Conquering evil, not the opponent, is the essence of swordsmanship. - Yagyū Munenori

When you strike a blow, do not let your mind dally on it, not concerning yourself with whether or not it is a telling blow; you should strike again and again, over and over, even four or five times. The thing is not to let your opponent even raise his head.

It is bias to think that the art of war is just for killing people. It is not to kill people, it is to kill evil. It is a stratagem to give life to many people by killing the evil of one person.

There may be a hundred stances and sword positions, but you win with just one.