We should always be ready to give peace a chance. As my Sensei, Professor Ray Law, taught me, a great secret to life is to approach all challenges with calmness of spirit. I would describe this state of calmness of spirit as 'being in your center', which is a state of inner balance . . . This is the foundation of true confidence, which, in turn, is the foundation of all peaceful action. When faced with a life threatening physical challenge, your fear of death could debilitate you.
Fear is the mind killer, the little death.
He goes on to explain that if you are caught in the rapids of a fast flowing river, you must abandon your fear of death by making yourself void and simply float through the danger. We must have an inner dialogue convincing ourselves that all our fears are groundless, and simply let go. In my 42 years of study of Kodenkan Danzan Ryu, I have concluded that the way of Jujitsu is not about fighting and having power over others. It is rather, a very personal lifelong journey of growth and transformation of character, truly an evolutionary process. The objective of training is to gather the very personal insights provided by our experiences on the mat, and direct them into new ways of interacting with others and within ourselves.