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Of course, for fully adult samurai, the sword was more than a symbol. It was a tangible source of power—the back-country clans of military retainers had literally hacked their way to political primacy in Japan. Their fascination with the weapon had a practical dimension, since it was by skill in military arts such as kenjutsu (swordsmanship) that a samurai served his master, provided for his family, and preserved his life (when possible).

Over the years, as a practical need for sword arts faded, the Japanese nonetheless persisted in training. This was because they felt that the pursuit of excellence in technique, the focus needed in matters of life and death, and the discipline required of the trainee had the potential to help the individual transcend questions of protection and lead to a type of spiritual illumination. Even as the feudal era passed away and the Japanese were confronted with the promise and peril inherent in the modern era, they sought to preserve the warrior's training. What evolved were any number of martial disciplines centering on different weapons and many that used the suffix do (way) to stress the spiritual element in training.