Samurai & Shugenja
Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. The term was nominalized to mean "those who serve in close attendance to the nobility," the pronunciation in Japanese changing to saburai. According to Wilson, an early reference to the word "samurai" appears in the Kokin Wakashu (905–914), the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi , and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushido. While they numbered less than 10% of Japan's population samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as-
Gi (Honesty and Justice) - Set lies aside. A samurai does not make honesty or justice a matter for debate; he knows that there is only truth and falsehood, justice and injustice.
-
Rei (Polite Courtesy) - A samurai is neither a bully nor a brute killer. He must treat his enemies with courtesy.
-
Yu (Courage) - Only fear of death can destroy life; the samurai replaces it with an understanding of danger.
-
Meyo (Honor) - Praises and curses are not what defines honor; the samurai reserves his judgement for himself.
-
Jin (Compassion) - Just as the farmer does not grow crops merely to fill his own belly, the warrior does not fight for himself alone. A samurai must be constantly aware of the duty to protect others.
-
Makoto (Complete Sincerity) - A samurai's words and his actions are one and the same. To 'promise' would be redundant.
-
Chugo (Duty and Loyalty) - Actions and their consequences define those who take them. The samurai's loyalty to those that he guards for is unshakeable.
- The family's standing
- The fighter's ability
- The warrior's military accomplishments