刀の魂と絵の心

Inoue explains the Iai art of drawing a sword, "The Iai art of drawing one sword is a technique by which, when you happen to find yourself facing an opponent who is charging at you with a drawn sword and an intent to kill, you are able to draw your sword after your opponent and still win."
The origin of Iai sword fighting skills dates back to the Onin War (1467 - 1477), when the style of war in Japan made a transition from mounted troops to infantry foot soldiers. In a battle between groups of foot soldiers, or in a battle where one quickly drew his sword and charged the enemy, the soldier had to be able to quickly and precisely draw his sword and cut his enemy. The speed and technique with which one could draw his sword was a major factor in determining whether or not one would live or die on the battlefield. Hence, Iai was born as a form of swordsmanship to increase one's skill at drawing the sword.
With Iai, each movement has meaning, and each movement is free from unnecessary and wasteful actions. The same could also be said for the art of the tea ceremony, which had spread to the samurai warrior class around the same time that Iai began to appear. The tea ceremony, which incorporates the teachings of zen and its concepts of training for all aspects of life, requires one to pay careful attention to each and every action. As Inoue explains, "Iai is a technique for cutting a person with a sword. However, considering the teachings of Buddha, which admonish the reckless destruction of life, and the compassion of the samurai warrior, we realized that the true secret of Iai is in the value placed on the concept of "within the sheath". That is, resolving a situation while the sword is still in one's sheath. When putting this into practice, however, one must also be equipped with the skill of being able to freely draw one's sword in any situation, without hesitation. When facing a life or death situation, one is not able to maintain total presence of mind. Thus, the warrior must diligently practice in preparation for this as well.
Inoue's principal occupation is creating and teaching art. Inoue appears to really be enjoying himself when hi is working in his art studio, taking on a completely different expression from when he is practicing Iai. Iai and India ink painting share something in common, they both abide by nature, and require that something be contributed to the blessings of nature. This katana sword, the bamboo used to practice making cuts with the sword, the ink and Japanese paper used to create a painting, the paints and brushes - these are all tools received from nature. This is a manifestation of the deep feelings the Japanese people have for nature, and expresses the delicate spirit that is fostered by the four seasons. "As I grasp my sword, and as I grasp my brush, I feel as if I truly want to carry on the deep sensitivity have with regard to nature."
Article from JR-western Japan magazine "Blue Signal"July 2002