lower the sword tip so it is not perpendicular to the ground but rather at about a 45 degree angle to the ground. If the tip of the sword barely touches the ground, that is the right length for you. To practice Iaido properly, is it necessary to study Japanese swords? I think so. For a long time, the Japanese sword has been regarded as a Bushi’s soul and has therefore requires extremely careful handling. It is not an overstatement to say that the Bushi treats the Japanese sword as if it were actually the soul itself. The ultimate basis of Iaido is this mindset i
