a special offer
ARE YOU A RONIN?
In feudal Japan, a rōnin was a wandering samurai warrior who was not retained by a lord or working in the service of a master. During this time in history, a samurai could become a rōnin upon the untimely death of his lord (e.g. by ritual suicide; seppuku) and the simultaneous abolishment of the lord's house or clan. Sometimes, he may have voluntarily left his lord/master's service without official permission. Others may have been forcibly dismissed from service against their will.
While being a masterless samurai has been much romanticized in modern times, evoking a sense of mystery and adventure, a rōnin was not like the archetypal wandering cowboy of the American frontier.
The core of a samurai's identity is in service and sacrifice to something greater than one's own self. For a samurai, such loyal and courageous service, whether to a lord or to an ideal, was the path to personal honor, which they considered to be more important than life itself.
In the battlefield of LIFE today, we do not "serve" our jobs or employers, but we still work and make sacrifices, often doing difficult and tedious things we would rather not do, so that we can take better care of ourselves and those whom we love. That, too, can be a path of honor and meaning.
PURPOSE AND SELF-RESPECT
If you are currently unemployed and thus unable to afford the tuition rate at Yozan, you may still register and attend classes for FREE, or pay as much or as little as you are able to contribute.
By taking advantage of this offer, you also accept, on your personal honor, the following conditions:
- You must commit to seek new employment, earnestly and diligently
- If you are not in a position to be seeking new employment, you must commit to be actively learning some new skill(s) toward that end
- You must begin paying tuition upon securing new employment. You are strongly encouraged, but not obligated, to continue your kenjutsu training unless it would interfere with your new job.
This is not an offer of charity. This is our way of following in the spirit of Uesugi Yozan--investing in you and in your potential to be a more productive member of our community.
Embody the samurai spirit through your kenjutsu training with us. Discover the motivation and strength to confront and overcome the obstacles in your path. Forge a better future for yourself and those you love.