The January edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In “Kagami-biraki 2022” Itten Dojo chief instructor Robert Wolfe provides a report on our recent New Year’s observation. Kagami-biraki is a traditional, samurai ceremony marking a significant change of life or the start of something new, and reportedly derives from an act performed 300 years ago by Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. On the eve of a battle, he broke open a sake (rice wine) barrel and prayed for victory. Given his subsequent success, a tradition was born.

Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://ittendojo.org/downloads/Itten-eNews-2022-01.pdf. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://ittendojo.org/sword-and-spirit.htm. #ittendojo #aikijutsu #kenjutsu #iaido