Why Study Kenjutsu?

To study kenjutsu is not to chase violence or power. It is to pursue mastery of self and, for a Christian, fidelity to Christ. That is, to develop a heart prepared for sacrifice. The sword is not taken up to dominate others, but to confront one’s own weakness, fear, and disorder, and to slowly bring them under discipline, preparing one for the protection and service of others. A well-formed man is dangerous and good. 

True combat is interior. Kenjutsu exposes impatience, pride, hesitation, and distraction. It demands presence, restraint, humility, and perseverance. Over time, training becomes a mirror, revealing the places where the soul lacks steadiness and clarity. In this way, practice becomes a form of embodied prayer, a physical way of learning attentiveness, surrender, and trust.

For a Catholic devoted to Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon, kenjutsu also becomes a living connection to his life and witness. Takayama was formed as a samurai, trained in discipline, loyalty, and endurance. Yet when faced with the choice between honor in the world and fidelity to Christ, he chose exile, suffering, and death. By walking the path of disciplined training, we step more fully into his world and better understand the cost of his courage.

Each movement of the sword teaches intentionality. Nothing is careless. Every action carries weight. This shapes a person who learns to live deliberately, to pray with attention, to act with integrity, and to suffer without complaint. In this way, kenjutsu forms not fighters, but men of steadiness, reverence, and resolve.

To train in the way of the sword as a Catholic is to learn how to stand firm when comfort is stripped away, when fear presses in, and when faith demands more than convenience. It prepares the body and soul for the quiet heroism of daily obedience and, if God should ask it, for the courage of open witness. Inspired by the life of a samurai who became a martyr, kenjutsu becomes a path toward interior freedom, disciplined virtue, and unwavering devotion to Christ.