About the Iaido Association of Ireland

The Iaido Association of Ireland was formed out of the Dublin Iaikai Iaido Club, a club originally formed by John Gibney. Some of the members felt some form of organisation was needed to promote and support Iaido through out Ireland, not just in Dublin. It is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting students by providing classes; to supporting teachers by locating and managing venues, and to organise and run seminars with visiting sensei.

The organisation also aims to create and maintain links with other organisations with an interest in Iaido. Its aim is to be an umbrella organisation for all Iaido Dojos in Ireland, providing insurance cover for instructors and students alike. The organisation issues membership certificates to all its members and thus ensures each Iaidoka has proper documentation at hand whenever needed. The IAI (we like the acronym!) is not created to be any form of authority or "official" body. It is an organisation dedicated to ensuring iaido flourishes in Ireland and wants to support individual dojos and their instructors. For more information, please have a look at our constitution.

The logo for the association is based on a traditional Japanese Mon, but we have modified it to use celtic interlacing, representing the crossing of ancient Japanese and Celtic traditions.

Our Honbu (Headquater) Dojo is based in the Martial Arts Academy on Magennis Place off Pearse St.

Here you see the honorable founding members of the IAI at a special ceremony on the 2nd October 2006:



L to R: Dave Graham, Nick Johnston, Bjoern Fehr, Neil Motherway, Eoin Meehan

President of the Iaido Association of Ireland

Paul O’Brien is a dedicated martial artist and currently a student of the Kenseikai Dojo under instructor Nick Johnston. Paul has trained in a variety of martial arts and systems, including Shotokan Karate, Aikido, Kobudo,and more and ranks highly in several of these arts.

Paul has been a dedicated and enthusiastic student of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu under the instruction of Nick Johnston since Jan 2009 and is delighted to continue taking an active role in the development of Iaido and the Budo as the current President of the Iaido Association of Ireland.

Contact address: info@iaido.ie

Nick Johnston began training in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido in early 2002 at the East London branch dojo of Kenseikai, under David Hart Sensei (Godan - F.I.S.).

He was awarded Shodan at F.I.S. Taikai in London in late 2003 from Chief Examiner David Ansell Sensei (Rokudan Kyoshi - International Division of the D.N.B.K.).

He was awarded Nidan at the Rensei Taikai in Crawley, Sussex in mid 2005 from Chief Examiner Noburo Mano Sensei (Hachidan - Z.N.K.R.).

In June 2006 Nick was authorised by Okimitsu Fujii Sensei (Shichidan Kyoshi and  D.N.B.K. International Co-ordinator for Kendo) to establish an Irish branch of Kenseikai.

In December 2008 he was awarded Sandan at the Kenseikai Ireland Seminar in Dublin from Chief Examiner David Ansell Kyoshi and Okimitsu Fuji Sensei.

Nick is the head of Kensekai Ireland Dojo and a member of the Technical Board of the I.A.I., the Federation of Iai Schools (U.K.), and the International Division of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, Japan's premier Martial Arts organisation. Nick is a former President of the I.A.I. (2007).

Contact address: nick@iaido.ie

Neil Motherway has almost always had an interest in martial arts. His first art was Wado Ryu Karate which he practiced as an early teenager achieving the grade of blue belt over a couple of years. He then discovered Bujinkan Ninjitsu which he studied under Tommy Lawlor Sensei for three and a half years in his late teens.

It was during this practice that he developed a love of Japanese culture and the sword. While training in Ninjitsu was not grade orientated or affilliated to the Bujinkan system in Japan for some time he held the grade of 6th Kyu when he left. However as the dojo didn't really recognise grades untill connection with Japan he would have been considered a senior grade in the Dojo.

While living in the UK he practiced Shotokan Karate for a further year mainly for fitness and because the Shotokan instructors were particularly good teachers with a wise approach to martial arts philosophy. Following a very short and appalling experience with Thai Boxing (Muai Thai) he decided to pursue Japanese swordsmanship as a part of a plan to combine martial arts practice with with academic studies in Transpersonal Psychology and Zen spiritual practice in order to develope an integral approach to his personal development and to develope a form of life coaching or life therapy for use in his professional life as a Psychologist.

His initial idea was to travel to Japan in order to find a sword master who might be willing to take him on as a student and also spend time possibly in a Zen monastery on a spiritual journey in order to add a genuine spiritual dimension to his otherwise academic studies of consciousness and transpersonal psychology. Having sought the advice of his old Ninjitsu sensei in regard to this, he suggested that Neil begin to study Iaido prior to going to Japan so that he could impress upon the Japanese the seriousness of his intentions.

Thus by following this advice Neil found himself studying Iaido in Birmingham under Fay Goodman sensei. He has been studying Iaido for two and a half years at Masamune Dojo, where he has been lucky enough to have received instruction fron Fay sensei (7th Dan) along with a number of lesser Dan graded Iaidoka ranging from Shodan to Godan, allowing him to progress relatively quickly through the grades to Sandan which is his current grade. Neil's training has been predominantly in Seitei Gata Iai as Fay Sensei does not encourage Kyu grades to practice KoRyu Iai as they need to concentrate on Seitei first to get the basics of Iaido; this attitude is a reflection of the attitude of Oshita Sensei and Morita Sensei in Japan. Neil will continue to study under Fay Sensei and maintain his membership of Masamune Dojo as he is now turning his focus on KoRyu in his own training. However he will have to travel to Birmingham as often as he can to achieve this. Neil now find himself in Ireland and having been asked to teach Seitei Iaido, he is very happy to do anything that he can to nurture Iaido in Ireland and so humbly offers his limited knowledge of Iaido to anyone who wishes to honestly follow the path of Bushido.

Neil was awarded Sandan in 2008 at a seminar in Birmingham.

Neil is head of Masamune Dojo Ireland and a member of the Technical Board of the I.A.I.

Contact address: neil@iaido.ie

Please contact the President of the IAI regarding any questions on membership, fees and all I.A.I. administration.

Current and former Presidents of the IAI

1st President (2006): Eoin Meehan
2nd President (2007): Nick Johnston
3rd President (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011): Björn O. Fehr
4th President (2012): Paul J.O'Brien