The MLS logo art began as a woodblock print, one in a series of ten works depicting women warriors training, created by artist and martial artist Arleen Polite. The original woodblock was carved around 1985.

Our name, Mona Lisa’s Sword, was chosen as a symbol of the many principles articulated by the creation and sharing of the MLS program model.

The Mona Lisa portrait is well known by many and lends us a name associated with universal qualities of quiet strength, mystery, competence, and confidence, embodied in this unknown woman. The portrait implies some unknown power, which MLS represents with the image of the Sword.

Creating a good sword is itself a work of art. It cannot be accomplished without dedication, training, and skill, much like self-defense proficiency.

A sword is not just created on a whim; it requires a depth of understanding, the refinement of raw materials, and time and attention. Thus, our MLS Sword represents the refinement of our own raw personal power, as well as the time and energy required to go beyond an unsophisticated result.

Mona Lisa’s Sword: Our name reminds us that every woman has an inherent power, mysterious and unknown in its raw form. We cannot know what our refined expression will be, until we explore its development.