Kendo Desktop Life Giving Sword

[Zhong Da]

i whipped this up today. i do a lot of designs. i thought someone might want to use it on their desktop too.
its 1400x1050 jpg format.


also i have kendo tshirts and other things that i sell. in case someone likes my designs.

http://gudkarma.com/images/katsudekp.jpg

sorry..i couldnt get an image to upload here.

[Nanbanjin]

Nice. Does it come in "death giving sword"?

[ziggey]

nice pic dude!
but theres one thing I wonder, Ive seen it in some other places to. People have said something like "respect the sword because it can both give and take life"
I have no problem imagining a sword taking a life, but creating one?
the only thing I could come up with was using the sword during a caesarean section, but I sure thats not whats meant with it. Can some1 plz xplain 2 me? (hehe)

[nysamurai]

Very nice. How do people reach you if interested in your work?

[Masahiro]

nice kanji writing.

[ben]

Very nice. Looks like you used "live trace" in Illustrator CS2.

b

[SmellsLikeBogu]

nice pic dude!
but theres one thing I wonder, Ive seen it in some other places to. People have said something like "respect the sword because it can both give and take life"
I have no problem imagining a sword taking a life, but creating one?
the only thing I could come up with was using the sword during a caesarean section, but I sure thats not whats meant with it. Can some1 plz xplain 2 me? (hehe)

perhaps this is something you should think about :)

[Batman]

I have no problem imagining a sword taking a life, but creating one?

The only sword I know of that can create life is a pork-sword. Even Batman would run if one of his many foes unsheathed one of those.

[Zhong Da]

nope. not live tracing in illustrator.

thanks for the comments.
ummmmm....as for 'what is ' life giving sword...that is something for you to think about. :grin:

[Zhong Da]

Nice. Does it come in "death giving sword"?

yes...actually...but i dont know the kanji for that.
if someone were to tell me...i would probably do one.

[kurisu]

nice pic dude!
but theres one thing I wonder, Ive seen it in some other places to. People have said something like "respect the sword because it can both give and take life"
I have no problem imagining a sword taking a life, but creating one?
the only thing I could come up with was using the sword during a caesarean section, but I sure thats not whats meant with it. Can some1 plz xplain 2 me? (hehe)

It's not "creating" a life, it's allowing one or many to live. As quickly as you can take away a life, you can also spare a life, or you can take away the life of a person who is killing lots of others, thus giving them life.

[ben]

"satsu-nin tou" is the conventional way of saying this term. Tou as in "katana".

b

[SmellsLikeBogu]

the concept behind it is that you should not use your sword for killing. but for saving life.
meaning, a true swordsman isnt a ruthless killer, but someone who does the right thing and stands up for those who are in danger.

with you swrod you wield a great power, with great power comes great responsibility.
(to bad the sword isnt a way of life anymore but rather a hobby for many, since, well you know chasing down that pickpocket in the street and cutting him down would be pretty illegal these days ;) )

[ScottUK]

"satsu-nin tou" is the conventional way of saying this term. Tou as in "katana". or Satsujinken?

[ben]

or Satsujinken?

It can be rendered both ways, but the people I trust most have said it is 'satsunintou'. My guess is because 'tou' refers to an actual sword, whereas "ken" tends to be the sword as a concept or ideal. A bit like "a sword" and "the Sword".

b

[Paburo]

i've always read it as satsujinken. satsujintou is written differently anyway, so in case you want to make the new wallpaper either way these are the kanji you should look for:

殺人剣 satsujinken

殺人刀 satsujintou

i'm not sure which one is more correct as i said earlier, but i never heard of satsujinTOU before. i'll have to do some asking.....

btw, i thought of the katsujinken concept as in 'this blade is used only for defense. for my own protection and protection of those i care about and it's not meant to pick fights'.

whereas satsujinken is 'this blade is purposedly used for slaughtering, killing and punishing.'

[Kenshi]

ScottUK, Paburo ---- Bens reading is the way it is pronounced in the tradition in which the saying comes from.

[Paburo]

ScottUK, Paburo ---- Bens reading is the way it is pronounced in the tradition in which the saying comes from.

that's interesting George... do you got the source for this? or the text/extract where it comes from? thanks!

[ZealUK]

Would that be Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and Heiho Ka Densho?

[Neil Gendzwill]

ScottUK, Paburo ---- Bens reading is the way it is pronounced in the tradition in which the saying comes from.Paburo's right about the kanji, though - ken and toh are not the same kanji.

[Zhong Da]

far as i know it is 'to' not ken.
but lets see what i can hook up for a new wallpaper.
as well i had started to write an essay on 活人剣

[Nanbanjin]

Hey guys, I was just kidding...

[Kingofmyrrh]

I always thought that it was "setsu-nin-tou"... and that the phrase was from China ( 無門関 or something like that) originally.

[ZealUK]

I remeber now, it is from Mumonkan.

Found the verse on a buddhist website. Note the use of the older kanji for 'ki' and 'ken'.

According to the Japanese wikipedia entry for kenjutsu (I know its not very reliable!) Kamiizumi Nobutsuna gave Marume Kurando (later to found Taisha Ryu) an inka with the phrase 殺人刀・活人剣 included in the text. It also says Itto Ryu used the terminology, showing the large scale of influence from buddhism onto budo.


眼流星
機掣電
殺人刀
活人劍

[Kenshi]

Would that be Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and Heiho Ka Densho?

Yes. But its probably a buddhist/chinese inspired if not copied term. I have the modern Japanese version of the Heiho Ka Densho, but lets just say that I heard it spoken by someone who knows whats what.

Modern Japanese speakers are basically unable to read the original text. Even if they could, they could not fathom the meaning.... whether they do YSR or not. The Yagyu-kai does frequent lectures for students in order to explain the background, psychology, and methodology behind the school, as well as the meaning behind the kadensho and other writings.

Its not a term ive heard used in itto-ryu, but I can check.

Modern kendo practitioners, whether they be Japanese or what not, tend not to use the "tou" term.


showing the large scale of influence from buddhism onto budo.

nah...... this is totally overplayed. Using terminology does not infer religious connotations. I think Meik Skoss has made many a comment (on ebudo) about this over the years... I think? Maybe he said it to my face.. I cant remember. Anyway, when someone starts with this stuff, I switch off.

Actually, KW Alex has been saying the same stuff in regards to Kendo.

[ZealUK]

nah...... this is totally overplayed. Using terminology does not infer religious connotations. I think Meik Skoss has made many a comment (on ebudo) about this over the years... I think? Maybe he said it to my face.. I cant remember. Anyway, when someone starts with this stuff, I switch off.

Actually, KW Alex has been saying the same stuff in regards to Kendo.

I was just paraphrasing what I read in the article, it is not my own opinion.

One could assume that the borrowing of terminology, regardless of the reasons behind it could be referred to as 'influence'.

[Zhong Da]

i actually trained as a buddhist monk...hmmmm.
can someone point me to where that 'buddhist' website is that relates information about 'life giving sword'.

[ZealUK]

i actually trained as a buddhist monk...hmmmm.
can someone point me to where that 'buddhist' website is that relates information about 'life giving sword'.

Well it's not strictly a 'buddhist' website, but here it is...

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/zen/mumonkan.htm

Actually Mumonkan and Hekiganroku are both very famous texts in Zen and Chan buddhism.

[Kenshi]

I was just paraphrasing what I read in the article, it is not my own opinion.

No probs. With very little experts to go through this stuff for us we end up all living on hearsay. Ive had some very senior japanese sensei tell me its "all zen" or whatever when referring to kendo, yet they are not practising buddhists, hold no believes, and are just repeating what they heard or read.


can someone point me to where that 'buddhist' website is that relates information about 'life giving sword'.

Sorry, I cant. I dont know of its actual orgin. But you might want to check out - if you cant read at least the japanese - that Scott Wilson guys books, particularly the ones on munenori/takuan soho.

[Zhong Da]

ok, guys. ZealUK thanks for the link.
ok. i do know that text...but not well.
also i didnt train under chinese or japanese buddhism.
i trained in the original orthodox buddhism. the chinese call it Theravada.
well actually they call it hinayana (lesser vehicle)
but lets break those straws later.

i'll digest the text and add this information in my essay.

kenshi, yes experts are missing, but experts arent always going to give you the best answers anyway.
as for it being 'all zen'
zen actually comes from the word CHAN.
AND CHAN is the chinese equillvilent of JHANA.

in pali (the language that original buddhist texts are written/spoken) Jhana is a form of meditation.
as you can guess it starts with FOCUSING THE MIND.
jhana is built from the word Jhan which means TO BURN (AWAY)
in this case the meditator is burning away defilements.
i'll talk about this in more detailed terms because it actually applies to kendo (all martial arts really).
so in that case maybe your senoir was saying 'its all zen' in that sense.

there are micro and macro application of 活人剣 that i want to illuminate.
this might be an interesting thread.
^^

thanks for the input everyone.
i'll keep you posted.