The phrase “saya no naka no kachi”, victory while the sword is still in the saya, should be familiar to most practitioners of Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu Iaijutsu in theKNBK/JKI. In fact, the meaning of “saya no naka no kachi” is one of the questions in the written portion of the test for shodan in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu. Most everyone knows what translation of “saya no naka no kachi” is; it sounds so good, so “philosophical”, but how many really know what the concept of “victory while the sword is still in the saya” means? Moreover, how do we train for “victory while the sword is still in the saya”? How do we actualize “saya no naka no kachi”in our daily lives? As indicated above, the translation of “saya no naka no kachi” is “victory while the sword is still in the saya”, meaning attaining victory without drawing and cutting; defeating an enemy without killing; victory without violence or confrontation. A noble sounding view of budo ethics, it nonetheless does not say much about how one actually accomplishes such a lofty goal, or how one applies this concept to the affairs of everyday interactions with other individuals or groups. There are essentially two ways to obtain victory. The first and most obvious way is train diligently to become highly skilled and to develop a strong body and very strong technique. With the development of powerful, skillful technique comes strong confidence and presence; presence that is palpable to others.