Learn Iaido
We currently teach the art of traditional Japanese swordsmanship in Pender Harbour, on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Prior to this club, we taught in the UK and at the Nikkei Cultural Centre in Burnaby.
Instructors: Judith Farncombe, 5th dan and Martin Farncombe, 5th dan
Date & Time: Monday and Wednesday, 5:00pm-7:00pm.
Our dōjō is on Oyster Bay
Curriculum: traditional Musō Shinden Ryū iaido and ZNKR Seitei iaido.
Beginners are always welcome. Iaido is suitable for men and women of all ages and physical conditions, but we regret that we will not teach persons under the age of 16.
Our students may take ikkyu and dan gradings under the auspices of the Canadian Kendo Federation, and these grades will be internationally recognised. All students using iaito or shinken must be members of the CKF for insurance reasons.
We also run residential group weekends at our dōjō in Pender Harbour for students from across Western Canada.
Equipment:
We are often asked what equipment beginners need to practice Iai - the answer is very little. Loose clothing is OK to start with, although as you progress you will acquire traditional iaigi and hakama, costing about $120.
You will initially start with a wooden sword (or bokken) which we can provide, and quickly graduate to an unsharpened training blade (an iaito) which costs $500-$600. After several years of practice, you may feel confident enough to move to a hand-made Japanese shinken, although these are only for advanced practitioners: they are extremely sharp and typically cost $5,000-$20,000.
We do not recommend, and do not allow students to use, mass-produced WW2 blades or cheap European or Chinese shinken. They are either too heavy or not manufactured well enough to stand the strains of regular practice and are a danger to yourself and others.
We currently teach the art of traditional Japanese swordsmanship in Pender Harbour, on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Prior to this club, we taught in the UK and at the Nikkei Cultural Centre in Burnaby.
Instructors: Judith Farncombe, 5th dan and Martin Farncombe, 5th dan
Date & Time: Monday and Wednesday, 5:00pm-7:00pm.
Our dōjō is on Oyster Bay
Curriculum: traditional Musō Shinden Ryū iaido and ZNKR Seitei iaido.
Beginners are always welcome. Iaido is suitable for men and women of all ages and physical conditions, but we regret that we will not teach persons under the age of 16.
Our students may take ikkyu and dan gradings under the auspices of the Canadian Kendo Federation, and these grades will be internationally recognised. All students using iaito or shinken must be members of the CKF for insurance reasons.
We also run residential group weekends at our dōjō in Pender Harbour for students from across Western Canada.
Equipment:
We are often asked what equipment beginners need to practice Iai - the answer is very little. Loose clothing is OK to start with, although as you progress you will acquire traditional iaigi and hakama, costing about $120.
You will initially start with a wooden sword (or bokken) which we can provide, and quickly graduate to an unsharpened training blade (an iaito) which costs $500-$600. After several years of practice, you may feel confident enough to move to a hand-made Japanese shinken, although these are only for advanced practitioners: they are extremely sharp and typically cost $5,000-$20,000.
We do not recommend, and do not allow students to use, mass-produced WW2 blades or cheap European or Chinese shinken. They are either too heavy or not manufactured well enough to stand the strains of regular practice and are a danger to yourself and others.
