Japanese Swords ─ Cultural Icons of a Nation: The History and Iconography of the Samurai Sword

"Tracks the fundamental transition from the sword as a mythological instrument to a functional tool for war, and ?nally to the display art commodity it is today." — Publishers Weekly

Colin M. Roach, M.Ed. lives in the high mountains of Utah with his wife and three sons. He is a private school administrator with expertise in the areas of differentiated teaching and learning, and a member of the All Kinds of Minds Institute's national teaching faculty. Mr. Roach is an avid student of Japanese history, culture, and martial arts. Four generations of familial connection to Japan have fueled Mr. Roach's passionate study of Japan's archetypal warrior culture. In addition to his academic study of sword-related symbolism, he has trained with some of the top teachers ofaikido and iaido in Japan and America. He holds the ranks of Youdan (4th degree) iniado and Sandan (3rd degree) in aikido. He also holds the teaching title ""Shidoin" in both arts. Mr. Roach often travels to teach sword-related symbolism, traditional Japanese swordsmanship, the etiquette involved when handling a Japanese sword, and iado's role in cultural preservation.