Triunity of Dualities is our framework for balance across three dimensions: Eastern and Western traditions, material and inner development, heritage and innovation. Balance does not mean dividing everything equally between two poles. It means resisting one-sidedness and combining what each perspective contributes, guided by evidence, ethics, context and experience.
1. Eastern and Western Traditions
Many of our early members trained in Eastern martial arts (karate, wushu, kenjutsu and Viet Vo Dao). Their experience shaped our initial approach, and many of our techniques draw on Japanese and Chinese sword traditions, particularly methods associated with the katana, dao and jian. However, we soon explored and incorporated useful methods from European sabre, longsword and rapier traditions, as well as modern HEMA and HMB practice.
Both Eastern and Western traditions offer valuable methods. We study them comparatively and retain what proves useful, safe and transferable.
The same principle guides our cultural outlook. “East” and “West” are neither uniform nor mutually exclusive mindsets. We learn from both while remaining attentive to their different histories and contexts.
2. Material and Spiritual Development
As we all live in a material world, our methods, including combat training, are grounded in observable evidence, sports science, biomechanics, psychology and practical testing. Evidence informs our methods; reflection and ethics inform our purposes.
We also encourage a healthy ambition to invest time in improving the quality of life, including financial well-being. After all, samurai and knights belonged to wealthy warrior classes that could afford expensive swords. Stability and independence make it easier to care for oneself, support others and devote time to practising NMA.
At the same time, we value spiritual development, understood as meditation, mindfulness, ethical reflection and the cultivation of attention. Mental and physical states influence one another, so neither can be developed well in isolation.
We respect the diverse beliefs and religions of our members. However, the Order does not present supernatural claims as established facts, impose beliefs, privilege one religion, or promote views that contradict reliable evidence.
3. Heritage and Futurism
Historical martial traditions, both Eastern and European, preserve a vast body of accumulated knowledge. We choose to study, test and adapt this inheritance rather than ignore it and claim to have invented an entirely “new style” from scratch.
At the same time, we do not support becoming a dogmatic follower of a single school, nor do we require exclusive allegiance to our own. Deep specialization can be valuable, but no tradition should be treated as complete, infallible or beyond revision.
We study traditional systems with respect, without making their preservation our sole purpose. Past masters worked within the knowledge, culture, weapons, rules and limitations of their time; after all, they too were human.
Finally, modern sports science, biomechanics, teaching methods, protective equipment and injury-prevention research have advanced considerably. We combine inherited knowledge with modern testing to improve effectiveness, safety, adaptability and the quality of training.
Across all three dimensions, balance is not a fixed midpoint or a compromise for its own sake. It is the deliberate integration of different strengths in proportions appropriate to the person, purpose and context.