Katsujin-ken. The “Life-giving Sword.”
This is the principle we strive to embody. The best sword is the one that stays sheathed.
One day, the famous swordsman, Miyamoto Mushashi and his student walked on a path passing underneath a large mountain outcrop. On the outcrop, a large boulder ominously loomed over the edge. Mushashi’s student expressed concern and fear for passing under the boulder, to which Mushashi laughed and said that this is how the swordsman should strive to be. Always excuding a spirit so strong, that a sword never need be drawn.
In Japanese swordsmanship there are two philosophies of using the sword. Katsujin-ken is literally the “Life-giving Sword” and embodies all that is righteous: protecting the weak, destroying evil, and cultivating one’s own spirit.
Conversely, Satsujin-ken is the “Murdering Sword” which takes the lives of the weak, propagates evil, and eventually destroys one’s humanity (Dann 1978, Nakamura 1973, Warner and Draeger 1982).
Here we follow only Katsujinken and endeavor to be of service to our community.
The Ronin Katsujinken Dojo 
You must be logged in to post a comment.