Why we were formed.

We were originally formed for the basic need to have more access to Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu training, and whilst we acknowledge the work of others to bring Iai into the UK, we feel that perhaps a conflict of interest and politics is stopping us from progressing, and that we need an alternative Governing Body that only has Iaido at it’s heart with a board that recognises all styles as long as it has a correct lineage.

Iaido in Japan is not taught as it is here, and whilst it is still potentially a political minefield they seem to have an understanding that training is more important than style, and train in all forms not just Seitei.

Just because something is different to your style doesn’t make it wrong, just different and this is the attitude that we need to adopt.

We know that the parameters and style of our Iai may not suit everyone else, but it is a blueprint to set the standards for all within our association. This means that if you wish to join other associations to further your own knowledge, then we should and will encourage this, as this is the true spirit of Budo to look at all the martial arts.

Coaching.

‘The son of a king does not make a king’ teaching is not training and a high grade does not make a good coach, just a good student. ‘If you pass your A level in maths, it does not make you a maths teacher, the same applies here’. If you pass say your second or third dan Iaido it does not mean that you automatically qualify to teach Iaido, as doing is not teaching, and there are qualifications for this just as there was for your grading.

All our top instructors coach for a living and this is their profession, this is what they do, they don't go to work and then teach Iaido, or any other martial arts, they are doing for a living what most instructors do in their spare time. We realise that not everyone can do their hobby for a profession, but yet even so there is a standard to be met.

So you can be an amateur yet still have a professional attitude as this in our humble opinion is the way forward, at least for the top instructors guiding this association.

Our Lineage.

The British Iaido Associations Chairman, Mr P Chadburn, and Treasurer, Mr E Blackburn are direct students of Mr Teruhisa Nanno Sensei Menkyo Kaiden Hanshi 8th Dan of the Guneikan dojo in Kozoji, Japan, who is a direct student of the ZNIR 22nd Soke Ikeda Takashi Seiko Sensei in the style of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (MJER).

Now although we are familiar with some other forms and styles, none are wrong but all are different in some ways, all that we can say is that we now have a style that has correct lineage, and this is what the last three years have been about for us

The BIA family tree of MJER.

1. 22nd Soke Ikeda Takashi Seiko Sensei.
2. Teruhisa Nanno Sensei, Menkyo Kaiden, Hanshi 8th Dan.
3. Paul Chadburn 4th Dan Iaido, Ernest Blackburn 5th Dan Iaido.