Ren Shin Kan Iaido practice the Japanese sword art of Iaido. We practice Zen Ken Ren Iaido and our Koryu is Muso Shinden Ryo. We are members of The British Kendo Association and the European Kendo Federation. We are a serious, hard working dojo whose members want to be the best they can be, as a result of this attitude and pure hard work we have produced members who have won European Gold medal, European Bronze medal, British Champion Gold medalists, Silver and Bronze Medalists.
Iaido is a non-contact sword art, which uses set Kata to develop the individuals sword skills. There is no physical contact in Iaido, so nobody is going to hit you! It can be practiced by all ages and both sexes. There are extremely high levels of attention to detail required to perform the kata correctly, which increases as you progress through the grade system. You can compete with other individuals, it is an art where male and female can compete with each other on a level playing field. Iaido has been an art form for hundreds of years in Japan, and is becoming increasingly more popular in the west.
There are many benefits to training in the art of Iaido including improving your powers of concentration and mental focus. There are physical improvements to your core strength, balance, breathing and coordination. It is very common for people to feel very tranquil after training. The biggest benefit is the "challenge" that the art demands .
To help you to decide if Iaido is for you, Ren Shin Kan will give you your first class free of charge, this should enable you to decide if you wish to get involved with the art and the club. You just need to wear non restrictive clothing and if possible soft knee pads, we will loan you a wooden sword (you start with a wooden sword for your and our safety). Please email us in advance so that we know you are coming and the appropriate equipment can be made available for your visit.
The dates are available for the Northern seminar. Go to the BKA website page for more details
The Mercian Iaido Group events are available. See the News tab. The next session is on 18th October 2025
If you would like to attend our classes, please use this link to email the dojo leader or copy and paste this address dojoleader@renshinkan-iaido.com into your email package