New Insights
"The significance of the term No-Sword is not necessarily in having to take the sword of your opponent. Niether does it mean taking your own sword in display and making a name for yourself. No-Sword means not being cut by another, although you yourself have no sword....
If your opponent does not want his sword taken, you should not insist on trying to take it. No-Sword is also in NOT taking the sword when your opponent has this attitude. A man whi is consumed by the thought of not having his sword taken is going to gorget the aim of cutting his opponent. WHen he thinks only of not having his sword taken, he will probably not cut you...
What is called No-Sword is not the art of taking a man's sword; it is being able to use all implements freely. When you have no sword and whish to take your opponent's to use as your own, anything that comes into your hands should be of use. Even if you have only a fan, you should be able to defeat your opponent's sword. No-Sword is just this attitude"
-Yagyu Munenori
This was written by a Japanese sword master in the 17th century. I have meditated over this passage, and gotten some good thoughts out of it. Mainly, how can we streamline all that we do in swordsmanship? How can we distract our opponent into thinking we want something else. This can come as simple as a compound attack in fencing (disengage/feint to confuse) to something as complicated as convincing the entire Japanese populace that your style is one of disarming, so that when you fight someone, they are so concerned about you disarming them that you just simply kill them quickly and efficiently.
To all you swordsmen and swordswomen who read this, any input on how this can affect us today as modern sword fighters? what should be we do to make Yagyu's words ring true? How can we apply these teachings?
(I plan on doing a lot more of this fun stuff in my Journal, let me know what you think!)
If your opponent does not want his sword taken, you should not insist on trying to take it. No-Sword is also in NOT taking the sword when your opponent has this attitude. A man whi is consumed by the thought of not having his sword taken is going to gorget the aim of cutting his opponent. WHen he thinks only of not having his sword taken, he will probably not cut you...
What is called No-Sword is not the art of taking a man's sword; it is being able to use all implements freely. When you have no sword and whish to take your opponent's to use as your own, anything that comes into your hands should be of use. Even if you have only a fan, you should be able to defeat your opponent's sword. No-Sword is just this attitude"
-Yagyu Munenori
This was written by a Japanese sword master in the 17th century. I have meditated over this passage, and gotten some good thoughts out of it. Mainly, how can we streamline all that we do in swordsmanship? How can we distract our opponent into thinking we want something else. This can come as simple as a compound attack in fencing (disengage/feint to confuse) to something as complicated as convincing the entire Japanese populace that your style is one of disarming, so that when you fight someone, they are so concerned about you disarming them that you just simply kill them quickly and efficiently.
To all you swordsmen and swordswomen who read this, any input on how this can affect us today as modern sword fighters? what should be we do to make Yagyu's words ring true? How can we apply these teachings?
(I plan on doing a lot more of this fun stuff in my Journal, let me know what you think!)