A8Samurai

=__Samurai! Warriors of Japan.__= A Shaun and Ryan cultural project. //Not all of the hiragana and kanji are going to be put on the wikispace until after the presentation!// //To see all of the information, pictures, and video clips, you will have to check both forms of presentation!//

__//Famous Samurai//__


// An artist's rendition of Musashi, the famed Ronin. //

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みやもと むさし　is Japan’s most famous samurai. He fought 48 sword fights, and lost none. Throughout his adventures, he wrote the now famous book; “The Book of Five Rings,” which is still used today. After his forty-eighth battle, he was self-declared as ‘unbeatable’ and went on to become a hermit who lived in a cave. He possessed a high-ranking in all aspects of bushido, and as such was greatly respected by mostly all of Japan.======

A Ronin, which literally translates i nto ‘drifting person,’ is a Samurai who lacks a master. Historically, they have been viewed as dangerous and not a positive part of the era’s society. みやもと　むさし, one of the famed Samurai we talked about before, was a Ronin himself. While it may seem cool to be free of anyone else’s control, having the reputation of a Ronin was rarely a positive thing and was quite disreputable.

__//Weapons//__ The samurai are known to use the famous ‘かたな,’ and though they did use that weapon, they used a variety of weapons. These weapons included; だいしょう – A combination of a Katana and smaller blade, Wakizashi. This is what most samurai would use as their basic weapon. ゆみ – Meaning longbow, many samurai were taught the art of きゅじゅつ, the skill of the bow. やり – The spear would not become popular for Samurai until the 15th century. It was more a more strategy-oriented weapon.

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Yumi, the Japanese Longbow __//Armor//__ Samurai armor is nothing like what medieval armor. It was not made so much for protection, but for flexibility and speed. I lacked the weight of a knight’s armor, and as such was easier to maneuver around in and walk in. There was no need for help when putting to armor on, as it was an easy process. Here are the steps!

一ど　ー　A silk robe was put on underneath the armor. 二ど ー The trousers (leggings) were put on. 三ど　ー The samurai would then put on his shoes and tie his leg armor. 四ど　ー Next, the arm plates we applied. 五ど　ー The body armor was put on over the kimono. 六ど　ー The protective “skirt” was put on. 七ど　ー The shoulder pads were put on. 八ど　ー The helmet was placed on the head.

You can actually buy your own samurai armor! Now for the low low price of **999.99**! Oh....wait. http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/knights/dress_sam_5.html

__//History//__ http://www.judoinfo.com/samurai.htm

The above link is a really detailed website all about the history. We will, eventually, write our own version to put on this page, but we just need a bit more resources first! (Every website seems to have their own version of the history....weird, hey?)

__//Stomach Cutting//__

Seppuku is a type of suicide, considered honorable by the samurai. It would involves taking a たんとう (short sword) and stabbing oneself in the chest. This could be voluntary, or it could be demanded on behalf of a Samurai’s master, which is known as おいばら. Eventually, the ritual of Seppuku became a long ritual, which involved these steps: // Akashi Gidyau, a well known samurai, before committing sepukku // First, the man would dress in his ceremonial robes. Then, he would prepare for his death by writing a ‘death poem.’ After, with his attendant standing by, he would open his kimono and plunge the たんとう into his abdomen. Finally, the attendant would perform a だきくび cut, which put a fast end to the samurai’s life. It was essentially decapitation, but the head was still attached by a small tendon.

media type="youtube" key="SVE7aqrva0g" height="344" width="425" The ceremony itself is actually quite beautiful, as displayed in this video. (No blood is shown, so no worries for the squeamish) //__Effects on Modern Society__//

The samurai have had various effects on today’s world. There are manga (and in lieu of that, anime) based on the way of a samurai, and many modern versions of entertainment have at least some form of samurai influence. Here are some examples of the effects of the samurai:

- Do you remember the comic and eventually television show 'special guest' ‘Usagi Yojimbo?’ Probably not, but I bet you have probably seen the main character before. He is a hare that is based on the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. He was seen in both the old and new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons.

- Where to begin with the video game references? Mitsurugi from Soulcalibur is a noticeable addition, as is Sodom from the Street Fighter Series. Both these characters are based on samurai. - Miyamoto’s book, ‘The Book of Five Rings,’ is used as a business strategy for companies and lawyers. - Star wars was influenced by the samurai, specifically the story of the Seven Samurai. Darth Vader’s helmet is very similar to that of a samurai warrior’s. - Various forms of entertainment, such as anime and manga, are based on Samurai. Some of these examples include ‘Samurai X’ and the ‘Super Sentai’ series, known to us as ‘Power Rangers.’ - Ronin have also inspired many characters and shows, such as the character bluntly named ‘Ronin’ from the marvel series ‘The Avengers.’ media type="youtube" key="S9p8tUE0xHk" height="344" width="425" A video of Usagi Yojimbo from a Teenager Mutant ninja Turtles episode. The song is Somewhere I belong by Lincon Park, I believe.

__**WARNING: BIAS IS ATTACKING!**__

Clearly, Usagi is too hardcore for you, and as such could only be put to hardcore music. ;] -Shaun.

__//Interesting Facts//__ Though it was rare, females could also be samurai of the fighting variety.

Samurai believed their soul was in the katana they carried.

A samurai’s name was usually comprised of one kanji from his father’s or grandfather’s name, and one あたらしい kanji.

Samurai, though seen as ruthless and sometimes un-intelligent in many media portrayals, often were very literate. Samuri getting dressed on there armor