Samurai experience: art and soul of the sword

Overview

This experience is not about playing around with the samurai gear, but sensing and understanding the values prized by samurai. Here is the testimony by one of our guests.

“At the beginning of the experience, I was surprised. Rather than learning how to cut a rolled straw mat or fight with a wooden sword, the first thing I learned was the proper etiquette towards the sword and the fundamentals of bushido (the way of samurai). In addition, the master touched on the courtesy and discipline samurai valued.

We tend to think samurai is an indomitable man taking down an enemy bravely. Yet, within the first ten minutes of my experience, I realized that my image was flawed. Drawing the sword or attacking an enemy was not a decision that a samurai made lightly. It was a last resort. A truly strong samurai was able to resolve issues diplomatically through discussion, and also happened to be so skilled with the sword that others did not want to pick a fight.”