Honor

[bushido_man96]

I think that a lot of misconceptions came from the fact that the warrior classes gained noteriety through their exceptional skills as fighters. Naturally, people would view these great warriors in awe. These viewpoints probably began the fanticization of what becoming a warrior was like.

Also, these warriors would gain the respect (or fear) of the other people because they had a talent that was special. Therefore, they were respected, and I imagine it started to stick from there. However, you can quickly find out that you can respect someone, but they may not return that respect. Instead, they know of their position of power, and look down on you instead.

[DWx]

Just sifting through my bookmarked internet pages and came across this which I thought was quite appropriate:

Honor and shame from no condition rise. Act well your part: there all the honor lies. ~ Alexander Pope

I wonder how many samurai etc. acted their part? (whatever that may truely be)

[a_ninja]

Well it is true that MA do pick fights, but it is the true martial artist that doesnt. True martial artits are the honorable ones. That is my opionon I do admit that it may be wrong, but from my studies this is what i interpret from it.

[NightOwl]

Well it is true that MA do pick fights, but it is the true martial artist that doesnt. True martial artits are the honorable ones. That is my opionon I do admit that it may be wrong, but from my studies this is what i interpret from it.

Many founders of various martial art styles picked fights, and if anyone they could be considered 'true' martial artists. Now mind you...I don't think that it is right to use violence to solve problems unless it is necessary, but the fact remains that the strong bond that we associate with self control and martial studies has been something romanticized beyond what was actually true.

[bushido_man96]

Well it is true that MA do pick fights, but it is the true martial artist that doesnt. True martial artits are the honorable ones. That is my opionon I do admit that it may be wrong, but from my studies this is what i interpret from it.

Many founders of various martial art styles picked fights, and if anyone they could be considered 'true' martial artists. Now mind you...I don't think that it is right to use violence to solve problems unless it is necessary, but the fact remains that the strong bond that we associate with self control and martial studies has been something romanticized beyond what was actually true.

This is a good point. Many of the romanticizations began when the arts started to evolve from the 'jutsus' and into the 'do' that we study today.

[Rebel Zero]

I could most certainly be wrong here, but I would like to add what I (think) I know.

The koryru were the ancient martial ways of Japan, what's most commonly referred to as "justsu." They were brutal battlefield tactics that were designed to maim or kill opponents. There was little honor here, as well as little Buddhist philosophy. Ancient samurai, studying to become as proficient as possible in destroying their enemies, rarely had time to devote to the meditation and insight required of Buddhist practice. They were more concerned with becoming the best warriors they could be. This has been romanticized in the West, as we did not have much knowledge of the samurai until they were nearly extinct.

The budo, as they evolved from the koryu, became an altogether different thing. As true battlefield conflict decreased, bukoka began to train for totally different reasons. While street-level self-defense was still a paramount concern, the bukoka's training became a means rather that just an end.

While the West likes to entertain the notion that the average samurai warrior was greatly influenced by Zen, that was not the case until everyday warfare began to die out. When folks began practicing budo even though they weren't likely to have to defend their lives regularly, honor-related martial arts came to be more prevalent.

Many modern budoka like to trace their roots back thousands of years, to the time when war-torn countries sent their best, most bloodthirsty warriors into battle. These warriors were focused on slaughtering their enemies and living to fight on. The koryu they practiced was a matter, literally, of life and death. Little else was considered.

These days, we have the luxury of truly committing our bodies and minds to a practice that has evolved beyond war. Much like Buddhism itself, the path of budo is, in fact, the goal. If one studies and trains in budo, and bushido, for one's entire life, then the honor and usefulness of the Way has been proven. It is no longer necessary to forge oneself by the trials of combat. It's helpful, to show that the budo are still effective, but not always pertinent.

In ancient times, the koryu were methods to become the best, most succesful warrior. In modern times, the budo are used to forge the best people that a society has to offer. That is honor.