Makiwara is a sheaf of straw bunched around a bamboo pole, to test the sharpness of an Uchigatana (sword) on Iai-jutsu (technique of drawing real swords) (batto-jutsu [an art of drawing a sword]), and Iaido (art of drawing the Japanese sword).
居合術（抜刀術）、居合道で打刀で試し斬りする竹を芯に藁を巻いたもの。