Because self-mastery is often a lonely road ,Iaijutsu like any true martial art form, consists of many kata reveal the impurities on the Iaijutsuka. Each kata of  is a Haiku of the story of  Iaijutsu and tells a tale with each and every movement completed successfully. Iaijutsu is revealed as well as mastered through kata - individual patterns with various interpretations of combat techniques. One of the 3 pinnacles of Iaijutsu is known as  haya waza, or fast techniques. The second is the  precise targeting of the weapon. The draw and the initial cut are the soul of Iaijutsu; to vanquish your opponent or opponents in a fast, accurate, single  movement. Yet , the third pinnacle of Iaijutsu is to vanquish your opponent without even drawing your sword! One tries to achieve the development of his body, soul, mind, and strength to such a level that no opponent dare attack due to ones  projection of confidence, peace, and strength. There is an old saying in iaijutsu - "kachi wa saya no naka ni ari: "victory comes while the sword is still in the scabbard.

 Because Iaijustu is the art of "One cut, one kill ", it requires quickness and accuracy. One Must be able To execute any the techniques from any  position at any time, any place, or anywhere.  Mental as well as physical fitness is critical for this reason. One must not be able to jump or lunge at an instant, but also must have the strength to control the weapon to strike the targets accurately. The most common way these strengths are obtained is through Tameshigiri. Tameshigiri  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 swords and continues through the present day.