Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to small sword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword.
katana (刀)- were one of the traditionally made Japanese sword that were used by the samurai of ancient and feudal Japan The katana is characterized by its distinctive appearance: a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.
Iaijutsu- (居合術is a combative quick-draw sword technique. This art of drawing the Japanese sword, katana is one of the Japanese martial art disciplines in the education of the classical warrior.
Battōjutsu- (抜刀術 battō-jutsu) ("the craft of drawing out the sword") is an old term for iaijutsu. Battōjutsu is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu and battō.
Tameshigiri (試し斬り, 試し切り, 試斬, 試切) is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally mean "test cut" (kun'yomi: ためし ぎり tameshi giri). This practice was popularized in the Edo period (17th century) for testing the quality of Japanese swords. It continues to the present day, but has evolved into a martial art which focuses on demonstrating the practitioner's skill with a sword.
