The views expressed in this article are mine. They do not necessarily reflect those of my Sensei or the Federation.
First a word about swords. Let me start out by saying that a sword is a tool. From before man's earliest recorded history the sword in one form or another, has been present. And from that time til now the sword was designed for one purpose, a weapon. Unlike the spear, bow and gun, the sword was never seriously used for hunting food. There are accounts in both European and Asian history of acconts of wild game being driven towards members of the noble class so they could experience the thrill of thrusting their sword into a scared animal to the delight and amusement of their women. But as with the thrust of the toreador, this was for the act of killing, not hunting.
The sword was designed to slay your opponent if he managed to get past the arrows, spears or gunfire of thise in front of you. The sword is a tool. A very effective tool, but a tool nonetheless. It is not a god. There is no divinity residing between the layers of hammered steel. The reason for such claims, the best I can make out, is to enhance resale value. The quality of swords do vary however. All the way from useless to exceptional. Anyone who has cut with several different swords will know this. The difference in the swords is determined by the skill of the swordsmith and the quality of the materials used. But even the most perfect sword forged by the greatest living swordsmith is still just a tool. It is only as good as the hand weilding it. An inexperienced novice armed with this perfect blade could eaisly be bested by a trained and seasoned swordsman with a boken. Which brings me to my next subject...sword training.
There are many sword styles out there, some legit, some less so. Basically most sword schools fall into Iaido/Batto, Kenjutsu or a combination of the two. Iaido teaches to draw, cut and resheath. Kenjutsu deals with possible techniques to use once the sword is drawn assuming you screwed up the first cut and your opponent is still standing there now pretty pissed off. Regardless of style, one thing is obvious, sword techniques are a martial art, an "art of war". It is not a form of self-defense like the many "empty hand" schools. Sword schools teach how to use the sword as a weapon to kill your opponent.
Last month there was an article by Carlos Estrella which brought up an issue that I have encountered before. Is it ethical to study a martial art that is bassed on "killing techniques" that have been used within recent memory. There are many levels to approach this question. First off, to repeat myself once again, all sword techniques, wether ancient or modern, are bassed on the sword's use as a weapon. Even the most beautiful and flowing Iaido kata, when broken down, are just movements of drawing the sword, dispatching your enemy, and resheathing the sword. All sword schools teach this in one form or another. Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu is perhaps the best example of a sword style that recognizes this. We draw the sword, we cut, we put the sword away. The historical fact that the techniques of Toyama Ryu were used in the last World War makes this point.
At this time I feel the need to address the issue of "war time atrosities". Yes, they happened. There are always a few who will use their training and weapons in a way that is inhuman. There has never been a war that did not have its share of attrocities committed by both sides! But the fact that some abuse the use of the sword does not mean that teaching sword techniques should be banned or that we who study and teach these techniques are inhuman killers. We are not responsible for the acts of others, only our own.
Sword training can be approache on many levels. You can use the training to improve your character, or refine your spirit. You can follow a path of discilpine and honor, or just learn how to use a sword to cut without hurting yourself. Most of us choose a combination of these paths. The study of the sword is a very individual thing. We have only ourselves to compete against. We each make our own choices and decide just what it is we get out of the practice.
Robert Steele
