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Post by Ilúvatar on Apr 19, 2011 21:32:47 GMT
Which martial art did samurai practice? Or which martial art reflects the way samurai trained and practiced?
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Apr 19, 2011 21:48:50 GMT
Its not so cut and dry what Budo/Bujutsu historical Samurai practiced... as some of the arts used and taught then have transformed into other arts as we know them now. Also, there was a lot of variety based on region and time period and other factors.
What we know of as Judo and Jujitsu used to be a single art and, as I recall, was developed for Samurai in armor to use... as striking based arts were restricted severely in effectiveness by the armor.
This assumes you are speaking of empty handed combat/martial arts. Samurai were well trained in the use of many weapons... tho the Katana is the most famous it was used a lot less in battle then the bow and arrow and polearms.
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Post by etiennehamel on Apr 19, 2011 22:24:42 GMT
it depends of what kind of martial arts you are thinking (with weapon or without?)
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Post by Ilúvatar on Apr 19, 2011 22:32:47 GMT
With weapons. Which one was with weapons?
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 19, 2011 22:46:02 GMT
Kenjutsu or Iaido. Those are the terms for actual sword styles. There are literally thousands of familial styles, or was at least. Naginatajutsu and bojutsu are a couple of non-sword weapon arts. Add to that the jo, the yari, the sai, the jutte, and you are just scratching the surface.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 19, 2011 22:49:07 GMT
Too many really to list, you'll have to do some serious internet research to see even a fraction of weapon/empty hand fighting systems. Budo is a really catch-all term, so if you use that you can probably find out a lot. If your looking to join a dojo, look for one that practices Kenjutsu or Battojutsu. This is the system that practices as close to a real Japanese sword combat system as your going to get, at least here in America. Kendo is great, but think of it more as a point fighting art. You can learn a lot from them, but its not a combat system, hence the "Do." A Do is a more philosophical art, expressed through physical training. A Jutsu is a combat oriented system. Take Judo and Jujutsu. A judo practitioner can is a formidable fighter, but they are trained to throw and control an opponent through leverage and pain compliance techniques, but a Jujutsu practitioner is trained to maim and kill with a minimal amount of danger and effort to yourself.
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Sean (Shadowhowler)
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Post by Sean (Shadowhowler) on Apr 20, 2011 10:15:08 GMT
Ofter overlooked is that the Samurai, tho famous for their Katana and Kenjitsu... were actually VERY skilled archers (kyudo). Archery was likely their most valued and used combat art. Like the Mongols, they were outstanding mounted archers as well.
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 20, 2011 13:39:35 GMT
Shadowhowler is absolutely right. Hundreds of years before the sword came into vogue, the bow and arrow held a similar place as the go-to weapon for warriors in general. Back then, the sword held about the same relevance as the tanto did when the Katana/Tachi took over. That is, as a useful back up weapon. Good call, Sean(Shadowhowler).
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Post by Bryn on Apr 20, 2011 14:00:22 GMT
Also worth studying are the Yari and Naginata. Now-a-days, the Naginata has a connotation as a slightly more feminine weapon, at least as far as Kendo goes, but no mistake, it's a fearsome and highly practical weapon. For foot combat, the Yari (spear) is absolutely worth taking up, and there's the added bonus that spear techniques almost always have cross-cultural application. I'd say, take up the spear. Plus, if you learn to make your own, they're a LOT less expensive than a sword.
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Post by MOK on Apr 20, 2011 15:07:06 GMT
Short answer: All of them.
Slightly longer answer: Each weapon would have its own art, and there were dozens of schools that each taught more or less different versions of these arts. However, remember that the laws of physics and human anatomy are constant, and there are only so many ways to use a sharp stick: while terms like kenjutsu, yarijutsu and so on may sound exotic and all, they're really just Japanese for sword fighting and spear fighting, respectively, really no different from the array of equivalent European fighting arts (except maybe somewhat more formalized and centrally regulated).
If you're not averse to reading printed books, I'd suggest looking up Secrets of the Samurai, by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook. It's a big book, but gives a nice in-depth overview of this whole subject. They offer the following categorization of bujutsu (which is simply Japanese for "martial arts", specifically the actual combat arts used in war and self defense, as opposed to the more stylized do forms practiced for recreation that have proliferated in more peaceful times):
Major arts
- Archery
- Spearmanship, including all kinds of polearms from yari (spear) through naginata (glaive) to sodegarami ("sleeve catcher", a device used for tangling and restraining detainees)
- Swordsmanship
- Horsemanship
- Swimming, including combat in or under water
Minor arts
- Art of the war fan (tessen, used for signaling and self defense)
- Art of the staff, including all kinds of non-bladed staves, poles and sticks
- Art of the jitte (pronged steel baton)
Collateral arts
- Art of the chain and other implements, including all manner of funky chain weapons like the manrikikusari, kusarigama, chigiri etc.
- Occult arts, including all kinds of fun stuff and REAL ULTIMATE POWER like ninjutsu and koppo
Unarmed arts
- A number of different striking, grappling and wrestling arts with more or less different strategic focuses and technical nuances
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Nov 1, 2024 0:13:58 GMT
Nov 1, 2024 0:13:58 GMT
