Fear and self preservation where never the mindset of the samurai. They believed to have fear in combat would get your killed. This quote from the book of the samurai HAGAKURE explains it very well.
The Way of the Samurai is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the way of the samurai. This quote was to dismiss fear in battle and not to be taken literally. I would encourage students to study the samurai and not just turn up for class to train. A full understanding of the source of your art is crucial to your training I feel.