For everything there’s a season
“Think of this. A sword is like a bird. If you clutch it too tightly, you choke it – too lightly and it flies away.”1 Doutreval of Dijon – Scaramouche
Scaramouche is one of my favorite swashbuckler films and the 8-minute-long final duel scene remains, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful ever staged. But the part that struck me the most, which continues to be my favorite, is that of André Moreau’s training. The fact that we can learn an art (any type of art) from scratch, and become an expert in it, I have always found a source of inspiration. I find that this is even more valid today since “lifelong learning” has become a necessary skill both in everyday life and in the workplace.
Focus, attention to detail, mental resistance, and the development of new strategies are some advantages that an aspiring business samurai can find in the practice of iaido. But there is another benefit that is often overlooked when it comes to iaido, which is the development of a different way of using the body. The emphasis in the practice of iaido, (as well as for Aikido) is almost always placed on the mental and “spiritual” aspect: “sharpening the mind like a sword” is what is often proposed, and it is considered a kind of “moving meditation” or “meditation with the sword”.
“There is also a “spiritual” gain in this kind of activities if done with mindfulness. Karma Yoga as my Seon Master calls them.” Alssandro Morgante
Karma Yoga is a path to reach Moksha (spiritual liberation) through work.2 In my opinion, this definition, which we could translate as a “Way of Action”, fits better with the definition of iaido. Through action, and therefore with the active use of the body, goals are achieved. As I always say to my students, especially the beginners, they must expect to use their bodies in a completely different way than usual. For example, the very act of holding the katana implies a particular use of the force and pressure of the fingers, not to mention the position of the feet and the coordination of movements that must be synchronized for the effective extraction of the sword.
But what practical advantages does all this bring to the business samurai?
“During the practice of iaido it is as if the mind detaches itself from all stress, as if body and spirit are united…[iaido] helps keep you cool even in times of greatest pressure and makes you a perfectionist.” Richard Sung
Nowadays, we remember owning a body only when we get hurt, in pain, or out of breath just from walking up a flight of stairs. Then we wake up and try to remedy the effects of poor posture or lack of training. But it’s not just about doing gymnastics or stretching, which should still be part of the daily routine whether working face-to-face or from home.
The real advantages of practicing iaido, learning new kata, how to use the katana, and discovering how to use the body differently, are to find and maintain constant balance, be open-minded and always be present. This can help to make the right decisions quickly, be attentive to the needs of customers, build high-level professional relationships, and be a really good leader. Taking the sword out of the dojo means all this and much more, but I think this is already a good start.
- “Scaramouche” George Sidney (1952).
- “Karma-Yoga: The Indian Model of Moral Development”. Journal of Business Ethics Mulla, Zubin R. – Krishnan, Venkat R. (2013).