Samurai Sword & Japanese Archery Class Tokyo

A working dojo in Machida, western Tokyo

The class takes place in a traditional martial arts dojo in Machida, a city within the Tokyo metropolis in the south-west of the capital, about 35 to 45 minutes by train from Shinjuku. The dojo is on the third floor of a building a 10-minute walk from JR Machida Station, reached by a staircase at the back of the ground floor between a sword shop and a row of vending machines.

This is a place where students train regularly, not a stage set, which is why the experience feels authentic. Your instructor teaches a style of practical swordsmanship and continues the tradition of horseback archery, one of the oldest martial arts in Japan. Classes start at 10:00 and are limited to about 15 people, so everyone gets hands-on time with the sword and the bow. Plan your train journey to arrive a little early.

The Japanese sword and the iai lesson

The session begins with a lecture on the Japanese sword: how it is forged, why its curve and edge make it so effective, and how it became the symbol of the samurai class. You learn that around a thousand years ago the bow was the samurai's main weapon, that the matchlock gun changed warfare in the 16th century, and that the sword became the main weapon of the samurai after the civil wars ended around 400 years ago.

After changing into a training uniform, you move to the iai lesson. Iai is the art of drawing the sword and cutting in one fluid movement, practised in kata, set forms that train posture, footwork and precision. Using a practice sword, you learn the correct grip, how to swing safely and how to move between targets, which is much harder than it looks. This katana lesson in Tokyo is taught step by step, so beginners keep up.

Gekken sparring and cutting practice

In the gekken lesson you study the timing of attack and defence, then put it into practice by sparring with a practice sword under the instructor's close supervision. It is controlled and safe, but it gives a real sense of distance, rhythm and reaction, the skills a swordsman relied on in combat.

The class also includes cutting practice and an activity where you check the blade line: whether the edge travels exactly along the path of the cut, the true test of a good swing. Slashing multiple targets while moving is one of the most demanding techniques you will see demonstrated, and the instructor shows a variety of difficult techniques during the class. Bring a camera, as friends can film or photograph each other during these exercises.

Japanese archery and the horseback archery bow

Before the sword, the bow was the weapon of the mounted warrior. Japanese bows are famously tall and asymmetric, gripped below the centre so they could be used from horseback, and the art of shooting from a galloping horse is still performed at shrine festivals in Japan today. Your instructor is a master of this discipline and shows you a traditional horseback archery costume, of a style worn around a thousand years ago.

You then try shooting arrows with a real horseback archery bow on foot inside the dojo, learning how to stand, nock the arrow and draw with the Japanese technique. To complete the picture of samurai history, you can also hold an antique matchlock gun, the weapon that arrived in Japan in the 16th century and transformed warfare. Few places in Japan let you experience swordsmanship and archery with a master of both in one class.