Kenjutsu
- Kanji: 剣術
- Translation: Sword Art/Technique
Kenjutsu, when boiled down to its most basic level, is a method of Japanese sword practice wherein the practicioner studies the techniques of using the sword after it has been drawn from the sheath.
Difference between "Do" and "Jutsu"
Generally a "-do" suffixed art, having only come about within the last century and a half, lends itself toward more of a philosophical/meditative curriculum. Conversely "-jutsu" suffixed arts tend to focus more on the technique and its combative application.
Difference between kenjutsu and iaijutsu
The most basic difference between kenjutsu and iaijutsu lies in the sowrds relationship to the saya. Kenjutsu techniques deal exclusively with the sword being already drawn from the saya as the combative situation would have dictated during the war times of the Sengoku period and earlier. Iaijutsu, having only come about at the very end of the Sengoku and the beginning of the Edo period deals with the sword from a sheathed position and contains the battojutsu techniques for simultaneous drawing and cutting, techniques which lend themselves toward unanticipated small-scale encounters such as would happen during the "peaceful" times of the Edo period.