Samurai Cultural Training
Although the samurai class of Japan was legally abolished in 1871, its ideals continued to exert a great influence on Japanese culture, contributing to the rise of Japanese nationalism and to wartime civilian morale up to 1945. Samurai culture has also exerted a hold on the Western imagination. Despite its emphasis on military ideals and skills, the education of a samurai was surprisingly various.
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History
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The samurai class emerged in the early 10th century in the provinces of Japan, according to PBS.org. These warriors were recruited by local chieftains to fight specific wars and would return to their lands afterward to till the soil. Since the emperor of Japan lived in the capital of Kyoto, he was unable to control the provinces, and by the late 12th century, samurai lords ruled the provinces and central Japan.
Theory
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“Bushido” was the name given to the samurai moral code. It was based on the national tradition influenced by Zen and Confucianism, according to the Shotakai Karate Budo website. The unchanging ideal of bushido was martial spirit, including athletic and military skills and fearlessness in battle. Other values included frugal living, kindness and honesty. Filial piety was important, as in Confucianism, but for the samurai, whose code originated in the feudal system, serving one's lord until death constituted supreme honor.
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Early Training
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The training of a samurai began in childhood, and combined physical training, Chinese studies, poetry and spiritual discipline, according to PBS.org. A samurai began practicing fencing basics at the age of 3 with wooden swords and was given a mamorigatana sword, a real weapon, for self-defense between the ages of 5 and 7, according to an article from the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. The fathers and male relatives of a boy provided his early combat training, and he was later sent to live with relatives or to the home of a fencing instructor.
Curriculum
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In addition to Bushido, “the Way of the Warrior,” samurai studied Kendo, “the Way of the Sword,” and Zen Buddhism, according to PBS.org. The samurai curriculum included fencing, archery, horsemanship, the use of the spear, tactics, calligraphy, ethics, literature, history and “jiu jitsu.” Jiu jitsu is the application of anatomical knowledge to offense or defense when fighting hand-to-hand, explains World Spirituality.org. It does not depend on muscular strength or the use of a weapon, but on clutching or striking a part of the enemy's body that will make him numb or strained enough to incapacitate him. Calligraphy may seem like a surprising skill for a samurai to learn, but chirography was thought to be an indicator of character, according to World Spirituality.org.
Considerations
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There was no formal school for samurai daughters, but their education included writing in Japanese syllabic symbols, reading classic Japanese literature and poetry, and weapons training, such as using the naginata spear. Samurai women did not fight on the battlefield, but they were prepared to defend their homes against invaders.
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References
- Photo Credit samurai statue image by Canakris from Fotolia.com
