bring back samurai like english knights

**Wout** · 16th March 2004, 08:28 PM

pillage rape (even if you have a fit Suede or Norwayese as a wife) destroy and yell "Odin" or "Thor" as you attack.
Slaughter a cow, get a helmet put the horns on them
Make a boat and pillage every village along every European river.
And last but not least, must be able to jump in water of 0 degrees without even a shiver.

Shogun97 · 16th March 2004, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by James

What do I have to do to be a Viking?

Asking stupid questions for a start!
So you're on the best way to become one!!!!!!

**hyouriittai** · 17th March 2004, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by Wout

pillage rape (even if you have a fit Suede or Norwayese as a wife) destroy and yell "Odin" or "Thor" as you attack.
Slaughter a cow, get a helmet put the horns on them
Make a boat and pillage every village along every European river.
And last but not least, must be able to jump in water of 0 degrees without even a shiver.

That doesn't sound so tough. Are vikings considered to be a 501-c3 organization? If so, are the cow slaughterings tax deductable?

**mingshi** · 17th March 2004, 02:18 AM

As for the Chinese:

Bring back the concubines!

Bring back the eunuches!

Yay!

moonblade · 4th May 2004, 08:22 AM

Keep the eunuchs. I sure ain't volunteering for that job, no matter what the medical coverage.

Actually "viking" is an adjective ala "going a-viking" so anybody can do it. You just need a boat and a destination. I smell a tourist package in this.

Bringing back samurai without the privileges they enjoyed would negate the whole point of their existence. Unlike a knight, which is a position earned by feats, being a samurai was being part of a class, like being a baron or duke. It would be cool to get the stipend like they did in the old days tho'.

**Eldritch Knight** · 4th May 2004, 11:53 AM

I can't remember where, but a few years back I saw an advertisement in a magazine that was posted by the British government in regards to selling a barony. They had the whole nine yards - a hereditary title, land, manor, and even a new British passport (that listed your title). As I recall the price was somewhere in the 6 figure range, but it was quite funny (and cool) to think that someone could so blatantly buy their way into royalty.

moonblade · 5th May 2004, 05:46 AM

Royalty and nobility have been selling their titles for years. Since the late eighteenth century, really. Mostly to pay off old debts. There was a great sequence in Doonesbury about it during the Eighties. All those titles are is ownership of parcels of land. You live off the rents.

**Jung_Yul** · 5th May 2004, 11:20 AM

If I may interject my humble opinion, without trying to seem too serious. "Samurai," as I understand it, means either "to serve," or "one who serves." So the first question to honestly answer to yourself is whom or what are you serving? Aside from that, I can't honestly say that I believe that simply swinging a sword makes one a Samurai. Samurai practiced so many other weapons and styles of fighting other than the sword. Granted the sword was the primary weapon, and their single greatest symbol. Additionally, I believe that the Samurai were more than just a group of guys with swords. (Sorry, ladies, but it's historically true that there were no female Samurai. Not to say that in our modern world some of you couldn't handle it.) The Samurai embodied Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, and, at least the truly honorable of them, lived exceedingly execptional lives. I guess what I'm ultimately trying to say is, you need no one to bestow a title on you, and you can't just wake up one day and decide that you are a Samurai. Learn completely what they were, and live by such guidelines. If that is too daunting, then you are not Samurai. If such a life is appealing, then why should you need anyone to tell you that you live well as a Samurai? If you need someone else's confirmation, then you clearly aren't confident enough in yourself. Just my opinion.

Yours in Budo,
John Anderson

moonblade · 6th May 2004, 03:35 AM

You've brought up an important point. You can't have samurai without a lord to serve. Maybe Sony and Mitsubishi could create a new samurai class.

But you're perpetuating a serious myth. Woman WERE samurai. It was a societal class. You can't have a class without the ability to breed. Samurai women had many responsibilities including the possibility of commiting seppuku and defending their land. This very forum has paintings of women samurai defending bridges with naginata. Ever hear of somebody named Tomoe Gozen? There's an awful comic of the same name but she was an historical figure as well.

**Jung_Yul** · 6th May 2004, 12:45 PM

Ah! Gommen, gommen... once again I learn to see how little I know. I have much to learn. Domo arigato gozaimasu ta!

Sony or Mitsubishi become modern lords to revive the Samurai? lol ^_^ Amusing concept, but then, I'm sure that many honorable Samurai, both men and women, defended the ways of corrupt lords even hundreds of years ago... ^_^

Yours in Budo,
John Anderson

moonblade · 11th May 2004, 05:41 AM

Too true but it brings up an interesting philosophical question. Are you a better samurai if you serve a good lord or an evil lord?

The evil lord! It's easy to serve a good man but a true samurai could serve even the devil himself without question.

Feh. Better to stick to the purity of Kendo.

**Nishi** · 2nd June 2004, 10:33 AM

If you can find a way to serve humanity in a selfless way (sutemi), and give yourself to the people and principles that really require you, then you are already samurai (one who serves).

Gendai budo, or more so Kendo, is the study of humanity and through correct (consistant & lifelong) training we can understand humanity and how to serve it.

There is no glory in it, thats what makes self sacrifice unappealing.