Samurai Zen Violent Intent

http://selfprotection.lightbb.com/q-a-with-lee-morrison-f14/the-mastery-of-swordsmanship-t6119.htm

the poster pm´d me about his message and asked for my opinion, i thought it was a cool quote/post

Quote :

I wondered what your opinion would be on this extract from D.T. Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture (ISBN0804815607) about a 16c Japanese Zen swordsman Ichiun.

"Perhaps the most momentous advice Ichuin gives us, as the first step in the training of a swordsman, is that he is to start the contest with the idea of ai-uchi, a "mutual striking down."
This advice has important psychological significance. Ai-uchi, in other words, means paying no attention whatever to the outcome of the contest, being concerned not at all with the question of coming out of it safely or not. When a man faces a deadly situation in this frame of mind, he is the most resolute, the most desperate, the most daring person, before whom no enemy can stand unless he himself has come to the same resolution[...]
The idea of an Ai-uchi, one must remember, is what we start with as a preliminary step in the mastery of swordsmanship and not the step with which it should finish."

When a man faces a deadly situation in this frame of mind, he is the most resolute, the most desperate, the most daring person, before whom no enemy can stand unless he himself has come to the same resolution

Lee Morrisson replies

Quote :

Hans Talhoffer the German swordsmaster wrote in his famous ''Fechtbuch'' or fencing manual Circa 1467

''think only of cleaving the enemy in two with the sword!''

''if his sword is on route to you, then smash it clear on route to cleaving the enemy!''

The Italian swordsmaster Fiore Di Liberi spoke of similar thoughts in his treatise[i] ''Flos Duelltorum'' or the flower of Battle Circa 1410

''think only of cleaving the enemy in two with the sword!''


Musashi: "think only of the cut"

Hyia,
got it to the point:
this fits perfectly with the 17th and 21th code from Musashi's Dokkodo...I like it
take care;