The legacy of an old samurai, a swordsman from the Tokugawa era, who is familiar with the questions of life and death, of victory and defeat: the principles and values of samurai training that have been passed down and tested over centuries, their usefulness in everyday life and in competitive sports. A book for anyone interested in the traditional martial arts, whether practically or theoretically, be it Kendō, Iaidō, Karate-dō, Aikidō, Jūdō, or others. It describes what connects all these practices: the path to human perfection.