So those pants were somewhat like "handcuffs" to prevent rogue samurai to suddenly want to bolt at their lords and assassinate them, as they'd trip and fall in the process... This does make sense in hindsight. It wasn't just to look more elegant as many of us westerners assumed. I will say, I can also imagine a very crafty samurai to make a kick at their opponent, very clearly being out range to make the foot connect, but the sudden slap of the leggings could briefly confuse the opponent prompting them to ask themselves "what was that?" as that split-second curious glance to see what they felt on their legs could quickly lead to their defeat. On an additional note, I do enjoy the look and silhouette of the iconic Kamishimo raised shoulders. It feels like in retrospect, the 1980's brought back that look for many fashionable outfits... and still lives on to this day like Saiyan armor from the late, great Akira Toriyama.
I’m pretty sure that all the daimyo were required to wear the nagabakama in Edo Castle. I’m not sure if direct retainers of the shogun were required to wear that attire in the castle.
I remember you mentioning the intricate politics in Japan during the various samurai eras, emphasizing shifting alliances, spies, and traitors making it necessary for lords to restrict what samurai could do within castles such as requiring them to give up their katana but allowing them to wear the shorter wakizashi upon entering. Requiring them to wear the pointed shoulder pieces to restrict arm movements and the long hakama to effectively hobble them fits perfectly with that mindset. I can see Westerners assuming that samurai would take suspicion of disloyalty as a deep insult but that assumption does not take into consideration the strict stratification of Japanese society with people accepting not just the privileges but also the restrictions on their roles. Your explanation of the need for these kata also makes perfect sense not just as a point of pride that the samurai could still fight with these restrictions but as a safety measure if a spy or traitor were to try to assassinate the lord. What’s the point of having dozens of samurai around you if they can’t defend you? Thanks to you and Seki sensei for the demonstration.
It's funny how people who've never been on a medieval battlefield love to judge the "realism" of ancient practices. Honestly, I wish I knew some of these movement techniques sooner because modern armor is not so different from medieval armor these days. It'd be interesting to see some of these kata performed in modern level 4 body armor and all attachments. I'm not sure if that would be possible without a trip outside Japan since I know how strictly those items are controlled. Maybe the JSDF could be convinced to do a live demo?
UA-cam is up to its roof with "experts" on realism and, even worse, practicality, eager to bash on styles and techniques which are older than their family name is
Often the “experts” have never been in an actual fight, have no weapons training, and definitely never been in a ancient battle during the Sengoku era. But they’re some how experts in warfare lol.
I was watching the old "47 Ronin" a few weeks ago and I recall thinking that those pants were the silliest most ceremonial clothing I had ever seen. Now I see that they were in fact very functional and a clever solution to a problem that existed in feudal times.
This is the best visual demonstration of Chesterton's fence that I have ever seen. The idea proposed by Chesterton sounds like this: If you see a fence that is seemingly standing in the middle of nowhere and it's not clear why is it there to begin with, you need to first understand why it was placed there in the first place, before trying to remove it. So, if some technique or practice seems to be completely unnecessary - you need to first understand why it exists, before trying to remove it.
Amazing video and love the historical lessons and details in the video. I would love to see a video with Seki-Sensei in armor. Also, the concept of kata seems to perplex westerners. It’s not meant to be taken literally, it’s there to blend techniques (combination movements), teach fundamental concepts, conduct techniques in motion, improving battle vision (peripheral vision), whole body movements and training muscle memory - there are numerous other benefits to kata and nearly every society have them (forms in China and they were called Plays in European swordsmanship). There would literally be a million kata if they were supposed to actually directly used in combat or in self defense.
I did some research on a Samurai called Tenaka Rentaro here at the museum where I work. We have a posed photograph of him wearing Naga - bakama from around 1890 in Paris. We found out that back home in Japan he was a bodyguard to a lord and then came to realise why he was wearing these Naga - bakama. Thanks for the great video and demonstration as I have learned that little bit more about these strange yet remarkable, can I say anti assassination pants! Cheers Mike
agree that the ko in kobudo, basically means old or ancient, should be preserved instead of modified in order to reach for efficiency through the lens of presentism. if one wants efficiency for today's world, then gendaibudo should be the focus instead of kobudo, as gendai means modern or nowadays. but it would be interesting to see budo / bujutsu done in modern clothing, e.g. tuxedo, gowns, causal clothes, etc. imagine a lady in ballroom dress doing naginata no kata :)
Chipping in on the long hakama, as promised! I've been waiting for this video for ages, lol. The history and reasoning behind the practices really helps to ground myself in the movements. It's just that much better when the understanding kicks in. Thank you for cultivating our knowledge, Shogo! And thank you Seki-sensei for knowing such an unbelievable amount of information!
You are so generous 😮 How good are you 🙏👍❤ Totally agree with you! We love our Ryuha so much! It's almost spiritual 🙏 Have a great weekend 😀 Take care. Stay safe 🙏 John and Kate
@@KateJohn2013England naw, I gave my word when Shogo-senpai said he might make a video like this, and I was not disappointed in the least! The value of this video... I only wish I could do more right now 🙏🙏🙏🍻
Totally understand 👍 We feel the same! I think the only thing we can do is listen, learn and try to get good enough to pass on this art and culture the best we can. And Hopefully make Master Seki and the crew proud of us for trying to make his dream come true 👍 Is it rude to say our dream? Because really to make it work it has to be the dream of all of us loyal students 🙏👍 That's how we feel! Unfortunately we are trapped in this finite game at present but are trying to find a way to become part of the infinite one 😊🙏👍 Take care. Stay safe 🙏 John and Kate
Really a fantastic video! I would love to see a demonstration of Seki sensei wearing a real Samurai armor. It would be truly amazing and very instructive for someone like me who owns a replica. I hope one day it will be possible to make it happen. Congratulations again on the video and the wonderful channel you're running
I just achieved my 5th Kyu in Kenjutsu and I really enjoy watching your videos :D Our school is slightly different, so I enjoy your takes and broaden my understanding.
I would love more content with historic pieces. Seeing the movements with naga-hakama, and the full context of some of the finer details is so cool! Also, question regarding the naga-hakama... how fast do your feet wear through the garment? It looks like youd need to repair it every 3 months with any kind of regular use. How would you repair it? Take out one panel and replace?
It really looked like Sensei was really struggling not to crack a smile even in the introduction of the video while wearing this (historically!) absurd hakama.
Ok, seeing this I'm now curious to see Seki-Sensei attempt fighting with a different type of European sword while wearing some of the traditional European garb. Namely the Scottish Claymore while in a kilt. Especially after explaining that the traditional way of wearing said garb is to not wear anything underneath.
Alas I didn't move with such precision and grace during an Iaido demonstration at a Village Fete a couple of years ago, wearing a new hakama that was too long for me! As to the effectiveness of technique from various Ryu, our Sensei says one must differentiate between training (kata) and fighting (kenjitsu ). One question though, were not the long sword (katana) left at the entrance when entering a building?
I LOVE that the movement principles of these kata are so similar that you could do them in either ceremonial attire or heavy armor. It just makes so much sense that the samurai of that period would adapt their techniques from war to their new outfits. History is awesome
Damn right!! And to think our historical brothers of Asayama Ichiden Ryuha were the Samurai class that taught Samurai to fight 😮 No pressure there then in carrying on the line properly 😮😊 We love a challenge 🙏👍😊 After every lesson and every post, we find something that makes us love our Ryuha more and more!! We are so lucky to be part of it🙏👍🤗 Take care. Stay safe 🙏 John and Kate
I would dismiss that criticism if I were you. Kobudo is martial arts for the purpose of actual killing and self defense after all. I would like to think those people are the sort who loves to pretend they know everything.
This makes me think of the scene in Abarenbo Shogun where Tatsugoro has to disguise himself as a daimyo because the castle guards are looking for him, and falls on his face running.
I wish I was younger, and I had the money to be able to study with you. It was a dream when I was young to learn these things and I had a great respect for the Japanese culture. However, now I am 66 years old and do not have the moneyor the ability to travel to Japan to study with you. I do want to say thank you so much for revealing traditional Japanese martial arts as they were practiced in an error where they were practical. Thank you and God bless you.
I have an odd question: Do swordsmen make good golfers? Both require precise aim and angle of attack, and excellent rotation. Also, how would Sensei fight with a golf club?
Shogi ,Have you had any repercussions from thr Japaneses government or anyone else from you content on either of your chanels ? If you prefer not to answer please ignor quite understandable.Fantastic chanels by the way.
I love learning the history behind each movement in a kata. It's not only interesting in that it passes down a piece of history, it is also a great teaching tool to know why something is the way it is. I was wondering, whenever it is possible, if Seki Sensei could tell us what he thinks of the remake of Shogun. Nobody can replace the great Toshiro Mifune, but Sanada san makes it amazing in his own way, in my opinion.
I remember seeing illustrations of early 16th century clan leaders wearing these hakama, they look so silly but their purpose is so incredible
So those pants were somewhat like "handcuffs" to prevent rogue samurai to suddenly want to bolt at their lords and assassinate them, as they'd trip and fall in the process... This does make sense in hindsight. It wasn't just to look more elegant as many of us westerners assumed.
I will say, I can also imagine a very crafty samurai to make a kick at their opponent, very clearly being out range to make the foot connect, but the sudden slap of the leggings could briefly confuse the opponent prompting them to ask themselves "what was that?" as that split-second curious glance to see what they felt on their legs could quickly lead to their defeat.
On an additional note, I do enjoy the look and silhouette of the iconic Kamishimo raised shoulders. It feels like in retrospect, the 1980's brought back that look for many fashionable outfits... and still lives on to this day like Saiyan armor from the late, great Akira Toriyama.
Interesting tidbit on the rogue samurai part 👍
I guess that is the same reason they had to sit Seiza by the end of the Edo period
maybe it could be used like the cloak part of cloak and dagger, except with your legs trying to wrap up or block enemy attacks
I’m pretty sure that all the daimyo were required to wear the nagabakama in Edo Castle. I’m not sure if direct retainers of the shogun were required to wear that attire in the castle.
I remember you mentioning the intricate politics in Japan during the various samurai eras, emphasizing shifting alliances, spies, and traitors making it necessary for lords to restrict what samurai could do within castles such as requiring them to give up their katana but allowing them to wear the shorter wakizashi upon entering. Requiring them to wear the pointed shoulder pieces to restrict arm movements and the long hakama to effectively hobble them fits perfectly with that mindset.
I can see Westerners assuming that samurai would take suspicion of disloyalty as a deep insult but that assumption does not take into consideration the strict stratification of Japanese society with people accepting not just the privileges but also the restrictions on their roles.
Your explanation of the need for these kata also makes perfect sense not just as a point of pride that the samurai could still fight with these restrictions but as a safety measure if a spy or traitor were to try to assassinate the lord. What’s the point of having dozens of samurai around you if they can’t defend you?
Thanks to you and Seki sensei for the demonstration.
"Turn on your axis," is a great bit of advice I'll remember when moving whilst encumbered.
It's funny how people who've never been on a medieval battlefield love to judge the "realism" of ancient practices. Honestly, I wish I knew some of these movement techniques sooner because modern armor is not so different from medieval armor these days. It'd be interesting to see some of these kata performed in modern level 4 body armor and all attachments. I'm not sure if that would be possible without a trip outside Japan since I know how strictly those items are controlled. Maybe the JSDF could be convinced to do a live demo?
UA-cam is up to its roof with "experts" on realism and, even worse, practicality, eager to bash on styles and techniques which are older than their family name is
Often the “experts” have never been in an actual fight, have no weapons training, and definitely never been in a ancient battle during the Sengoku era. But they’re some how experts in warfare lol.
Tankendo is probably the closet it is basically kendo but with bayonets and is still practist by the jsdf
Are these experts in the room with us now?
I was watching the old "47 Ronin" a few weeks ago and I recall thinking that those pants were the silliest most ceremonial clothing I had ever seen. Now I see that they were in fact very functional and a clever solution to a problem that existed in feudal times.
This is the best visual demonstration of Chesterton's fence that I have ever seen.
The idea proposed by Chesterton sounds like this: If you see a fence that is seemingly standing in the middle of nowhere and it's not clear why is it there to begin with, you need to first understand why it was placed there in the first place, before trying to remove it.
So, if some technique or practice seems to be completely unnecessary - you need to first understand why it exists, before trying to remove it.
I love learning the history that is weaved into your videos
I agree, these guys have so many things to share!🙇
Amazing video and love the historical lessons and details in the video. I would love to see a video with Seki-Sensei in armor.
Also, the concept of kata seems to perplex westerners. It’s not meant to be taken literally, it’s there to blend techniques (combination movements), teach fundamental concepts, conduct techniques in motion, improving battle vision (peripheral vision), whole body movements and training muscle memory - there are numerous other benefits to kata and nearly every society have them (forms in China and they were called Plays in European swordsmanship). There would literally be a million kata if they were supposed to actually directly used in combat or in self defense.
I did some research on a Samurai called Tenaka Rentaro here at the museum where I work. We have a posed photograph of him wearing Naga - bakama from around 1890 in Paris. We found out that back home in Japan he was a bodyguard to a lord and then came to realise why he was wearing these Naga - bakama. Thanks for the great video and demonstration as I have learned that little bit more about these strange yet remarkable, can I say anti assassination pants!
Cheers
Mike
I really like Seki Sensei he's such a skilled considerate humble person he should be an example for everybody.
agree that the ko in kobudo, basically means old or ancient, should be preserved instead of modified in order to reach for efficiency through the lens of presentism. if one wants efficiency for today's world, then gendaibudo should be the focus instead of kobudo, as gendai means modern or nowadays.
but it would be interesting to see budo / bujutsu done in modern clothing, e.g. tuxedo, gowns, causal clothes, etc. imagine a lady in ballroom dress doing naginata no kata :)
所作の一つ一つに意味がある事がとても良く解ります。
勉強になります、ありがとうございました。
Basically you turn into a living history book, which is a great feat!
A lot of Japanese culture seems weird to me but Shogo and Seki Sensei always explain it so well that it makes sense.
seki sensei can adapt to any situation, that shows how amazing he is
When Seki Sensei kicks and fixes the naga-bakama it reminds me of the neko ashi dachi in karate
So not only sitting down was for keeping people in check, but also the clothes. I didn't know that. Thanks!
Chipping in on the long hakama, as promised! I've been waiting for this video for ages, lol. The history and reasoning behind the practices really helps to ground myself in the movements. It's just that much better when the understanding kicks in. Thank you for cultivating our knowledge, Shogo! And thank you Seki-sensei for knowing such an unbelievable amount of information!
You are so generous 😮 How good are you 🙏👍❤
Totally agree with you! We love our Ryuha so much! It's almost spiritual 🙏
Have a great weekend 😀
Take care. Stay safe 🙏
John and Kate
@@KateJohn2013England naw, I gave my word when Shogo-senpai said he might make a video like this, and I was not disappointed in the least! The value of this video... I only wish I could do more right now 🙏🙏🙏🍻
Totally understand 👍 We feel the same! I think the only thing we can do is listen, learn and try to get good enough to pass on this art and culture the best we can. And Hopefully make Master Seki and the crew proud of us for trying to make his dream come true 👍 Is it rude to say our dream? Because really to make it work it has to be the dream of all of us loyal students 🙏👍 That's how we feel! Unfortunately we are trapped in this finite game at present but are trying to find a way to become part of the infinite one 😊🙏👍
Take care. Stay safe 🙏
John and Kate
Thank you so much for your support! I’m very happy that you liked this video!
@@letsasksekisensei loved it! Thank you for making it!!!
Really a fantastic video! I would love to see a demonstration of Seki sensei wearing a real Samurai armor. It would be truly amazing and very instructive for someone like me who owns a replica. I hope one day it will be possible to make it happen. Congratulations again on the video and the wonderful channel you're running
I just achieved my 5th Kyu in Kenjutsu and I really enjoy watching your videos :D
Our school is slightly different, so I enjoy your takes and broaden my understanding.
I would love more content with historic pieces. Seeing the movements with naga-hakama, and the full context of some of the finer details is so cool!
Also, question regarding the naga-hakama... how fast do your feet wear through the garment? It looks like youd need to repair it every 3 months with any kind of regular use. How would you repair it? Take out one panel and replace?
Seki Sensei is a treasure of knowledge! thank you for sharing. And I would like everything to be turned into a book, actually more books.😊
It really looked like Sensei was really struggling not to crack a smile even in the introduction of the video while wearing this (historically!) absurd hakama.
Thank you for your videos.
Thank you for showing that. It was incredible and you answered a question I have had in the back of my mind for a while. Take care!
Cool, of course the crazy pants technique works. Love it ❤. See you next video
Thank you for another great demonstration 🎉
Super long hakama video is incredible. Could you make a video about fighting with long sword such as nodachi please?
Ok, seeing this I'm now curious to see Seki-Sensei attempt fighting with a different type of European sword while wearing some of the traditional European garb. Namely the Scottish Claymore while in a kilt. Especially after explaining that the traditional way of wearing said garb is to not wear anything underneath.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Alas I didn't move with such precision and grace during an Iaido demonstration at a Village Fete a couple of years ago, wearing a new hakama that was too long for me!
As to the effectiveness of technique from various Ryu, our Sensei says one must differentiate between training (kata) and fighting (kenjitsu ).
One question though, were not the long sword (katana) left at the entrance when entering a building?
These long hakama also conceal the feet, hiding intent of potential movement.
I LOVE that the movement principles of these kata are so similar that you could do them in either ceremonial attire or heavy armor. It just makes so much sense that the samurai of that period would adapt their techniques from war to their new outfits. History is awesome
Thank you.
Just noticed that the longsword and rapier from the other videos are on display 1:24
This new intro is awesome
😳😲How cool is that! 😊 What a wonderful history and culture ❤🙏👍
Take care. Stay safe 🙏
John and Kate
Agreed! We're so lucky to have a crew that knows it backwards and forwards to share it with us!
Damn right!!
And to think our historical brothers of Asayama Ichiden Ryuha were the Samurai class that taught Samurai to fight 😮 No pressure there then in carrying on the line properly 😮😊 We love a challenge 🙏👍😊
After every lesson and every post, we find something that makes us love our Ryuha more and more!! We are so lucky to be part of it🙏👍🤗 Take care. Stay safe 🙏
John and Kate
@@KateJohn2013England cheers to that, no pressure indeed 🍻🍻🍻
I would dismiss that criticism if I were you. Kobudo is martial arts for the purpose of actual killing and self defense after all. I would like to think those people are the sort who loves to pretend they know everything.
Awesome stuff Shogo & Seki Sensei!
This makes me think of the scene in Abarenbo Shogun where Tatsugoro has to disguise himself as a daimyo because the castle guards are looking for him, and falls on his face running.
I wish I was younger, and I had the money to be able to study with you. It was a dream when I was young to learn these things and I had a great respect for the Japanese culture. However, now I am 66 years old and do not have the moneyor the ability to travel to Japan to study with you. I do want to say thank you so much for revealing traditional Japanese martial arts as they were practiced in an error where they were practical. Thank you and God bless you.
If I wear long pants, I'll slip and fall on the floor.
How hard would it be to perform Kata when wearing the Kamishima? With and without Naga-Hakama? I'm honestly curious.
2nd Dan will require me to practice in something extremely difficult for my two left feet. ^^
I have an odd question: Do swordsmen make good golfers? Both require precise aim and angle of attack, and excellent rotation.
Also, how would Sensei fight with a golf club?
Very instructive!💯
Omoshiroi!🤩🗡️
De uma coisa é certa:👍🏼👏🏼
- o chão vai sempre ficar brilhando 🤭✨
I demand to know where I can purchase comically long hakama for memetic purposes!
Thats cool. 😊
Shogi ,Have you had any repercussions from thr Japaneses government or anyone else from you content on either of your chanels ? If you prefer not to answer please ignor quite understandable.Fantastic chanels by the way.
Long long long hakamaaaaaaa mannnn
I have a question,
問があります,
How can someone invent a martial art?
どのように誰かが武道を発明することができますか?
Is it me or did I read Naga Bakama??
Young master teach awesome lessons, way of code learn old way , how teach way of code from elder Master.
Shogo San can we create our own ryuha styles? Please tell!!😊
面白い
Seems like a great way to lose a sword engagement.
What was the reason for such long pants dragging on the floor - anyone know ?
It looks like yankee style
Wen Kill bill???
I love learning the history behind each movement in a kata. It's not only interesting in that it passes down a piece of history, it is also a great teaching tool to know why something is the way it is. I was wondering, whenever it is possible, if Seki Sensei could tell us what he thinks of the remake of Shogun. Nobody can replace the great Toshiro Mifune, but Sanada san makes it amazing in his own way, in my opinion.
Can you make video about estoc I mean can samurai use an estoc an that could be better than katana?