Well, you'd be surprised. There are many ways to avoid violence in the worst of situations, or even physical contact. You just have to be smart about things.
[Sakamoto is reluctant- He is aware the techniques he used on the battlefield were very different from those of Conrad's. But he doesn't want to touch a sword again, and definitely not to teach someone how to be more violent. It was all for self defense, but... Most of the time people struck too soon. Sakamoto usually bluffed and threatened violence but he seldom used it to get what he wanted.