Battōjutsu (抜刀術^?) is a Japanese term meaning techniques for engaging a sword.^{[citation needed]} It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battōdō, or iaidō, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques (e.g. standing or sitting techniques). The emphasis of training in battōjutsu is on cutting with the sword. All terms are somewhat more specific than kenjutsu (sword techniques) or kendō (the Way of the sword), as the latter two refer mostly to techniques where the sword is already out of its scabbard (saya) and is therefore engaged in combat.

Battōjutsu usually incorporates multiple cuts after drawing the sword. The emphasis of training in iaidō is on reaction to unknown situations, or reacting to sudden attack.

It is unclear when the term battōjutsu first originated. A notable early practitioner was Hayashizaki Jinsuke (c.1546–c.1621), the founder of the Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū and Musō Shinden-ryū schools. His remains are enshrined at Hayashizaki Jinja in the Tōhoku region of Japan.