| Bokuden was crossing a lake in a rowboat with a group of people. In the boat with them was a tough�looking and arrogant samurai (a type of Warrior/Knight) who boasted about how good he was with a sword. "I am the greatest swordsman," this strong warrior claimed. "Nobody can beat me." The passengers eagerly listened to this braggart's endless stories about winning many fights. But Bokuden took no notice and was dozing as if nothing were going on around him. This made the samurai very angry. He came up to Bokuden, shook him and said: "Hey, aren't you listening? Come on! You also carry a pair of swords. Why aren't you joining in on the conversation?" Bokuden responded quietly, "My way is different from yours; it consists not of defeating others, but of not being defeated." This made the warrior angrier. "What is your school then?" he asked. "Mine is known as the school of �No Sword,"' Bokuden responded calmly. "Why, then, do you carry a sword?" cried the samurai. "To protect myself from wild animals, not to hurt people," Bokuden said. The braggart became very frustrated and shouted, "Do you really mean that you can fight with no sword? Can you fight me with no sword?" "Why not?" answered Bokuden calmly. The warrior called out to the boatman to row to the nearest island. Bokuden suggested it would be better to go to the island farthest away because the nearest island had people who might be attracted to the fight and might get hurt. The samurai agreed. The boat headed for the island farther away. As soon as they came near enough, the samurai jumped off the boat and drew his sword for combat. Bokuden took off his swords and handed them to the boatman. He was about to leave the boat to follow the samurai onto the island when Bokuden suddenly took the long oar from the boatman and, pushing it against the land, gave a hard backstroke to the boat. The boat moved away from the island and out to the sea, leaving the enraged samurai standing on the shore in combat position. When the boat was safely away from the island so the warrior could not follow, Bokuden said, smiling, "This is my school of No Sword". "Knowing how to get out of a fight before it begins is the greatest art�. What does this story have to do with today's world? What can you learn from it to help you resolve conflict in your life? The martial arts can help you resolve conflict peacefully. That is why I call them the "martial arts for peace." Training in self�defense means not only being able to protect yourself physically, but more importantly, learning to understand and avoid conflict before it becomes a fight, as Bokuden did. And this requires training the mind as well as the body in what I call "mental self-defense." Knowing how to get out of a fight before it begins is a great art, one that needs to be taught and practiced. Think of the story you just read. Did Bokuden use martial arts for peace? He had swords, but did he use them when the samurai challenged him? How did Bokuden avoid conflict with the samurai? Did he use mental self�defense? Did he trick the samurai and therefore prevent violence? Should he have fought the samurai with his swords to prove himself to be tough and courageous? Or did he show real strength and courage, avoiding a fight by using his mind to stop the conflict? To be a real martial artist for peace, you need to practice both physical and mental self�defense. Physical self-defense gives you confidence to be able to use your mind, or mental self�defense, to stop conflict. They go together, they are one whole. You cannot have one without other. So if you are thinking of taking martial arts or if you are already a student of the martial arts, make sure you are getting trained both mentally and physically. This will help you in your life today and when become an adult. Learning how to resolve conflict peacefully before it becomes a fight will create a safer more loving world. This is what martial arts for peace is all about. |
| The School of No-Sword |
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| "Knowing how to get out of a fight before it begins is the greatest art�. |
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