Course Info: OPRA-0117

Please read expanded course description for FULL CLASS INFO. Perhaps the most superbly engineered sword in the world, the katana perseveres in the modern age with deep roots in Japanese history. Popularly recognized as the icon of samurai warriors as their primary weapon on the feudal battlefield, Iaido reinvents the use of the sword as a means of practicing precision, refinement and manners. No previous experience in martial arts is required. As a form-based martial art, Iaido traditionally is practiced without any physical opponents. Its principal function is the analysis, study and replication of kata (forms), which consist of four primary coordinations: 1.Nukitsuke, drawing cut; 2.Kiritsuke. finishing cut; 3. Chiburi, shaking the blade clean; and 4. Noto, returning the sword to the scabbard. Students will begin by studying these basics and applying them to learning curriculums of entire kata. (((This is an advancing course - continuing students will progress to more complicated material each semester.))) Instructor permission is required. Uniforms and equipment are provided by the instructor. Instructor permission is granted ONLY in-person during attendance within the add/drop period. (((No previous martial arts experience required.))) REQUESTS FOR EARLY ENROLLMENT PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS WILL NOT BE HONORED FOR HAMPSHIRE OR 5-COLLEGE STUDENTS. Class meets on the gymnasium floor near the climbing wall in the Robert Crown Center. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.