Mugai Ryu: The Classical Japanese Art of Drawing the Sword

"The Japanese sword and Japanese swordsmanship involve a scheme that is deeply embedded in the Western world's mind. Therefore the sword has become a subject of great historical and cultural significance.

It is my belief that, if the chrysanthemum and the crane are two of Japan's cherished icons, the third has to be the katana or samurai sword. To the fighting machines of antiquity: the legions of Alexander the Great, Attila's hordes, the armies of Caesar, and Mohammed's faithful warriors,...