DaiSaigo
Dai Saigo? The film The Last Samurai brought a lot of attention to a historic figure in Japan - Saigo Takamori. Although the film is very impressive and worth seeing it, the story is fiction that takes historic events and characters as a basis and source of inspiration. Saigo Takamori is the historical figure that Katsumoto was based upon. Saigo Takamori is more commonly known as Dai Saigo (or Saigo theGreat) in Japan. Dai Saigo is among Japan's most beloved national heroes and is universally believed to embody the essence of what it means to be Japanese. As the Japanese say to foreigners - `Understand Saigo and you will understand Japan.'
Bushido, the Samurai warrior's code, is a martial arts code with a 1000 year history.
Code of The Warrior (Bushido)
Bushido was the warrior code of the samurai. Bushido was a strict code that demanded loyalty, devotion, and honor to the death. Bushido is an internally-consistent ethical code. In its purest form, it demands of its practitioners that they look effectively backward at the present from the moment of their own death, as if they were already, in effect, dead. There are seven virtues associated with Bushido:
Honesty and Justice (Gi)
Katsumoto
the movie The Last Samurai
Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. to the true Samurai, there are no shades of gray in the question of honesty and justice. There is only right and wrong Polite Courtesy (Rei)
Samurai have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. A Samurai is courteous even to his enemies. Wihtout this outward show of respect, we are nothing more than animals. A Samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also by his dealing with other men. The true strength of a Samurai becomes apparent during difficult times. Heroic Courage (Yu)
Rise up above the masses of people who are afraid to act. Hiding like a turtle in a shell is not living at all. A Samurai must have heroic courage. It is absolutely risky. It is dangerous. It is livinging life completely, fully, wonderfully. Heroic courage is not blind. It is intelligent and strong.
Honor (Meiyo)
A true Samurai has only one judge of honor, and this is himself. Decisions you make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of whom you truly are. You cannot hide from yourself. Compassion (Jin)
Through intense training the Samurai becomes quick and strong. He is not as other men. He develops a power that must be used for the good of all. He has compassion. He helps his fellow man at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, he goes out of his way to find one.
Complete Sincerity (Makoto)
When a Samurai has said he will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop him from completing what he has said he will do. He does not have to "give his word." He does not have to "promise." Speaking and doing are the same action.
Duty and Loyalty (Chu)
For the Samurai, having done some "thing" or said some "thing," he knows he owns that "thing." He is responsible for it, and all the consequences that follow. A Samurai is immensely loyal to those in his care. To those he is responsible for, he remains fiercely true. DaiSaigo.com domain name is for sale...$4,500