The Way of The Fearful & The Way of The Sword
--an urgent request for the sleepers to wake up--

This writing is difficult. It is in reply to the maelstrom of our societies' conquests at the cost of the innocent and young. I have seen too much to keep quiet, and I believe there is a better way than that path which we all now struggle to maintain. This is for the warrior in you; for the person of purpose and action in you; for the fire that you refuse to feed. This is to the laborer and the politician, because we all have played our part.

There is a saying, and it goes something like this, “A sword without and terror within, bring death to the young man and terror to the maiden.” The following will explain the cause of this saying, the problem of terror, and the solution.

The sword is a mystical object. It carries with it the alchemists ancient knowledge of fire and metal; the soldiers' knowledge of duty and selfless service; and the weight of death to those who break the law. The sword has no power of itself, it is by use that it is given its power. The sword does not bring power, it merely aids in the security of that power. Many castes of soldiers throughout time have felt the necessity of mentally binding themselves with their swords in a form of mystical reverence for the sacrifices and dedication of those who fought before them. This established a deep sense of duty to maintain what has become known as Chivalry, and Bushido.
Every true warrior, and aspirant, must first come to terms with the most basic of questions; “Could I kill if I had to?” True warriors understand that to kill is to lose, and so would rather not, many famous swordsmen in ancient days were undefeated though they never killed anyone. The attachment of the warrior to his sword is symbolic. By learning the art of his weapon, studying the tactics of war, and being truthful to himself, a warrior becomes more real. With nothing but the basics of life accompanied by a tempered mind, and ascetic disciplines, a man will quickly discover when and where he has put up facades, and the warrior within him will quickly remove them. It is with the skill gained from endless hours of practice with his sword that the warrior maintains the presence of mind to overcome his anxieties and terrors to establish his identity as one without falsity or bravado. A warrior becomes himself for who he truly is, not for what his culture or society says he is. Wise warriors eventually realize that to win, one must ultimately lose. To stare death in the face, one must first concede to death. To overcome ones weaknesses, one must first become weak.
Wise warriors will study most of their lives to brandish their sword effectively and with alluring skill. Their hands and hearts will be softened and hardened by the strife they must encounter. In the end though, there are few enough wise enough to abandon the sword in their hand and take up the sword within.
Swordsmanship begins with three basic elements;
Posture
Arms & Legs
Sword
To brandish a sword effectively requires physical skills. The swordsman must be balanced on his feet, stand with the correct posture, be quick with his reflexes, and know the movement, balance, and limits of his sword. But in order to more effectively use his sword, the swordsman must know what he will fight for, and why. Simply to fight is not satisfying, one must fight for something. In order to utilize his skill with the sword and remain in good graces with his society, a swordsman will adopt for himself a code of conduct to guide his actions.
Swordsmanship continues with three elements;
Observance of precepts set up for discipline
mental concentration for achieving mastery of ones skills
awakening to wisdom

A code of conduct will unify swordsmen into a caste, or company. In the observance of the code, and with respect for each other, the caste becomes an unstoppable force. It is the nature of the code which determines the work of the caste; for good or for evil. A swordsman will become a warrior when he learns discipline. This discipline will not only empower him to order his life, but it will give him the necessary focus to concentrate on his skills. Once he is master of his sword and no longer afraid of making mistakes or being defeated, the warrior can then set aside much more time for awakening to wisdom.
This is the problem, many warriors refuse to let go of their swords, and in so doing they bind themselves to a life of incompleteness and pain.

A sword is also a beacon to the evil, it attracts them to rally against you. Any sword used ineffectively will bring down its master. In the same way that a sword is given power through use, it is given weakness through misuse. An undisciplined swordsman will want to fight famous warriors in order to build a reputation. This kind of antagonist will leave a trail of pain, fear, and hatred.
Fear is a catalyst for many bad choices. Fear will grip an undisciplined man's soul and convince him that unreasonable choices are the best choices. This leads us back to the saying at the beginning of this writing. “A sword without” signifies a willingness to fight, kill, and destroy. “Terror within” implies that the swordsman is fighting based on his fear of being overcome, not for the defense of the weak. This saying is a warning to those who would think it wise to start a war. War is a last and regretful resort to be utilized only when every rational, reasonable, and contrived effort for peace has been attempted and failed. A war against terror cannot be fought with weapons. Terror is in the mind. To combat terror, the warriors among us must take up the sword within to guide their people.
The sword within is the discipline, selfless service, concentration, and wisdom that enables a warrior to separate his emotions (fear) from his actions, and to remain true to his real identity in the face of disparaging circumstances. The sword of wisdom is able to separate soul from spirit.
Swordsmanship is mastered by three essential elements;
inner peace, not the peace that the world brings, but true peace of mind
unconditional love, accepting all people regardless of their faults
no-sword, the ability to utilize environment and concentration to overcome attackers and defend the weak.
In the end, a warrior swordsman will leave his sword behind. A warrior will become in tune with his surroundings, having an elevated sensory palette due to his years of disciplined concentration. Love is above the law, so the warrior of love will supersede all of man's laws, making the law seem weak and ineffectual compared to his higher way. He will be a man of quiet strength, a defender to the weak, a wall against the evil-doer. His mind will constantly dwell on that which is good, noble, pure, and honest.
The warrior will stand when others cower, give when others take, give his life when others strive to live, stand in the gap, and love all, even his enemies.
To this end we prepare our minds and spirits, and cry out as a spiritual man, who cries to be set free, crying to the Spirit that is higher than we.