sword used in several martial arts including Shintō Musō-ryū. The All Japan Kendo Federation specifies that the Tachi used in seitei Jodo should be 101.5 cm in length, and made from white oak. The length of the tsuka, or hilt, should be 24.2 cm. The Japanese sword, with its long history and many variations, has a prominent role in Shintō Musō-ryū. In the early Edo period the katana and the shorter wakizashi were the weapons of choice for samurai during their regular duties. On the battlefield, the slightly longer and more curved tachi would be used. In SMR the katana is the weapon used, but for training purposes a bokken (wooden sword) is used to minimize risk of injuries. Every training sequence (kata) starts with the swordsman, called Uchidachi, attacking the defender (shidachi), who in turn defeats his opponent. Unlike the main Shintō Musō-ryū system, Seitei Jodo does not hold any kata that uses the kodachi (short sword) and it is not used during training. The kata hissage uses a kodachi in SMR but is substituted in SJ with the regular odachi (katana). Clothing In the majority of dojos today, the jodoka essentially uses the same clothing as practitioners of kendo, minus the armour and other protective padding: A blue/indigo uwagi (jacket), an obi (belt, often the same type as used in iaido), a blue or black hakama (wide trousers used by samurai). The type of clothing worn is not universal for all SMR dojos. In some dojos, which in addition to jodo may also have aikido practitioners, the white keikogi and regular white trousers are allowed. All-white keikogi and hakama are also used in various dojos and/or on special occasions such as public demonstrations or competitions See also Iaido References External links Official All Japan Kendo Federation website Seitei Jodo in Spain Official Swedish Seitei Jodo section of Kendo Shinto Muso-ryu Jojutsu