Moriji Mochida

Moriji Mochida (持田 盛二, Mochida Moriji) (1885 - 1974) was known as "The Great Swordsman". He was the last person ever awarded the 10th dan rank in kendo. He was born into a samurai family known to have been active during the Sengoku period. A graduate from the Budo Senmon Gakko, he was well known in his exceptional ability as a kendoka during his youth, winning several local and national championships. In the National Geographic documentary, 'Kendo's Gruelling Challenge', following the attempts of some kendo practitioners to attain their 8th dan rank, a voiceover gives the following quote from Mochida, detailing his pursuit of continued development in his art: 'It took me 50 years to learn the basics of kendo using my body. After I turned 50, I started the real training. I wanted to perform kendo using my mind and spirit. When you reach 60, your lower body weakens. I used my mind to try to reverse the drawbacks. When you're 70, your whole body weakens. That's when I trained my mind to be imperturbable. With a still mind, the mirror inside you reflects the opponent's mind.'