Strategy in Japanese Swordmanship

After years of diligent practice and developing technical prowess, advanced students in the Japanese sword arts need to cultivate a strategic mind if they are to advance to the rarified level of master swordsperson. To cultivate the strategic mind, students must determine exactly what they wish to accomplish in each encounter with an opponent, and everything they do while training should move them closer to that goal. Rather than passively absorbing the sword techniques, an ambitious student should establish in his or her mind the two specific goals of the art: to cut the opponent while avoiding being cut, and to move toward perfection of character.In “Strategy in Japanese Swordsmanship” – the third volume in his invaluable series on Japanese swordsmanship – Nicklaus Suino, one of the most respected swordsmen in the U.S., clearly and concisely presents a tactical approach to training. He provides a framework for learning strategic swordsmanship, and demonstrates techniques that help put the strategies into practice.