Samurai Spirit Key Tag

Front: “Live By Choice, Not By Chance”
Back: “Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight” (七転び八起き)

At a glance

• Theme: the martial artist's path: discipline by choice
• Good for: belt tests, dojo milestones, a comeback after injury, a new training cycle
• Gift for: martial arts students and teachers, a black belt candidate, an athlete, anyone who lives by a personal code
• Finish: Antique Bronze (brass alloy) with an antique patina, so each one is unique; key ring included
• Size: 39 mm, about 1 oz, die struck in the USA

The meaning

Live by choice, not by chance: the samurai ideal was a life shaped by decision and practice, not by luck. You choose how you train, how you behave and what you stand for, and you keep choosing it every day.

The back is the Japanese proverb nana korobi ya oki, written in kanji: fall seven times, stand up eight. It doesn't promise you won't fall. It promises you will get up one more time than you go down.

On good days and hard days

• On good days, it is a reminder to keep training and keep choosing your path on purpose, not by chance.
• On hard days, when you fall, lose or get hurt, it gives you the oldest rule of resilience: fall seven times, stand up eight.

Why a key tag

Keys go with you to the dojo, to work and back home, so the reminder is in your hand every time you leave and every time you return. It carries the same artwork as the Samurai Spirit Coin: a face split by a sword blade, one half a calm man and the other a samurai behind a fierce war mask, with the motto in Japanese down the blade on the front, and a twisting bonsai tree before a rising sun with the proverb in kanji and English on the back.

Give it

It is a strong gift for a belt promotion, a black belt test, a dojo anniversary or an instructor's thank you. It also suits an athlete coming back from an injury and anyone who lives by a personal code. Pair it with the Samurai Spirit Coin for someone who wants both.

Specs

• Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm)
• Thickness: 2.7 mm
• Weight: about 1 oz (28 g)
• Material: brass alloy, Antique Bronze finish
• Made: die struck, minted in the USA
• Each key tag is antiqued with a special patina so it looks like it has already been in circulation. The patina never settles the same way twice, so no two key tags look exactly alike. Small variations in color and shading are normal, and they are what make yours one of a kind.
• Key ring included

Questions

What does nana korobi ya oki mean?
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” It is a Japanese proverb about resilience.

Is it a good black belt gift?
Yes. It is made with martial artists in mind, and its message fits every belt test: keep getting up.

Is it the same design as the Samurai Spirit Coin?
Yes, the artwork is the same on both sides. The key tag simply adds a loop so it can hang from your keys.

Will my key tag look exactly like the photos?
Very close, but never identical. Each key tag is antiqued with a special patina that settles differently every time, so small variations in color and shading from the photos are normal. They are what make yours one of a kind.

Want it in your pocket instead? See the Samurai Spirit Coin.

Care: keep it dry and wipe it with a soft cloth. No polishing needed; the aged finish is part of the look.

Original design by EDC Reminder Coins, protected by copyright. We don't take custom orders.