Shidōkun 士道訓 (Code of the Warrior)
一、 一日一生此の命
Ichinichi Issyo kono inochi
01, One day, one life—this very existence.
二、 君主を尊び その下で
02, Revere your lord, and live beneath his rule.
三、 我が躰（み）の存在 和愛の生活が
03,My body can exist, and everyone can live a life of harmony and love.
四、 日々の稽古は欠かさずに
04, Never neglect your daily training.
五、 家名を盛り立て 武技磨き
05, Elevate your house name, polish your martial skills.
六、 己の戒め 流祖の教え
06, Your own discipline lies in the founder’s teachings.
七、 心に刻め 人の世で
kokoro ni kizame hito no yo de
07, Engrave it in your heart—within the world of men.
八、 私斗 生さば 躰の破滅
shito syosaba mi no hametsu
08, If you engage in personal(private) duels, your body shall perish.
九、 主命を守るは 武士の剱
shumei wo mamoru ha bushi no ken
09, To guard the lord’s command is the sword of the warrior.
十、 躰に降る邪剱は護躰の剱で
mi ni huru jyaken ha goshin no ken de
10, The evil sword that falls upon you—repel it with the protecting blade.
十一、 払って通れ 闇中も
haratte toore anchu mo
11, Brush it aside and pass through—even within the darkness.
十二、 死生の間も 武技の腕
shisei no hazama mo buhi no ude
12, Even in moments between life and death, your survival depends on the skill of your martial art.
十三、 石垣崩らば 城立たず
ishigaki kuzuraba shiro tatazu
13, If the stone wall collapses, the castle cannot stand.
十四、 初覚忘れず 心法も
shokaku wasurezu shinpo mo
14, Never forget the fundamentals taught at the beginning—and learn without omission the Shinpō(心法 the teachings beyond technique, including tactical insight, psychological strategy, self-control, and survival skills).
十五、 主命以外に鯉口切るな
shumei igai ni koiguchi kiruna
15, Never draw your sword unless by the lord’s order.
十六、 三尺の秋水（しゅうすい） 手入は欠さず
sanshaku no shusui teire ha kakasazu
16, Sanshaku no Shusui(A sword of about 90cm in length.)—never neglect its care.
十七、 願うは天命迎える日まで
Negau ha tenmei mukearu hi made
17, May this be your wish, until the day Heaven’s decree is met.
This is the Shidokun 士道訓(Code of the Warrior) (or 武士訓 Bushikun, Samurai precepts) that was recited within the Shirin-dan.
It was something Ishii Sensei instructed Tenshin Sensei to read and memorize.
Tenshin Sensei later recalled it from memory and wrote it down, sending it via fax on June 15, 2014.
Since this was written based on a memory from over half a century ago, there may be some minor inaccuracies in the details. However, the essential meaning remains unchanged.
Below is a commentary on each of the items.
Explanatory Commentary:
1. One day, one life—this very existence.
According to Ishii Sensei, “Life is fifty years—each day is a lifetime.” This means that one should live each day as if it were an entire lifetime.
This idea echoes a line from the Kōwakamai chant “Atsumori,” which Lord Nobunaga is said to have favored: “A man’s life in the world is but fifty years.” In the past, a human life was considered to last around fifty years. But for a warrior, whose life could end at any moment on the battlefield, it was essential to live each day as if it were one’s last.
In fact, Ishii Sensei also once said, “Back then, people often retired around forty.” Tenshin Sensei mentioned this when he shared this fax.
2. Revere your lord, and live beneath his rule.
Serve and honor your sovereign—in the case of the Shirin-dan (士林団), this referred to the Tokugawa Shogun, especially Lord Munenori. The Ishii Sensei also said that under a true lord, all people are equal.
3. My body can exist, and everyone can live a life of harmony and love.
We exist as vassals beneath our lord. It is within this feudal order that we find harmony and loving coexistence with others.
4. Never neglect your daily training.
Thus, to protect your lord and maintain peace, you must never neglect your daily practice.
5. Elevate your house name, polish your martial skills.
Act honorably so that your name and your family’s name are known throughout Japan, and continually refine your martial prowess.
6. Your own discipline lies in the founder’s teachings.
Your self-discipline is inseparable from the teachings handed down by the founder of your martial lineage.
7. Engrave it in your heart—within the world of men.
Hold these teachings close within your heart, especially as you live among your fellow warriors and in society.
8. If you engage in personal duels, your body shall perish.
If you succumb to emotion and engage in private combat out of personal vendetta or pride, you will destroy yourself.
9. To guard the lord’s command is the sword of the warrior.
The samurai’s sword exists not for personal gain, but to uphold the commands of the lord.
10. The evil sword that falls upon you—repel it with the protecting blade.
When struck by unjust aggression, meet it with the sword that protects yourself and others.
11. Brush it aside and pass through—even within the darkness.
Push through adversity, brushing away threats as you move forward—even if the path is shrouded in darkness.
12. Even in moments between life and death, your survival depends on the skill of your martial art.
In moments between life and death, it is your martial skill that may carry you through.
13. If the stone wall collapses, the castle cannot stand.
The stones of the wall are samurai—if they fall, the nation (or domain) falls. The castle, representing the people’s lives and prosperity, will crumble.
14. Forget not the initial awakening—even the teachings of the heart.
Never forget your beginner’s realization. The mental and spiritual teachings, often neglected, are just as important.
(Note: There is a possibility this was originally placed as the seventh item.)
15. Never draw your sword unless by the lord’s order.
Without direct command, one must not draw the sword. Otherwise, you risk unnecessary bloodshed and disorder.
16. Sanshaku no Shusui(三尺の秋水 A sword of about 90cm in length.)—never neglect its care.
“Sanshaku no Shusui(Autumn water)” refers poetically to the sword. In the past, blades were typically shorter, around three shaku(about 90cm). “Autumn water” evokes a crystal-clear, finely polished sword. You must never neglect the care and maintenance of your weapon.
17. May this be your wish, until the day Heaven’s decree is met.
Whatever the form, the day will come when your life ends. Until then, serve your lord nobly, and live each day as a full life, guided by these precepts.
Final Remarks:
As noted in the Tenshin-ryu Shogakushu, Bushido is not something that can be blindly glorified in the modern era. Much of it is outdated, and cannot be wholly embraced without criticism. However, as a preserver of traditional culture, one must touch upon its ideals and strive to internalize at least some part of its philosophy in order to truly deepen one’s study of Tenshin-ryu Hyoho.
Today, a romanticized and distorted Bushido is often promoted, far removed from the realities of the past. Many modern martial artists have been educated in such fantasies. Tenshin Sensei has long endured unjust criticism from such individuals, born from this delusional version of Bushido.
Due to these wounds, a kind of “Bushido allergy” took root in Tenshin Sensei and spread to his disciples. However, the more I studied after entering Tenshin-ryu, the more I realized that the foundation of the school is deeply rooted in true Bushido.
Tenshin Sensei recalled this Code of the Warrior in 2014, six years after my initiation. Seeing this document in such a unified form was deeply moving at the time.
If one can truly internalize this—not as a modern person, but as if one were a retainer of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo period—then the techniques of the school will naturally take deeper root, and your understanding and clarity will deepen.
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