Thought provoking quotes about iaido . . . or other budo

[David G]

Just thinking about my favourite thought-provoking quotes about iaido (see below) and wondered if anyone else has a a favourite quote(s)? (Other budo quotes are fine!!)

(Sorry can't remember where/when/who about the quotes below)

"We no longer use our swords to cut our enemies. We now use them to whittle away at our ego."

"In iaido we train to control a sword and in so doing learn to control ourselves."

[b8amack]

"Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't."

[ben]

The right hand is your waza, the left hand is your kokoro. b

[hl1978]

"Bujutsu is not something that you'll necessarily become good at after a number of years, nor is anyone else going to make you strong. You must tell yourself that you will never allow anyone to defeat you; then you must back up that conviction with training. It won't do any good to simply repeat the forms of the techniques. They should be steeled with your intention to defeat your opponent. Ultimately, it boils down to a battle between souls. This is true no matter what you do. No matter how much a fainthearted person practices, when push comes to shove, he's completely helpless. When it comes to actual combat, it's a matter of cutting or being cut. If you're timid you'll be cut right from the get-go." - Sagawa Yukiyoshi

"See! This is why you are no good. You don't do something simply because so and so said so. If you simply go through life by simply thinking you can copy people you'll never get anywhere. The only person that can do this is you. You must create your own understanding for yourself." Sagawa Yukiyoshi

"You must take what you learn, and then innovate it based on your own ideas. ... No matter how much you learn something, if it is simply taught to you, you will forget it. However you will never forget something you acquire for yourself. It becomes you. In other words, teaching is simply a matter of giving the right hints. You must acquire that thing for yourself." Sagawa Yukiyoshi


"The training and discipline common to all the Ways, martial or cultural, consist of three levels of mastery: physical, psychological and spiritual. On the physical level of mastery of form (kata) is the crux of training. The teacher provides a model form, the student observes carefully and repeats it countless times until he has completely internalized the form. Words are not spoken and explanations are not given; the burden of learning is on the student. In the ultimate mastery of form the student is released from adherence to form." Taitetsu Unno

From Noma Hisashi's Kendo reader:

"When thrusting thrust with the feeling of thrusting two or three feet through the back of the
opponent. In jujitsu-keiko you will have difficulty in throwing your opponent if you only think
of throwing him to the mat. It must be through the floorboards and three feet into the ground.
Kaiho Hanbei, of the Itto-ryu once said that when striking the men of the opponent from
jodan you should strike it with the feeling of cutting right through to his anus."

"If you are here for self defense, go study Colt .45" Stanley Kiyonaga

[Josh Reyer]

"Beneath the clashing swords, this is hell. Simply cut in with the Wondrous Sword." - Yagyu Sekishusai Songon (Munetoshi)

[Kim Taylor]

"You call THAT a knife?" - Crocodile Dundee

Kim.

[JuJitsuGiraffe]

"Kendo is the perfection of doing things"
Ebihara Sensei.

Also

"MORE KIAI!!"

[stealth_monkey]

"Everyone has a plan until they get hit"

[kanyil]

In the words of my sensei (which is of personal relevance right now):

"To continue [training] is power"

[ghostdancer]

Death was Nature's way of telling you to slow down.

-- Terry Pratchett


Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill

[MikeW]

Spoken to me by a nanadan during practice (kendo): "When you are tired or hurt if you put it out of your mind it will go away"

[anythingshiny]

Be polite, be courteous but have a plan to kill everyone in the room if necessary.

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye....then it's just fun.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, then your tactics suck.

and one of my favs.... Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

[Satsuma]

"We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training"

[b8amack]

Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.

Yoda was a merciless cunt.

[Neil Gendzwill]

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky

[pgsmith]

Best defense no be there! --- Mr. Miyagi
So, what was that supposed to be? --- Several of my instructors
Keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and the other guy! --- Ray Hall

[michaelm]

I no longer believe that "self-defense" actually exists, and that there is only "offense" and "retreat"

This really resonated with me for some reason.

[JSchmidt]

"If it moves, hit it. If it doesn't, it's a wall"

[David G]

Be polite, be courteous but have a plan to kill everyone in the room if necessary.

Love that quote!

[Reiver]

The Golden rule:

Do unto your enemies as they would do unto you, but do it first!

[Neil Gendzwill]

Ali said "The will is more important than the skill".

[Winter67uk]

Question: "Sempei, what should I do when <so-and-so> does <such-and-such>?"
Answer: "Hit men."

Question: "Sempei, I'm not having any success with <such-and-such> or <so-and-so>. What should I do?"
Answer: "More keiko."

[Kokoro777]

To know others is wisdom, to know yourself is enlightenment-Lao Tsu

`Have a plan, execute it violently, do it today' - Marjorie Scardino

[rfoxmich]

Show less concern for those you're trying to kill - MSU Practice motto.

[Kusemono]

"The heart of japanese budo is simply harmony and love" - Morihei Ueshiba

[zypher]

My first sensei in one of our first sessions:

"We have to learn to love to do the things we hate doing."

Still true.

[Kokoro777]

My first sensei in one of our first sessions:

"We have to learn to love to do the things we hate doing."

Still true.Brilliant! This is the way to true excellence.

[b8amack]

The nail that sticks out:

Can not easily be walked over
Traps the unwary
Ruins strippers' careers
Is the fault of the carpenter
At the end of the day, is just a fucking nail, like all the rest of them

I hate that proverb.