Japan The Ultimate Samurai Guide: An Insider Looks at the Japanese Martial Arts and Surviving in the Land of Bushido and Zen

By Alexander Bennett

Part Samurai history, part martial arts guide, this is THE book for anyone interested in Japan's fabled Samurai culture.

Author Alexander Bennett is the ultimate insider--holding multiple black belts in Kendo and Naginata, as well as a Ph.D. in Japanese literature and history. In this book he shares his vast personal experience and knowledge with readers seeking to undertake their own personal quest in the Japanese martial arts.

Bennett outlines the Japanese history of Bushido and the Samurai--from early times up until the present. Then, as only someone steeped in this world can, he surveys the contemporary martial arts scene and provides the essential knowledge young foreigners need to find a teacher and learn successfully. Unlike any other book on this subject, Japan The Ultimate Samurai Guide is written by a Japanese speaker who has studied and taught martial arts in Japan for many decades.

Chapters include:

• The Real Samurai
• The Concept of Bushido
• Development of the Japanese Martial Arts
• Martial Arts Masters You Should Know About
• Budo in Japan Today
• Key Martial Arts Concepts
• Life in a Japanese Dojo
• A Japan Survival Guide

Written in a down-to-earth and easy-to-read style, this book will captivate anyone interested in Japan, as well as martial arts teachers and practitioners around the world. With both history and humor, this vividly illustrated book has a more personal touch than many (for example, read up on "Fifteen Famous Japanese Cultural Indiosyncrasies" and Bennett's favorite martial arts movies).

As Bennett says, "This book is supposed to be genuinely from the heart. Without the pretense…misconceptions or romantization that often accompanies martial arts."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Release date: Jul 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781462920075

Book preview

Preface

BUDO FOR THE SOUL

A GUIDE FOR THE MODERN GAIJIN SAMURAI (GAI-SAM)

Ifirst came to Japan from New Zealand in 1987 as a 17-year-old high school exchange student. It was then that I decided to try my hand at Kendo. I had never seen it before, nor did I have any intention of taking up a martial art before arriving in Japan. But Kendo just looked cool, like a scene out of Star Wars . I joined the school’s club with little inkling of what Budo (Japanese martial arts) were, let alone the physical and mental ordeal I was about to be subjected to over the ensuing 12 months.

Despite the initial language and cultural barriers, I survived the arduous training sessions meted out by the club’s sensei, and the more I learned the more I realized that there was so much more to it than meets the eye. Acutely aware of only having scratched the surface, and being a sucker for punishment, I felt a burning desire to stay in Japan and embark on a personal quest of martial discovery.

With a mixture of trepidation and excitement, I set forth on my spiritual journey and immersed myself completely in the world of Budo. I was pretty naïve in those days but I had a purity of mind and intent that kept me going through good times and bad.

Many questions whirled in my brain. Is Japanese culture, as most people seem to believe (including the Japanese themselves), truly impenetrable for foreigners? Can a foreigner learn the esoteric secrets of Samurai philosophy? Is it even relevant in Japan today, let alone outside of Japan? What’s the difference between Budo and Bushido? Is Bushido really a tangible code of ethics that permeates the Japanese lifestyle? What’s the difference between Budo and other sports? Are Japanese Budo masters superhuman? What should I look for in a teacher? What are realistic goals for a foreigner in Japan? Are the traditional training methods still valid? Where do I start and what should my priorities be? What is genuine Budo and what is fake? Am I allowed to question my teachers? Are the harsh methods of training that characterize Budo really necessary? More than anything else, what the hell do I think I’m doing here?

The author, Alex Bennett, has been living and studying the martial arts in Japan for 30 years. Holding the rank of 7th Dan in Kendo and high grades in several other martial arts, he has dedicated his career to researching and practicing Japan’s traditional Budo culture. He lives in Kyoto and teaches the theory and techniques of martial arts at Kansai University in Osaka.

I have chipped away at these questions over the past three decades of training and studying in Japan and, dare I say it, figured out most of the answers. I can confidently say that Budo is relevant to me, a gaijin (foreigner) living in Japan in the twenty-first century, and it has enhanced my life in many ways. It took time but I learned to distinguish fact from fiction and fantasy from reality. I have seen Budo from every angle—the good, the bad and the ugly—and my fascination with it keeps growing.

The purpose of this book is to provide the kind of information that I wish I had when I started out. It is designed to demystify Budo for young non-Japanese who are about to set out on a similar path, or contemplating it. Think of it as the fundamental knowledge a "gaijin-samurai" (gai-sam for short) needs to know.

I use this term with a degree of tongue in cheek. Although ubiquitous, gaijin is not a particularly nice word. Sometimes it is downright discriminatory but I have come to embrace it all the same. The G-word is a part of my identity in Japan, as is Budo. It’s from this standpoint—an unashamed non-Japanese Budo nut—that I explain the ins and outs of surviving this challenging but rewarding world.

I wrote this book from the heart. It’s not a technical manual but a guide which aims to dispel false ideas and unrealistic hopes that might otherwise hinder you, the reader, in finding your own path of discovery through Budo. Many young (and not-so-young) Budo aficionados come to Japan harboring Samurai fantasies nurtured through films and manga comics. Alas, they often end up abandoning their pursuit of Budo soon after they start, either because their expectations are unreasonable or because they fail to find the Budo experience they are seeking. Based on my years of first-hand trials and tribulations, this book provides readers with the basic knowledge required to succeed in any Budo discipline in Japan. It targets Budo enthusiasts but I also hope it will be of interest to non-practitioners who are curious about Japan and the meaning behind the Budo cultural phenomenon. You might even feel compelled to give it a go!

A Westerner dressed as a Samurai. Painted by Goseda Horyu, probably in the 1870s when Japan saw an influx of foreign visitors.

Woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi of Yoshida Sedaemon Kanesada, one of the 47 loyal Samurai.

Spelling Conventions

Japanese words and expressions have been divided into their most logical components to assist reading and pronunciation. Japanese terms have been Romanized according to the Hepburn system and italicized, but macrons have not been used to approximate long vowel sounds. Japanese names are listed in the conventional Japanese order with the surname first. Japanese words found in most standard English dictionaries and names of the modern Budo disciplines are treated as Anglicized words or proper nouns. Organizations such as the Nippon Budokan and the Dai-Nippon Butokukai are commonly referred to as Budokan and Butokukai and are sometimes shortened as such. All era dates in this book are quoted according to conventions used in the Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan. Many of the historical figures mentioned in the text changed their names during their lives but I have used the most familiar versions. The birth and death dates for a number of historical figures are impossible to verify but I have also used the generally accepted dates.

To the uninitiated, Budo may seem like the domain of athletic meatheads but that’s not what it is supposed to be about. Like a fine wine, the Budoka gets better with age and you are never too old to start.

CHAPTER 1

WHO WERE THE SAMURAI?

The word Samurai represents all that is considered noble by the Japanese people—bravery, humility, honor, loyalty and selflessness. National Japanese sports teams are sometimes referred to as Samurai. For example, Japan’s soccer team is called the Samurai Blue. In spite of their heroic image, it must be said that much of Japan’s warrior past was not particularly honorable. Moreover, the prevailing notion that modern Japanese people are heirs of the Samurai spirit by virtue of their DNA is problematic, to say the least. What you believe and take on board is up to you, but if you live in Japan you should make an effort to learn the basics of Japanese history. Coming to terms with the complexities of this fascinating subject is not easy, so this chapter will provide the fundamental knowledge needed to put it all in context. There is no room to give bios on all the Samurai I find interesting. But at the very least the gai-sam should know a little bit about the five I have included in the following pages. It’s also a good idea to learn about famous Samurai who feature in the lore of the place where you live in Japan. Modern Japanese are very proud of local Samurai legends and still harbor bitter one-eyed prejudices against their heroes’ historical foes.

INTRODUCING THE REAL SAMURAI

The Samurai—also known as Bushi—were elite warriors who eventually became the ruling class in Japan from the end of the twelfth century. Although characterized by much killing and chaos along the way, warrior dominion remained intact until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. This was when Japan shed its feudal culture and embarked on a topsy-turvy journey to become a modern nation state competing with other colonial powers on the world stage. Long after the Samurai class was dismantled, the image of Samurai as indomitable paragons of strength and morality continued as a powerful symbolic force.

Most of the warrior gentry trace their family lines back to illustrious aristocratic houses.

The Heian Period (794–1185): Go East Young Man

Where did the Samurai come from? In a nutshell…. Professional men-at-arms emerged in the Heian era through the reluctance of Kyoto-based courtiers to get their hands dirty overseeing private estates in the provinces. After all, who wants to live in the boondocks when there are tantalizing linked-verse competitions, plum blossom parties and moon viewing events to attend with the rest of Kyoto’s glittering elite? Instead, they called on lesser mortals in the pecking order to oversee provincial affairs. Young noblemen who stood little chance of career advancement because of family rank, or rank within their own family, were encouraged to go to the eastern frontier lands. There they would eke out a living managing the estates, developing new lands and keeping peasants in line, rivals at bay and local strongmen with long-established roots on their side.

Warrior monks of the Ishiyama Temple armed with naginata (glaives) during the Kamakura period.

The Heian period saw the privatization of various government functions, including military operations, and a tug-of-war between the leading noble houses for power and wealth. Men with proven martial ability became a sought-after commodity. They were hired to make up numbers in independent aristocratic armies, much like private security firms. Those with the wherewithal, including retired emperors, nobles, temple and provincial officials, maintained their own little militias. These consisted of a core group of salaried personnel. Mercenaries would be hired when required for specific campaigns.

Clansmen from two imperial offshoot families—the Taira (aka Heike or Heiji) and the Minamoto (aka Genji)—were at the forefront of the warrior rise to dominance. There were 17 major lines in the Minamoto clan stemming from the sons of Emperor Seiwa (850–78), and four Taira lines from Emperor Kammu (707–836). Factions of the Taira family set down roots in the Kanto region in the east and further to the north from as early as 900. The Minamoto followed suit a century or two later. Minamoto warriors began to dominate military matters in the capital from the late tenth century through a nepotistic relationship with the Fujiwaras, a clan of powerful nobles who monopolized important positions in court by marrying their daughters off to generations of emperors. As we shall see, it was the Minamoto, however, who were to prevail in the end.

A broader section of one of the five Heiji Monogatari scrolls. The colorful pictures of the Heiji Disturbance of 1160 are dramatic and incredibly detailed works of art.

The Late Heian Period: Trouble in Paradise

A string of violent episodes in the late Heian period brought warriors to greater political prominence. First, the Hogen Disturbance of 1156 erupted over an imperial accession dispute. Taira and Minamoto bigwigs tangled on both sides of the squabble. Minamoto Yoshitomo and Taira Kiyomori bet on the right racehorse by choosing to support the reigning emperor Go-Shirakawa over the retired emperor Sutoku. Sutoku and his allies were vanquished. Taira Kiyomori was especially well rewarded for his loyalty. A few years later, in 1160, Yoshitomo, a little green-eyed at Kiyomori’s special treatment, became involved in a hamfisted coup d’etat attempt (the Heiji Disturbance) against Taira dominance at court.

The hapless Yoshitomo was killed and the Minamotos were relegated to court outsiders. The Taira (led by Kiyomori) were now free to rule the roost unopposed. Although victorious, Kiyomori made a fatal mistake—he showed clemency to Yoshitomo’s young sons (Yoritomo and Yoshitsune) by sending them into exile rather than murdering them in cold blood.

Bushi or Samurai?

Both! Samurai and Bushi are largely interchangeable terms now but the latter once denoted men-at-arms in general rather than someone in the service of a lord. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and earlier, warriors were called mononofu or tsuwamono. Mononofu can be written with the same kanji as Bushi (武士 = military + gentry). Warriors were also called saburai, stemming from the verb saburau—to wait on or serve—because they were originally in the service of the nobility as retainers or bodyguards. Saburai became pronounced as samurai (侍) from around the sixteenth century. In the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), the Way of the Warrior was given various designations, such as Bushido, Shido or Budo. Shido was the most prevalent term, and shi on its own (士) has the alternative reading of Samurai. Commonly used among visiting foreigners during the Meiji period (1868–1912), Samurai is the usual term used in the West. Bushi is heard more frequently in Japan.

A pictorial scroll depicting the Heiji Monogatari, a war tale about the eclipse of Fujiwara power and the rise of the Taira clan over the Minamoto family in the 12th century.

Emperor Antoku (1178–85) reigned from 1180 until his demise at the battle against Minamoto forces at Dannoura. His grandmother, Taira Tokiko, plunged into the ocean to commit suicide with the infant emperor in her arms.

An Edo period print of the final battle in the Genpei War (1180-85). The Taira forces were routed by the Minamoto at Dannoura.

Strutting about like proud peacocks, the Taira dominated court politics. Kiyomori then sought to cement his dynasty by marrying off his daughter to the emperor in 1171. He installed Antoku, his two-year-old grandson, as emperor in 1180 instead of the incumbent emperor’s brother, Prince Mochihito.

Ejected from the throne before he got to sit on it, Prince Mochihito was not impressed. He issued a call to arms and summoned the Minamotos to help him rid the world of the troublesome Taira clan once and for all. This was just what Yoritomo was waiting for. He wanted to avenge his murdered father and led a Minamoto uprising that came to a head with the bloody Genpei War (1180−85).

The Kamakura Period (1185–1333): Tent Government

Yoritomo amassed a large following in the eastern provinces far away from Kyoto and plotted his revenge albeit under the guise of rescuing the court from Taira clutches. He promised his band of Minamoto kin to dutifully negotiate any claim to lands if they swore him allegiance. This was a juicy prospect for disenfranchised Minamoto scions.

Softened by a luxurious life at court, the Taira were eventually crushed in the five-year Genpei War. The final clash was a naval battle in the seas around Dannoura in 1185. Realizing that the end was nigh, Taira Kiyomori’s wife, Tokiko, grabbed her grandson Antoku along with the imperial regalia and chose death over the humiliation of capture by jumping off her vessel into the briny swirl below.

Mission accomplished, Yoritomo then established Japan’s first warrior government in Kamakura, not far from modern day Tokyo. It was essentially an independent state in the east run by warriors for warriors and was in no way a replacement of the imperial government in Kyoto. Yoritomo cleverly utilized the emperor to legitimize his military supremacy. He was granted the lofty title seii tai shogun or barbarian-quelling generalissimo, along with carte blanche to pretty much do whatever he wanted. His government was called the Bakufu (Shogunate or tent government in English) and it coexisted with the imperial government. In essence, Kyoto represented a kind of Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Nice Things while Kamakura was the Ministry of Security and Nasty Things. This heralded the beginning of the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

Minamoto-no-Yoritomo (1147–99): The Jealous Genius

Yoritomo is most certainly a Samurai bigwig gai-sam need to know. As we have seen, he was the Minamoto warrior chieftain who set up the first warrior government in the small seaside village of Kamakura after the successful uprising against the Taira who were running amok in court politics in Kyoto. Yoritomo was careful to receive imperial support to avoid being branded a rebel traitor. He was Mr Just, and after he had vanquished the tyrannical Taira, the emperor bestowed upon him the title of shogun and legitimized his operation on the other side of the country.

He was clearly a shrewd tactician who knew the importance of keeping the boys happy. To this end, he established landholdings and titles to reward his loyal vassals, and to keep them loyal. In return, they pledged fealty and military service in a you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours lord–vassal relationship. In spite of his skill as an administrator and military commander, he was insanely suspicious of any perceived contender and summarily exterminated a number of his relatives. He only had two very young sons to fill his boots when he died aged 59 after falling off a horse. They were also extinguished rather viciously by rivals—well, close relatives actually. Such were the times.

Speaking of Bigwigs: The Chonmage Topknot

Well, not wigs, but strange hairstyles that were popular among Samurai—the chonmage. The pate of the head was shaved like a reverse Brazilian and the hair at the back and sides was grown long and tied into a topknot. It was originally designed to make the wearing of battle helmets (kabuto) a more comfortable and hygienic affair. Shaving the pate of the head made it less stuffy. The topknot also served as a layer of padding inside the kabuto to stop the scalp chafing on the metal. Besides, a full head of hair was sweaty and smelly, a source of embarrassment if one’s noggin happened to be removed as a trophy in battle. Even posthumous appearance was a question of honor!

As Japan modernized during the Meiji period, the government tried to remove symbols of their feudal past. They issued the Cropped Hair Edict in 1871, which encouraged all men to adopt Western hairstyles. Many former Samurai rushed to new-fangled photo studios to get photographs of their topknots before lopping them off.

Nowadays, professional Sumo wrestlers have topknots but without shaved pates. Occasionally you will see one reminiscent of the old Samurai style, but this is because he is genuinely going bald! Removal of the topknot is an important custom for retiring sumo wrestlers, and dignitaries and patrons are invited to take it off one snip at a time with much pomp and ceremony.

Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune (1159–89): Japan’s Tragic Hero

Yoshitsune was Yoritomo’s younger sibling whose star still shines brilliantly as Japan’s classic tragic hero. He was one of Yoritomo’s most successful generals in the Genpei War but his popularity proved to be his downfall. When the infant Minamoto brothers were sent into exile by Taira Kiyomori, Yoshitsune was placed in a temple in Kuramayama, Kyoto. It is there, generations of storytellers tell us, that he learned the art of swordsmanship from the mythical Tengu. Little is known about his childhood. But his prowess as a warrior, although useful in war, left him open to slander in the aftermath. One of Yoshitsune’s rivals hinted to Yoritomo that his brother was readying himself for the top job. The sibling friction was picked up on by yet another meddling emperor, Go-Shirakawa, who played the brothers against each other.

By late 1185 Yoshitsune knew that the paranoid Yoritomo was after his head and decided to retaliate. Uncle Yukiie sided with Yoshitsune but both were ultimately betrayed and Yoshitsune was reduced to hiding out in and around Kyoto. He managed to find shelter with Fujiwara Hidehira, his childhood custodian. When Hidehira died in 1187, his last will and testament declared that Yoshitsune was to inherit the governorship of Mutsu.

Enter Hidehira’s resentful son and a medieval telegram to Kamakura to nark him out. An attack was ordered. Holed up in a mansion, Yoshitsune’s legendary chum, Denkibo Benkei, held off the attacking force single-handedly, giving Yoshitsune time to mercy-kill his wife and then commit suicide. Yoshitsune’s head was preserved and transported back to Kamakura for confirmation. Those who saw it lamented at the heart-rending demise of this great hero of the Genpei War. In fact, when Yoritomo fell off his horse and died, they attributed it to the angry ghost of Yoshitsune. There was even a popular theory that he escaped with his life and made his way to the land of the Mongols. And that he was, in fact, Genghis Khan (Genji = Genghis)!

After Yoshitsune’s death, a supporter of Yoritomo wrote in his diary: In bravery, benevolence, and justice, Yoshitsune is bound to leave a great name to posterity. In this he can only be admired and praised. The only thing is that he decided to rebel against Yoritomo. This was a great traitorous crime. The poor guy was probably framed. Incidentally, the term hogan biiki (sympathy for the lieutenant [Yoshitsune]) is still used today and means to support the underdog.

Oda Nobunaga (1534–82): The Ruthless Strategist

Oda the Nobster Nobunaga was the great chieftain who successfully brought the feudal lords (Daimyo) into line after a century of civil war. Although he met a grisly end at the hands of his own trusted vassal, by the time of his death he controlled a whopping one-third of Japan and had set a wave of unification in motion which his two henchmen, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, would later get to ride.

His brilliance as a strategist, and his tyrannical ruthlessness, knew no bounds. After the death of his father in 1551, Nobunaga took control of Nagoya Castle and then started his campaign of violent expansion. He outwitted his opponents, made the right alliances, obliterated his enemies and was always on the lookout for new technology and systems to further his cause. His infamous legacy included the extermination of Buddhists who opposed him. The Buddhists were not a particularly peaceful bunch, either, and were a major thorn in Nobunaga’s side. He went to great pains to snuff out the secular power of Tendai Buddhism by burning the Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei to the ground, and killed thousands of men, women and children in rebellious groups affiliated with the Jodo Shin sect.

Nobunaga was on the verge of defeating the last bastions of opposition. On his way to the front to support Hideyoshi against the Shimizu and Mori forces in Takamatsu, he stopped off in Kyoto and stayed where he always did, at the Honnoji Temple. Two days later, the temple was attacked by one of his generals, the dastardly Akechi Mitsuhide. As the temple burned, Nobunaga apparently disemboweled himself in a back room.

Modern sentiments would surely categorize him as a Class-A war criminal, and his sudden demise was undoubtedly the result of some seriously bad karma. Still, he was the alpha male of his times and is thus remembered as a hero of Japanese history. In classic medieval whodunit fashion, controversy still surrounds his death. People love to blame the perfidious Akechi Mitsuhide but was it really him, and if so, why? Knowledge of the following theories will impress any Japanese over a cup of sake.

Who greased the Nobster? Various theories have been proposed…

BUDO CALLIGRAPHY: Fu-rin-ka-zan Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain

Something that perhaps evokes images of brave Californian fire-fighters. In the Japanese context, however, it was the motto of Takeda Shingen, one the greatest warlords of the Warring States period (1467–c. 1603) and Oda Nobunaga’s nemesis. Originally from Sun Tzu’s Art of War, which was mandatory reading for Samurai, it is explained in the Koyo-gunkan as epitomizing the military philosophy of the Takeda: Be as rapid as the wind and as silent as a forest. Attack like a raging fire and be as immovable as a mountain.

Before the emergence of the Shogunate, nobles at court would control small independent armies. With the rise of Yoritomo’s tent government, however, the rules were changed and court influence began to evaporate.

Unfortunately for Yoritomo, he did not live long enough to really enjoy his meteoric rise. He died when he fell off a horse in 1199. His son Yoriie became the second shogun, but not for long. He was replaced by his younger brother Sanetomo after another coup instigated by his mother Hojo Masako and her father Hojo Tokimasa, who then assumed the role of regent (shogun manager). Yoriie was murdered (probably by Tokimasa) in 1204 and Sanetomo was killed by his nephew Kugyo, Yoriie’s son, in 1219. It really was Game of Thrones on steroids. The rest of the period saw a succession of six titular shoguns controlled by Hojo regents.

Although Yoritomo’s time at the top was short-lived, he was successful in creating a government within a government that had exclusive rights over military matters. Yoritomo also set clear protocols in place for reciprocal obligations binding warriors to their masters in service.

Yoritomo was instrumental in spawning an honor code for the Samurai community, and rewarded his supporters with official positions throughout the country. Aspirations for wealth and power, along with the shared experience of living in the harsh hinterland conditions, saw the evolution of a patriarchal warrior subculture very different to the effete court culture of their brethren in Kyoto.

Apart from a couple of miraculous victories against Mongol invaders in 1274 and 1281, the Kamakura Shogunate was not an overly effective government and it ended abruptly in 1333. The Kamakura demise was sparked by the machinations of an uppity emperor (Go-Daigo) who sought to restore full imperial power. He was joined by a couple of high-ranking Shogunate vassals in what became known as the Kemmu Restoration (1333−36).

First, Ashikaga Takauji was sent to Kyoto to teach the mutinous emperor a lesson but ended up joining Go-Daigo instead. Nitta Yoshisada was then dispatched to Kyoto to punish them both but he too

Reviews for Japan The Ultimate Samurai Guide

[Gökhan Seçkin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

İnformation in the book lack proper references and I've noticed several false information.