Shinjo Dojo
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
The Shinjo Dojo is housed within the great structure of Shiro Shinjo and was established in 816 after the Return of the Ki-Rin. The sensei of the dojo consider themselves heirs to the teachings of Shinjo herself, and passed down those teachings from generation to generation during their travels in foreign lands. When the Unicorn Clan Champion Shinjo Yokatsu brought shame and dishonor upon his family the Shinjo lost much of their status and leadership of the Unicorn Clan. None of the sensei of the dojo were connected to the Kolat in any way however, and they remained a beakon of honor within the shame and deceit. Many innocent Shinjo took this opportunity to volunteer their services as instructors at the dojo, in an attempt to redeem their names. The new Clan Champion Moto Gaheris saw the increase in instructors as an advantage, and gathered together dozens of capable ashigaru and lesser vassals of the Moto family and "fast-tracked" them to become samurai. They were quickly given their gempukku ceremonies and enlisted for training in the Shinjo dojo. Some of the Shinjo sensei were unsure about this, but decided it was better to redeem their own names. As a result the number of samurai among the Unicorn swelled within fifteen years.
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[edit] Traditions
For most of the dojo's history there was no dojo. Even in modern times the dojo was viewed more as a necessary structure, and in keeping with the nomadic nature of the Unicorn the students would often leave for months at a time to take in their teachings while on the wide steppes of the clan. Instruction focuses generally on mounted combat, and both the rider and steed are expected to become fine Unicorn warriors. Usually a young bushi will be paired with a young and relatively untrained horse, and the bushi will be expected to feed and care for the horse as well as fight on it. Making the young bushi reliant upon the horse is done in an attempt to forge a bond between the two so they will work together effectively. These methods seem to have been quite successful over the years, producing some of the finest cavalry in Rokugan.
[edit] Training
Although the Unicorn train in kenjutsu like any other clan in Rokugan thy do not emphasize it as much. All weapons are treated with equal consideration, and the students are encouraged to pursue those weapons they seem most talented with. Gaijin fighting styles are also teached, with an emphasees on gaijin horse archery.
[edit] Visiting Students
The dojo is open to all who meet the sensei's approval, however the centuries of disdain and disrespect over their unique fighting styles has made the sensei take any such critisicm as a personal insult. The sensei take particular pleasure from exposing visiting students from other clans to harsh training regimes, giving them extra training exercises and sternly reprimanding those who are unable to master the techniques. If a visiting student even utters the words gaijin or barbaric they are immediately expelled and never asked to return. Visiting students are never allowed a full-blooded Unicorn steed and must make use of the lesser steeds given to them. A poor performance is always blamed on the student, not the horse, and if the animal is injured the student will pay with increased labor around the dojo. The only outsiders to be exepted from this are those of the Ox Clan and the Hiruma family of the Crab.
[edit] Dojo Benefits
The dojo emphasizes mounted combat as well as an open minded approach to the uses of a varitey of weapon styles. A student of the dojo is allowed to honor the dojo by wearing a netsuke carved in the image of a horse witha flaming mane (the Shinjo family symbol). These netsuke were made of ivory in the past, but since the dishonor of the Shinjo family the sensei have asked that they be carved of darkest ebony.
[edit] Sensei
The highest ranking teachers of the dojo have always been members of the Shinjo family, and usually a direct descendant of Shinjo. The chief instructor is usually the one with most combat experience, although the lineage also weighs alot if a direct line can be traced to Shinjo. It has also been a longstanding tradition that the Unicorn Clan Champion was the true master sensei of the dojo and could come and claim the position if they wished. Most Champion however rarely did this more than once a year, and then it was as part of a ceremonial gesture to review training and inspire loyalty. Even though Gaheris was the first non-Shinjo Champion he still honored the tradition. When Gaheris became to old to perform this task his grandson, Moto Chagatai kept up the yearly appearance instead.
[edit] Notable Sensei
[edit] Notable Students
[edit] Major References
- Way of the Samurai Pages 67-69.
