Martial arts>Styles>Style descriptions: I

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Style descriptions: I

Some styles of martial arts that begin with the letter I.

Iaido (Japan)

Iaido is the Japanese art of drawing the sword for combat. The object is to draw the sword perfectly, striking as it is drawn, so that the opponent has no chance to defend against the strike. It is usually practiced in solo kata form. It has strong philosophical ties to kenjutsu. It is now practiced as a spiritual discipline, not as a method of self-defense. It is often taught at kendo schools.

Iaijutsu (Japan)

Iaijutsu The art of drawing the sword and cutting as a single motion. It was traditionally a sub-specialization of kenjutsu and one of several martial disciplines usually practiced by traditional warriors before the modern era. In the 1930's, it was popularized as a separate discipline, iaido.

Isshin-Ryu (Okinawa)

Isshin-ryu was found in Okinawa in 1954 by Shimabuku Tatso by combining shorin-ryu (90%) and goju-ryu (10%) techniques. It uses low kicks, short stances, and awareness of surroundings that make it useful for street fighting. Isshin-ryu emphasizes:

• Kicks and punches that are thrown from natural stances eliminating wasted motions and giving you split-second advantages over opponents using some of the other styles.
• Equal proficiency with both hand and foot techniques, making it a more versatile form of karate because you have no weak points.
• Close-in techniques useful in street fighting, making it a more realistic style of karate.
• Snap punches and snap kicks, where the limb does not fully extend and is immediately retracted (preventing excessive strain on the knees and elbows) permitting you to move in and out quickly without putting yourself in a disadvantageous position, should you miss or misjudge. 
• Blocks using the muscular portion of the forearm rather than the bone. 
• Fist formed with the thumb on top rather than wrapped over the first two fingers (this strengthens the wrist to help prevent buckling at the wrist on impact supposedly).
• Uses a vertical punch, which increases speed supposedly and may be focused at any given point.

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