Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu

"Samurai"

Zanji Shinjinken-Ryu is an ancient school of Samurai swordsmanship, and one of the early methods of training Bugei or warriors. One important difference between Zanji and other martial arts is that the form is designed to kill. Not wound, not injure, not knockout. A sword is an instrument of death and it is the main tool of the Zanji. A master of the sword art will carefully evaluate any opponent. Standing motionless, he will wait until the exact moment when, without thought or direction, he can attack instantly. If attacked, the response will be to parry and counterattack instantly.

Acceptance by a teacher of Zanji usually means months of having to go through rejection. The student must ask again and again, constantly suffering rejection, until the teacher is sure that the student is really motivated. Once accepted, the instruction is one-on-one, with constant discipline imposed and physical punishment used constantly as reinforcement. The student must change everything and in every way, from his way of thinking to his way of moving, to the most minute habits of everyday life.

Must have a liege (or becomes Ronin and is exiled) and must follow strict Bushido code.

Stance

Facing opponent, with one foot forward and the other back, arms extended forward and holding sword in a two-handed grip.

Busido Code

Rectitude or Justice

Bushido refers not only to martial rectitude, but to personal rectitude: Rectitude or Justice, is the strongest virtue of Bushido. A well-known samurai defines it this way: ‘Rectitude is one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when to strike is right.’ Another speaks of it in the following terms: ‘Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature. Without bones the head cannot rest on top of the spine, nor hands move nor feet stand. So without Rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.’

Courage

Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage: Courage is worthy of being counted among virtues only if it’s exercised in the cause of Righteousness and Rectitude. In his Analects, Confucius says: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’

Benevolence or Mercy

A human invested with the power to command and the power to kill was expected to demonstrate equally extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy: Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. Both Confucius and Mencius often said the highest requirement of a ruler of men is Benevolence.

Politeness

Discerning the difference between obsequiousness and politeness can be difficult for casual observors, but for a true man, courtesy is rooted in benevolence: Courtesy and good manners have been noticed by every travel to the ShaoYan. But Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love.

Honesty and Sincerity

True samurai, according to author Nitobe, disdained money, believing that “men must grudge money, for riches hinder wisdom.” Thus children of high-ranking samurai were raised to believe that talking about money showed poor taste, and that ignorance of the value of different coins showed good breeding: Bushido encouraged thrift, not for economical reasons so much as for the exercise of abstinence. Luxury was thought the greatest menace to manhood, and severe simplicity was required of the warrior class… the counting machine and abacus were abhorred.

Honor

Though Bushido deals with the profession of soldiering, it is equally concerned with non-martial behavior: The sense of Honor, a vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth, characterized the samurai. He was born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hung like a sword over the head of every samurai… To take offense at slight provocation was ridiculed as ‘short-tempered.’ As the popular adage put it: ‘True patience means bearing the unbearable.’

Loyalty

True men remain loyal to those to whom they are indebted: Loyalty to a superior is the most distinctive virtue of this era. Personal fidelity exists among all sorts of men: a gang of pickpockets swears allegiance to its leader. But only in the code of chivalrous Honor does Loyalty assume paramount importance.

Character and Self-Control

Bushido teaches that men should behave according to an absolute moral standard, one that transcends logic. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference. Finally, it is a man’s obligation to teach his children moral standards through the model of his own behavior: The first objective of samurai education was to build up Character. The subtler faculties of prudence, intelligence, and dialectics were less important. Intellectual superiority was esteemed, but a samurai was essentially a man of action.

Level

Advanced

Years to Study

10

Dress

Keikogi (blue jacket, quilted) and Hakama

Alignment Requirements

Only lawful

Attribute Requirements

Wisdom 12, Dexterity 12, Constitution 11

Number of Attacks

3

Free Move

Parry, Strike, Kick

Purchaseable Moves

Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, Maintain Balance, Dodge, Automatic Parry, Multiple Dodge, Circular Parry, Combo. Parry/attack, Power Block/Parry, Automatic Roll, Breakfall,Backward Sweep, Jump Kick, Death Blow, Leap, Combo. Grab/Slash, Forearm, Pull Punch,K.O./Stun, Critical

Allowed Powers

Up to 3 from Body Hardening, Martial Arts Techniques, and Special Katas

Recommended Skills

Language (Modern), Ikebana, Bonsai, Artistic Ability (calligraphy), Haiku, Ukio-e, Gaming (go), Religion, Etiquette, WP Sword (Katana), WP Sword (Wakizashi), WP Bokken, WP Staff (Bo), WP Spear, WP Naginata, WP Long Bow (Daiku)

Links to Moves

Martial Arts Kicks
Martial Arts Strikes
Martial Arts Movement
Martial Arts Evasions
Martial Arts Special Moves