What's ironic about all this from a wannabe academic point of view is that Esaka sensei's comments may have been motivated to combat (if I may use the violent metaphor) a certain romantic mentality of viciousness that he saw during his life, i.e. nationalism conjoined with martial arts, but are essentially just as romantic and nationalist, and as easily to be misused. Romanticism in this sense is not, say, attached to love or Beethoven's music or Byron's poetry, but rather the social and political undercurrents that go hand-in-hand with their cultural outgrowths. Any more and I really will start sounding like I'm developing an article...
But I would say, from what little I know of the concepts, that just because one is horrified by a "katsujinken" attitude w/ the sword (and rightfully so), to make equally strong statements praising "satsujinken" can be as dangerously interpreted and ultimately harmful. In other words, sure people are forging their spirit and all, but in this sense the ethos changes. Changes for the better, or for the worse?--Those who'd make such evaluations are welcome to do so, but I am not able to. FWIW.
J. Nicolaysen
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"I value the opinion much more of a grand master then I do some English professor, anyways." Well really, who wouldn't?
We're all of us just bozos on the budo bus and there's no point in looking to us for answers regarding all the deep and important issues.--M. Skoss.