A real-life samuraiâs Zen teachings on sword training as a spiritually transformative practiceâessential reading for aspiring martial artists and strategic thinkers alike
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The legendary seventeenth-century swordsman Yagyu Munenori was the sword instructor and military and political adviser to two shogunsâand a great rival to Miyamoto Musashi. Despite his martial ability and his political power, Munenoriâs life was spent immersed in Zen teachings. These teachings formed the framework for his deeply spiritual approach to sword fighting. Munenori saw in the practice of the sword a way to transform the student into a total human being.
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The Life-Giving Sword is Munenoriâs manifesto on his approach. His central themes are the âlife-giving swordââthe idea of controlling oneâs opponent by spiritual readiness to fight rather than by actual fightingâand âNo Sword,â which is the idea that the mind must be free of everything, even the sword itself, in order to get to the place of complete mastery. Munenoriâs ideas are applicable not only to martial arts but to business and human relations as well.