"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, we must add another fighting machine of antiquity, the samurai of Japan, a martial caste born in the tenth century." --from the author's preface.

In this book, the author takes us on a tour of the Samurai code of Bushido. He talks of his encounters with the descendants of famous samurai' of the past. We are taken to ancient Japan to meet the most influential samurai through the memories of their descendants--as told to the author by members of those very samurai families!

We learn about the many rituals of the sword and discover how they were made, cared for and tested. The author instructs us on the use of the sword with over twenty traditional sword drawing techniques and sparring routines.

Discover what made the Samurai such lethal swordsmen. Learn the "one cut"