Cannon Fodder

[rottunpunk]

That sounds interesting. What is its full title?

sorry thats not what i am reading at all. serves me right for typing on forums whilst at work
its Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa http://www.amazon.com/Taiko-Eiji-Yos...0682116&sr=8-1

[Kokoro777]

Didn't you just contradict yourself?

You mean from my 'Bounce-How Champions are Made'/there's no such thing as born talent stance? Not really. It seems one still has to be passionate about an activity in order to practise purposefully and thus become expert in the activity. I suppose there could be rare people who can do things they really hate to an excellent degree, but surely they are as rare as hen's teeth.

[UnimportantHero]

There must have been poor warriors in Japan who ended up....well, where?

Dead?

[hyuna]

You mean from my 'Bounce-How Champions are Made'/there's no such thing as born talent stance? Not really. It seems one still has to be passionate about an activity in order to practise purposefully and thus become expert in the activity. I suppose there could be rare people who can do things they really hate to an excellent degree, but surely they are as rare as hen's teeth.

Ah, that's something different. Maybe it is not possible to make someone be good at something they don't want to do, but surely it is possible to make someone do something they don't want to do. It happens every day.

[emitbrownne]

We must all witness people attending our dojo from time to time, who simply don't have the 'spark' to allow them to be any good at Iai/Kenjutsu/Kendo/Naginatado and who disappear after a couple of awkward lessons.

After a couple of weeks I know I didnt have "the spark" but I love kendo. i have seen naturals give up after a few months.. I have seen the most awkward carry on and flourish (well carry on anyway )

But what happened in feudal Japan if a person born into a Samurai family didn't have that spark either? What if they were poor warriors, unable to grasp the nuances of swordplay, archery, strategy etc? What happened to these people? There must have been poor warriors in Japan who ended up....well, where?

Any thoughts?

Samurai were a class of people. Samurai does not instantly mean Warrior/swordsman/spearman.

If the Samurai families had a martial dud, I am sure they would be deployed to whereever their skills were best applied.

Join the army now.. you dont have to be a front line fighter. Be a journalist, logistics co-ordinator, lawyer, engineer, cook, bottlewasher.