Battojutsu

Battojutsu is a sword-based Japanese martial art. Generally, schools which style themselves "battojutsu ryu" emphasize the perfection of Tameshigiri cutting technique, as opposed to iaido ryu which tend to focus on drawing/sheathing, or kenjutsu ryu which stress dueling ability. "Battojutsu" or "iaijutsu" can also refer to the concept of drawing and striking in a single motion. Batto/iaijutsu techniques often involve drawing the saya (scabbard) back and the sword forward, allowing the wielder to begin and complete the cut faster than would otherwise be possible, generally half to three quarters of a second. Historically, battojutsu was developed around the mid-15th century, around the advent of the uchigatana (a type of Japanese sword). The saki-zori curvature (more curved near the tip, as opposed to koshi-zori, curved near the hilt) of uchigatana aided greatly in iaijutsu because it allowed the strike to begin before the blade had completely left the sheath.