Battodo - Practical Swordsmanship

There is a fascination with the Japanese sword that continues to amaze me. There are two aspect of the katana that seem to be diametrically opposed. The katana can be seen as a finely crafted piece of art with swordsmanship as an artistic endeavor of self improvement. The katana is also a deadly weapon that can main and kill with efficiency. It has been associated with both heroic duels of the samurai and horrible atrocities from WWII. I think it is both aspects of the katana that draw us to it.

I have studied Toyama Ryu since 1994, and hope to continue for the rest of my life. I teach practical swordsmanship. That does not mean that I teach my students to go use a katana to defend themselves against home invaders. I just believe that the art of swordsmanship should retain the fundamentals of practicality. That means that strikes must be effective and the student should know exactly what the target of each strike is. That can sometimes involve the gory details of what the katana is intended to do to an opponent. A disabling strike to the forearm cutting the tendons and muscle making that arm useless is part of the knowledge that goes with a kata. Targeting the juncture of neck and shoulder for a killing stroke may be disturbing to some people, but what do they think that diagonal cut was for? I believe that kind of knowledge is an integral part of swordsmanship and should not be filtered out of a style to make it into an artistic shadow of the sometimes grim reality it descended from. I also believe that a student of practical swordsmanship can gain the same benefits of self improvement that are the focus of other sword arts. Knowing what a katana can do makes students very aware of safety and the preciousness of life.

Battodo does not teach students how to kill. It teaches them how to stay alive on the battle field. While that concept does not have much use in today modern world, the life and death lessons of the sword, and the discipline needed for the study of swordsmanship does. The Book of Five Rings is used to teach business strategy, but it is pure common sense for students of the sword. Students find the dojo a place to escape from the stress of the modern world. It is a place to focus inward instead of outward. We leave the rest of the world behind when we step onto the dojo floor. That is what draws students to the dojo.

- Mike Femal
Konjaku Kioi Dojocho

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Battodo - Practical Swordsmanship