harakiri vs seppuku?

[Bleda]

What are the main differences between harakiri and seppuku? I know they are both suicide but i am unsure as to what the difference between them really is.

[[Kensei 剣の聖者]]

Hara kiri is disembowelment and cutting up your belly, usualy from one side of the belly to the other, then from up to down, and possibly a criss cross on top of that, designed to cause EXTREME pain, to show you werent just "backing out" like a coward. It was pretty much self mutilation, Seppuku came a little later, a little more dare i say it "humane", where you would make one horizontal cut from one side to another then be beheaded by an "accomplice"

[Canthros]

Basically, nothing. Both terms refer to the same practice. I think 'harakiri' was considered a more vulgar term, but they both mean the same thing (same kanji, even).

[moonblade]

Hara kiri is precisely the same thing. In english I think it means "Belly slashing". It's just a more vulgar way of saying the same thing.

[LNGUYEN]

A man either did Harakiri or Sepuku, he still end up crooked

[Bleda]

Thanks for the replies. Yesterday we practiced kaishaku kata and my sensei refered to it as harakiri instead of seppuku and for some stupid reason i never asked him about the difference between the 2.

[Hyaku]

What are the main differences between harakiri and seppuku? I know they are both suicide but i am unsure as to what the difference between them really is.

Read half way down this link.

http://www.hyoho.com/Hagakure1.html

[mystic_kendoka]

harakiri- stomach cutting
seppuku- less vulgar term for harakiri

[Shogun97]

harakiri- stomach cutting
seppuku- less vulgar term for harakiri
i don't think so.....i'm not sure but isn't harakiri jumping into his own sword, like you put it up somewhere on the ground and jump then onto it?

[moonblade]

No, jumping on the sword doesn't have a name. Hari Kari IS Seppuku

[mystic_kendoka]

but u dont go up to the shogun to say that some one is going to slice their belly open today, you say that someone is going to commit seppuku, its more formal...

[Eldritch Knight]

Here's a link that explains everything.

Seppuku (http://www.ykkf.org/2003/content/articles/ykkf_seppuku.html)

[Bleda]

Very good site eldrich, thanks.

[Will]

~~~~~
Seppuku

Seppuku is the ancient art of killing yourself if you get super pissed and can’t find anybody else to kill. Ninjas use all sorts of crap to kill themselves—guns, ropes, knives, lasers, spears, etc.—and don’t even think twice about it. These guys would kill themselves for just about any reason and often for no reason at all: that’s why we there are so few ninjas today.

But if you want to commit Seppuku and you’re like me, you don’t have access to stuff like lasers. But there’s hope. I tried to kill myself by swallowing a frisbee a couple of times—and believe me, it’s pretty cool. The only catch is you have to be really super pissed to do it.

Step 1 Get a frisbee from the store or friend.

Step 2 Clean the Frisbee.

Step 3 Make sure your parents aren’t around

Step 4 Put something slippery on it, like butter or cream.

Step 5 Get really super pissed.

Step 6 Fold the Frisbee hard (this is crucial)

Step 7 Keep folded and insert Frisbee into mouth hard.

Step 8 Push hard until you can’t see it.

Step 9 Wait.

Step 10 Die.

If you succeed, everybody will be like “Holy Crap! "

~~~~
Taken from realultimatepower.net

[ZealUK]

Does anyone know what kamae the kaishakunin took before delivering the blow to the neck? I read somewhere that this differed depending on the rank of the person commiting seppuku. I suppose each han would have different protocol.

[Bleda]

MJER teaches kaishaku, we do not take a true kamae. I'll list the steps of kaishaku here.

From seiza you draw the sword 3/4 while rising up on your knees and moving your right foot forward so that the right knee makes a 90 with the ground.

You stand up and finish the draw high then take the blade and place it about a foot behind your head horizontally. Your right bicep is perfectly straight horizontal and your forearm is at about a 70 degree angle. The whole arm is pushed back so that the blade is about a foot away from your head. Your feet are positioned so that they are on the same line facing forward and bent so that you sink down a bit.

When your friend finishes stabbing himself you slide your right foot in and then forward followed by a one handed slightly angled cut catching the tsuka in your hand as to leave the blade in the person's neck. You twist to make sure you snap the spinal cord and then withdraw the blade, wipe the blood, and noto.

Kinda hard to describe online but i hope you get the idea.

[mystic_kendoka]

do the neck would not be cut completely? therefore the head would not fall off?

[Bleda]

No you leave the front of the neck uncut so the head falls forward in an honorable position. Also the cut needs to be very controlled as not to thrash the head around. In last samurai the generals head went rolling, that is barbarism, a samurai would have never have been the generals kaishaku in such an brutal maner.

[Hyaku]

Does anyone know what kamae the kaishakunin took before delivering the blow to the neck? I read somewhere that this differed depending on the rank of the person commiting seppuku. I suppose each han would have different protocol.

Its not a kamae! An apt description of kamae is a ready position used to deal with an attack.

One gently draws the blade in an off-angle position so that the seppukunin cannot see. The elavation of the kesaki might denote the rank/level of the seppukunin.

This is essentialy a one handed cut. Those that have actually done this for real will teach that is all far too easy to remove a head with two hands. so there must be a stopping movement.

In examining seppuku we look at the depth and length of the cut performed by the seppukunin. Kaishaku is a "service". It was common to refuse at first stating ones lack off abilty in being to perform such a delicate service.

Japanese caskets usually have a door or nowadays a window so that the deceased can be viewed. If the service is performed correctly the head can be stitched and dressed so that the wound will not show.

[gsx1100s]

Thanks Tim for enlightening me on this subject. I was just wondering if anyone knew what they were talking about then I read your post ....and I was like ......wicked dude!!!:rolleyes:

God I love that website , it is a great source of information , especialy if you want to impress your friends:)

P.S. yes I'm being sarcastic,,,,,,,,as was Tim..........:smiley:


cheers Michael