– Knowing the higher, intermediate and lower levels of martial practice…
In martial practice there are physical kamae. In the martial practice of the sword there being various kamae to be seen: the obviously strong, and what can be seen as fast, you should know these to be a lower level. Again, martial practice which is meticulously detailed, so that the techniques are clearly visible, and rhythm is visibly skilfully managed, and which – because of these things – can be considered a beautiful martial practice: this is the intermediate level. The higher level martial practice is “without strength, without weakness” – the corners are not visible [as it were], no haste is visible, and there is not even anything beautiful about it: but no errors are to be seen, it is expansive, upright, and direct, and it is martial practice with a visible clarity: this is the higher level. You should think carefully about this.
– paragraph 9 of the Hyoho Sanju go Kojo (1641)