The Spirit of a Swordsman

By Tim Johnson

The Japanese sword arts are so intricately intertwined with daily living and the enterprising mindset in Japan that the revered spirit of the samurai will never die. Even today, in corporations, schools, and daily life, the spirit of the samurai is very much alive.

Shihan Dana Abbott has been living the Way of the sword for over 35 years and is working to teach and instill that spirit to today’s youth around the world.

This book is an adaptation of an interview with Shihan Abbott about his background in the sword arts and about the history and spirit of the samurai. Since the Koryu style practiced in the warring factions of Japan to the government-run martial arts universities of today, one thing has remained the same - spirit.

“That’s why the Japanese people have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. They make it a point to make their mind and their body work together.” - Shihan Dana Abbott

“It seems like there’s an abundance of ADHD kids now and they’re giving them drugs, or giving them this, or giving them that. For the past 10,000 years, we've had ADHD people around all the time. They were called hunters. They were the people who would become kings.” - Shihan Dana Abbott

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Johnson
• Release date: Feb 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301737680

Book preview

The Spirit of a Swordsman

A Dialog on the Samurai Arts with

Shihan Dana Abbott

Published by Tim Johnson

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The Martial Arts Lineage Project

Smashwords Edition

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Copyright 2012 Martial Arts Lineage Project

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Table of Contents

Introduction

About Shihan Dana Abbott

A Dialog on the Samurai Arts with Shihan Dana Abbott

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About the Martial Arts Lineage Project

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Introduction

This book is adapted from a dialog with Shihan Dana Abbott about the history and philosophy of the Japanese sword arts and how they are so intricately intertwined with daily living and the enterprising mindset in Japan. What types of morals does kendo instill? What life lessons can be learned from regularly beating one another with foam-padded swords as in chanbara? As it turns out, a lot can be learned.

Starting with the samurai warriors and the Koryu style of the warring factions of Japan, continuing through the fall of the Edo period and on to government-run sports universities, Shihan Dana Abbott shares insight on what made the samurai what they were and how the philosophies live on in modern Japan. In schools, in life, and in corporations, the way of the Samurai is still very much alive.

About Shihan Dana Abbott

Shihan Dana Abbott has been training in the art of the samurai and the way of the sword for 35 years. For over 15 years he trained, studied, and lived in Japan, practicing under the direction of some of Japan's most respected teachers.

Shihan Dana Abbott's bladed weapons experience is extensive, focused, and well polished. He has taught and conducted seminars in over 30 countries. He holds the esteemed rank of Shihan 7th Dan, in the sword art of Goshindo, obtained at the Hombu Dojo in Yokohama, Japan.

He was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2004 as Weapons Instructor of the Year, as well as in the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame, World Karate Union Hall of Fame, and the Masters Hall of Fame.

The spirit of the samurai is in all of us.

~ Shihan Dana Abbott

A Dialog on the Samurai Arts with Shihan Dana Abbott

Tim: You’re doing a lot of work in the martial arts community to uphold the traditions of the Japanese swords arts. You’ve trained in kendo, iaido, and many other facets of the samurai arts including the philosophical elements. What inspired you to start training in the martial arts and specifically the Japanese swords arts?

Dana: If you want to get some history, what really inspired me about the martial arts was the country and culture of Japan. When I was in the second grade in the early 1960s, they had exchange teachers at that time and one of them had come from Japan. I don’t remember her name, but I remember making teacups, and I remember eating the Japanese senbei—their rice crackers. From that time on, it was very interesting to me. Down the street from where my Grandmother used to live, was a guy who married a Japanese woman in World War II and brought her home. There was more mystery there and it kept my eyes on Japan for all those years.

About the same time, I had an older brother and he started taking judo over at UC Berkeley. That was in 1964 or 1965. I was about 8 or 9 years old, and I went with him and started learning how to roll a bit for one semester. That’s what kept the dream going for all those years before I got started; it was