One day a hungry old man entered a small village and noticed a sign proclaiming the name of a local iaido (sword) school.
Knowing that it was customary for a dojo’s sensei (teacher) to accept all challenges the old man decided upon a very dangerous plan.
If he could entice the sensei into a duel and be defeated but not killed, he would then by tradition be offered food and drink, as well as a place to sleep for the night.
Summoning up all of his courage the old man approached the dojo and then walking boldly in he proclaimed his intention to challenge the sensei to a duel. In response a senior student stepped forward, introduced himself, and said that his sensei was at home resting but that he would gladly accept the challenge in his place. The old man refused and instead asked that a student be sent to the sensei’s home to tell him of the challenge.
Upon hearing his students report of the events that had just taken place the sensei immediately put on his swords and hurried to the dojo. When the sensei arrived he and the old man politely bowed to each other and in turn introduced themselves, after which the old man re-issued his challenge, but explained that it was not his intention to challenge for ownership of the dojo as was sometimes the case, this duel was merely to be a test of each man’s skill with a sword. The sensei accepted and because of the nature of the challenge and they agreed to fight using only wooden bokken (practice swords) so that if a customary fatal cut was made neither man would be killed.
The old man in truth had no skill at all with a sword, he was simply seeking a meal and a place to rest and this plan had seemed to offer the best prospect for success and so as he stood facing the dojo’s sensei across the tatami mat he just held the wooden sword very casually at his side. The sensei upon observing how open the old man was to an attack and how unbelievably foolish his defensive posture appeared, suddenly began to believe that this duel might not have been such a good idea after all. Slowly in his mind he began to wonder about the old man’s skill and in turn he began to doubt himself and his own chances for victory.