Due to necessity and survival all villages are settled around the “gift of life” – water. Today, the beauty of that gift was enhanced by the bright sun sparkling off the cascading waterfall and stream.  Two of the village children were playing the old game of skimming rocks across the water.

I felt relaxed and at peace with the world as I watched them use their adolescent skills in competition with each other.  In a very few years they will have reached manhood and will be required to take their role in defending their village – but not today.  Today is a day of beauty and tranquility, or, so I thought. 

We were in a small cove of the river hidden by trees and brush from the view and sound of the villagers, a perfect place for privacy, especially if one is up to no good.

The crackle of twigs reached my ears.  As I cautiously turned to where the sound came from I espied a lone rider coming thru the brush.  He had not, as yet, discovered me but was taking an extreme interest in the young boys.  Slavery and kidnapping was a common occurrence in the Japan of yesteryear and I believed that this was his mission today.  He seemed to be a straggler from his band.  As I wasn’t sure if he was alone, I watched straining my ears to hear any other noises that would denote additional members of his group.  Fortunately, except for the one lone horse breaking twigs and branches and the absence of other noises, I knew he was alone.  What a coup for him……..to be able single handedly to kidnap the two boys and return in triumph to his village with his prizes.

I moved silently placing myself between the rider and boys but hidden behind a huge Banyan tree on a small knoll.  I had seen from his clothing that he was a member of an outlaw band of renegades and this proved what I had originally thought. Kidnapping was on his mind.

As he passed under the tree with his eyes fixated on his prey I was fixating on him.  Aware that he had nothing to lose and would also strike at me I took action as I was in no mood for a lengthy battle today. With my sword drawn I execute a right upward diagonal joho giri into his neck with a great deal of power and force.

With the last flourish of my sword, I saw his airborne head flying past me, his eyes never wavering in their stare and I knew that today was not his best day. I guess that it all boils down to “don’t lose your head over a situation you can’t win”.