early life and spiritual pursuits ittokusai takakiyo, also known as yamada jiro, was a japanese fencing (kendo) master and buddhist, born in 1866 and deceased in 1930. his life's trajectory is marked by an intriguing blend of martial arts and spirituality, particularly within the realm of lay zen. influence on fencing and spiritual atmosphere takakiyo's influence on both fencing and the spiritual atmosphere of his time is well-documented. he was given a book detailing his life by omori sogen, a zen master, with the expectation of translating at least some extracts from it. this book, written…