The Sword and the Mind

 

Hiroaki Sato's translation of the book The Sword and the Mind is a good translation of several of the most important texts of classical Japanese swordsmanship, the Heiho Kadensho, Fudochi Shimmyoroku, and the Taia-ki. These are works that have bearing on more than martial arts, serving as guides to Japanese political, business, and educational leaders for generations.


Sato begins with brief chronologies of Japanese history and Yagyu-related events and continues with an excellent introduction that gives both the socio-historical and philosophical context of Shinkage-ryu strategy and swordsmanship.


He continues with the Heiho kadensho ("Book of the Family Transmission of Swordsmanship") proper, broken into its three constituent sections, "The Shoe-Offering Bridge," "The Death-Dealing Blade," and the "Life-Giving Sword."


These are followed by Takuan's essay, Fudochi shimmyoroku ("Divine Record of Immovable Wisdom"), a long message by the famous Zen priest to Munenori that served as a lesson on the more abstruse elements of swordsmanship and an admonition to Yagyu not to let his position and authority cause him to falter from the True Path. It is a remarkable work for its incisive view of human psychology and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships.


The last section is the Taia-ki (On the Sword of T'ai-a), a further elucidation on the philosophical, and perhaps spiritual, dimensions of swordsmanship when it is used an entity for more than merely killing an enemy, but as a means for living.


Speaking as a student of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, there are a couple of places where I think the Sato translation of Heiho kadensho doesn't quite hit the mark. It is not from any lack of skill as a translator, but because he himself doesn't study the art of swordsmanship, and certainly has no firsthand knowledge of Shinkage-ryu theory or methodology. Frankly, I don't think anybody who is not a member of the school can really speak directly to some of the concepts, though Sato certainly comes pretty close.


This is just quibbling on my part, though. If one wishes to read the "real deal," as far as that is possible in a non-Japanese language, this is a good place to start.


Meik Skoss




 
Heiho Kaden Sho – Family-Transmitted Book on Swordsmanship


Volume One – The Shoe-Offering Bridge

The Book of the Shinkage School of Swordsmanship



THE THREE ELEMENTS

Posture
Arms and Legs
Sword
 

Begin your study with the three lines listed above:


They are the gate for the beginner.
Along with the three elements, learn the following five points (instructions on posture when facing an  opponent).

             
Hold your body sideways to your opponents         
Regard your opponent's fists as equal to your shoulders.
Make a shield of your fists.
Stretch your left elbow.
Put your weight on the forward knee and stretch our your right knee.


The points above describe the initial posture.


    The initial posture is called the wheel. It is the way you hold your sword. Because you can rotate your sword, we have named it the wheel. Hold your sword sideways. Let your opponent cut toward your left shoulder and as he does so, rotate your sword and win. Keep your posture low.


    In general your posture is intended to prevent your opponent from slashing you. It is like setting up a castle and digging a moat to hold your enemy off. It is not meant to slash your opponent. Don’t attack casually, but hold yourself carefully lest your opponent slash you. For these reasons, this is the posture you must learn first.

 
THE FIRST FIVE


Itto Ryodan: Splitting the opponent in two with a single stroke


    As elsewhere, the opponent is depicted at left  [RFF holding the sword before them]. You face the opponent sideways holding your sword on your right, downward, the tip facing away from you. [You are LFF and your left shoulder is most forward as you hold the sword as described.]