Live by the sword die by the sword is a common saying related to the savagery of war or a lifestyle that would bring about an unhappy ending. The reality of sword training is very different from this and teaches us the culture of the sword because that is where the training brings the person and eventually the personality that becomes entwined with that culture. It breeds a very different understanding of why one would train with the sword and defines the art in its true light. This of course is only true where one has access to training at the highest level.
The culture of the sword is intrinsically tied to warfare but it has a disciplined nature that makes it very different from firing a gun or training with a knife. There is of course discipline in all weapons training but the Japanese sword was taken to a much higher level and with it those who afford themselves that time and patience in becoming part of that training in its most stringent and controlled manner, appreciate its power and more so to its strength.
Students who come to martial arts classes in Cavan do so for many different reasons. Some for the scope of training available and others simply love the culture of Japan. As training evolves there is an importance placed on the history of martial arts. It is important to know that history makes you what you are and by immersing yourself in the culture of what you are learning, history becomes a part of you. Each level sets you on a natural path of personal development and a greater understanding of the sword. It is the essence of what we learn that makes the martial artist. That essence is absorbed through years of concentrated and diligent training.
The power of a sword is in its cut and ultimately in one who wields it well but its strength, when realised, is not one of warfare, it is of the forging of a more disciplined mind
Shihan Martin O’Raghaillaigh (Kenshin)
Grandmaster Kimura Massagi
GENBUKAN SANZEN DOJO 