2024 Iai Katori Shinto ryu Otake Shinbukan Dojo

Katori Shinto-ryu’s omote-no-iai techniques are executed from iai-goshi called iaijutsu and from a standing position called battojutsu. The kata let the practitioner draw the sword as fast as lightning and in almost any direction.
Iaijutsu, (the seated techniques), is primarily implemented when attacked unexpectedly indoors or when a crouching position is needed. The practitioner takes iai-goshi position and draws the sword in a low position indoors so as not to hit low beams in traditional Japanese houses. The reason to use a low seated position outside in the dark is that one can easily conceal oneself in a dark spot and see approaching opponents silhouettes against the lighter starry or moonlit sky. The sword is always brought back into the scabbard to limit any reflections of the blade which may give away ones position when dealing with more than one opponent.
Standing iai, battojutsu, deals with sudden attacks outside from any direction mostly during day time. Students usually will study omote techniques for several months before being allowed to learn iaijutsu.