Samurai Martial Arts
The idea of how warriors around the world have trained their ‘Knightly’ equivalent fascinates me.
Unsurprisingly, the Japanese codified this training into distinct martial arts, the descendants of which still thrive around the world.
Karate is perhaps the best known, and saw incredible growth in the postwar period as American soldiers spent time in Okinawa.
I’m trying to find better resources explaining this, but this is what I’ve learned so far:
The Eighteen Martial Arts of the Samurai
archery (kyudo/kyujutsu)
barbed personnel abilities (mojiri)
slinging a linked sickle (kusarigamajutsu)
throwing daggers (shurikenjutsu)
Kendo/kenjutsu (fencing/swordsmanship)
firearms proficiency (teppo)
cavalrymanship (bajutsu)
spitting needles (fukumibarijutsu)
polearm abilities (naginata jutsu)
rope abilities (torite)
abilities with a short sword (tanto)
spies (ninjutsu)
personnel abilities (bojutsu)
proficiency with a spear (sojutsu)
scuba diving (suieiijutsu)
drawing a sword (iaijutsu)
abilities with a truncheon (jitte) (judo/jujutsu) yawara
Right away I see that some of the Japanese names for these arts are their modern equivalent. And also, while scouting was undoubtedly a samurai skill, I don’t think ‘spies (ninjutsu)’ is accurate. My understanding is that ninjutsu was only taught to members of a specific clan, and Samurai abhorred the idea of clandestine assassins.
Much to learn, but this is a starting point.
Onwards.