As often and willingly stated, “Karate was the way of the pesant to defend against the Samurai occupation.” I will hold to that imagination.

Now imagine. You are a pesant in a society where your only right is to be treated like shit. Now you cross the way of a nobleman and you b*tch bowed two inches too little, so he gets the impression, your disrespect should be punished by cutting your head off -and he absolutely has the right to do so.

Now it is clear, once the sword -which in almost all societys (where swords are known) at all times all around the world is a sign of nobility- is drawn, you are as good as dead. Or do I misinterpret the fact that Iai students mostly learn to draw the sword? Well, I think the only chance for you poor pesant now is to run away and never come back. But sometimes it is not possible just yet. This limits your options dramatically. I would say there are few more than fight or die. So, again: once the sword is drawn, you can consider yourself dead.

In this case “Ikken Hissatsu” would mean “last chance (-use it well)”. Which itself is near to the way of thinking in Zen practices.

I was talking about this idea with a couple of my mates. We had come to the aggreement that the goal should not be to kill, but to destroy their will to fight. By attacking with such power and control, that should they still stand, will not want to continue. It turns their mindset from hurting you, to defending themselves.