Dating from Samurai times, Bushido is a code of conduct based on the martial art of Kendo. Val Wiggett explains how it can help people confront their fears and gain self-discipline.
Clashing bamboo swords, striking your opponent and being whacked in return - for a first timer, it's hard to imagine that such a martial art nurtures courtesy or peace.
Yet among other things, Kendo strives to "cultivate a vigorous spirit", "hold in esteem human courtesy" and "promote peace and prosperity among all peoples".
Kendo's principles are aligned with Bushido, the 'way of the warrior', a Japanese code of conduct based on the Samurai way of life but tempered by the wisdom and serenity of Confucianism and Buddhism.
Developing between the 9th and 12th centuries, this ethical system had a wide influence across Japan.
Inazo Nitobe, in his book Bushido refers to it literally as "Military-Knight-Ways - the ways which fighting nobles should observe in their daily life as well as in their vocation." No surprises then, that many Japanese find the code relevant to another realm of combat, business and commerce.
Few people outside Japan have heard of Bushido and if they have, they're probably only aware of a vague connection to martial arts. When I went to live in Japan, martial arts interested me the least of all the country's cultural traditions.
My perception was that most martial arts (ie, karate and judo) had already spread to the rest of the world, were well known and therefore did not require further investigation.
I made the mistake of thinking that what I had seen in kung fu movies and Olympic martial art matches represented everything martial arts had to offer. How wrong I was!
Like most foreigners, I was fascinated by Japan. Everything seemed different to anything I had ever experienced before, despite being well travelled.
I found myself constantly trying to discover the essence of the place and its people. But I never guessed that I'd eventually come close to it through my exposure to martial arts.
Japan has a unique traditional society. While the rest of the world seems to be slowly succumbing to global western trends, Japan has managed to retain most of its core values and culture.
Traditions such as Bonsai, Kabuki and the tea ceremony are well entrenched within society and require patience, ritual and a constant striving for perfection.
Unlike western culture where people often have many hobbies, the Japanese normally choose one hobby and focus on it for most of their lives. They spend countless hours studying and practising their 'art' to improve their ability.
I lived in a small village in the Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, inside one of the biggest volcanic calderas in the world, Mount Aso.
The area is beautiful and a perfect reflection of the contrasting Japanese seasons, with all its extreme weather conditions. It was also the home of some of the kindest, most ethical and upstanding people I have ever met.
What I did not know then was that Kumamoto was regarded as the home of Kendo. Known as 'The Way of the Sword', Kendo is the Japanese martial art of fencing, one of Japan's oldest martial arts and the one most closely associated with the Samurai.
According to Noriaki Sato, author of Kendo Fundamentals, "Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana (sword)."
Japan's most famous Samurai, Miyamoto Musashi (not Tom Cruise), spent the last years of his life near Aso.
Before his death in 1645, he lived in a cave and wrote the Samurai/Kendo strategy book Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings), which is regarded by many as the basis for Bushido. This book is still used by many Japanese businessmen today as a guide for business practice.
During my first weekend, I was invited to a Kendo tournament involving all the elementary and junior high schools in the area. Participants ranged from six to 15 years of age.
A Kendo match involves striking your opponent with a bamboo sword known as a shinai. A match is very fast and precise, with high pitched shouts for every major strike.
I was astounded at how brave these children were, as they were being hit incredibly hard by their opponents.
Even though they wore protective armour (known as bogu, similar to that worn by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), every strike reverberated through the wooden floors of the school hall.
I found myself flinching each time! However, not a single tear was shed by any of the players.
Being used to children crying quite easily when they are injured on the playground or during sport, I found it quite disconcerting. They fought each match as if it was their last and completed each game with pride and dignity.
The ceremonial bowing before and after each game indicated respect for their opponents, teachers, the adjudicators and themselves. It was fascinating to watch.
That day I was introduced to various dignitaries and businessmen from the community who had come to watch. Most of them had played Kendo at some stage or another and were eager to share it with me.
To them, this was not just a sporting event - it was a way of life. I had never seen such community involvement in a school event. The tournament was not only about winning a title, there was much more at stake.
Not long after, I started working as a teacher in the community. Kendo was not the only martial art practiced in the area; there was also Aikido, Kenjutsu, judo, karate and Kyudo Dojos.
It became quite easy to pick out the martial arts students in the classroom; they had a special air about them. They were well behaved, well liked, disciplined, treated everyone with respect and studied harder than most of the others.
They also had a strong sense of camaraderie, compassion and community spirit. I also noticed these traits among adults who had practiced these arts. As time passed I learned more about Kendo and was urged to take part in lessons. But I was scared.
I wasn't convinced that I'd be brave enough to withstand being hit so hard, yet I was also intrigued and curious. I finally succumbed and joined the local dojo, taking lessons with the elementary school kids in the afternoons and practising with the junior high students and adults in the evenings.
At first, I felt as if I represented every teacher these kids had ever disliked - a battering ram for their frustrations. However, slowly but surely as I improved, I started experiencing and admiring the discipline and spirit of the martial art. I learned to overcome the fear and use that energy to improve my skills.
We practised for about two hours every day, through the heat of summer and the freezing cold winter. Injury or illness (even broken bones) were not accepted as excuses for missing a class. I discovered strength reserves I did not know I had.
The language barrier did not impede the learning process. The strikes and movements were taught through action and combat, while the principles were imparted by the way people acted in the classroom and elsewhere.
I was left in no doubt as to what was acceptable behaviour and what was not, both by my teachers and fellow students.
My main Kendo teacher was an octogenarian who was fitter and faster than I will ever be. A World War II veteran, he had been playing Kendo since childhood.
Through a translator I had discussions with him about how playing Kendo had seen him through many of the difficult times in his life. He had an inner peace and kindness that came across in his teaching and in everything he did.
I became very close to a Japanese family who were related to him. Almost every member of the family - father, sons and daughters - had played Kendo.
When I asked them what they felt they had learnt from Bushido and playing Kendo, these were some of their comments.
The father, Yoshiyuki Goto, said, "The spirit and ethics of Kendo are to fight against your own weakness, fears and negative thoughts. This spirit is used in our everyday life."
"Kendo isn't easy but it made me stronger not only physically, but also mentally," said Yuki Goto, one of the daughters. "Even after years, whenever I find something hard, I remember the hardest time practising Kendo in the freezing cold. And I say to myself: this isn't too bad.
"Respect and discipline is always the most important thing in Japanese martial arts," he added. "As you know, in Japan you have to be extra polite, especially in business, so if you are disciplined, you give a better impression than those who are not."
Her sister, Maki Goto noted, "I think martial arts help you to be patient and to concentrate on something. What I have learned from Kendo was patience, discipline and respect."
There was not a day during my time in Japan when I did not see one of the principles of Bushido applied in these classes and in everyday life.
The principles I learned will stay with me for the rest of my life. Kendo changed me by teaching me to confront my fears. I definitely felt I gained inner strength by practising it. I think the seven Bushido codes are the cornerstones of many spiritual paths. They are simple recipes to becoming a better person.
I cannot say whether Bushido is the soul of Japan, but I do know that the principles of Bushido are not a bad code of conduct to live by, in any country.
