Samurai
Samurai.
The word "samurai" is originated from a word "saburau", meaning "to serve". So, all samurai were bureaucrats. Both martial art and military tactic are mandatory to them, and their ideology is based on "bushido", the way of samurai's royalty and absolute obedience that is to die for their master.
Then, such concept of samurai , "to serve", had changed in sometime around 15th century. Before then, samurai without master was called "nobushi", simply meaning samurai who has no master. Regardless to serving his own master, even mercenaries were started to be referred as samurai. This is because 15th century was one of the bloodiest warring states period of Japanese history. So rulers of many regions often were killed or expelled, which made many samurai unemployed.
Katana, samurai sword.
Soul of samurai, katana is the symbol of ancient warriors in Japan. Well known for its appearance, curved and single-edged blade with circular or square hand guard. Katana consists of hard and soft side edges which are over 30,000 layers of steel. The hard blade is hard enough to penetrate opponent's armor, but as you know, harder it gets, it becomes fragile and brittle as glass. Swordsmithing labor overcame this problem by hardening process which is to coating the blade with layer of clay. Thinner coating of clay allows the blade to cool more quickly and thicker coating cool more slowly which leaves ripples on the blade.
Well, here's some interesting video on youtube.
Samurai cuts 4.5mm airsoft pellet in thin air.
Seppuku.
Seppuku is a form of Japanese suicide by cutting one's belly for samurai who wish to die with his honor. Sometimes this ritual way of disembowelment was ordered to whom had committed serious offense or had brought shame to himself. (I guess I would've had to do this hundreds of times.)
This was normally voluntarily chosen by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into enemy's hands. Since captivity by enemy and double-crossing one's warlord was considered extremely shameful which was worse than dying.
It is done by drawing short blade from left to right, slicing the abdomen open, sometimes in front of spectators.
There is also a term, "oibara" which follows same ritual process, is to seppuku at one's master's death to show his royalty. This ritual is based on concept of bushido, "one can not serve two masters".
Comments