RE: The Naming of Things... (2 Replies) Kensei - 06/29/1998 - 02:59:58 P Kensei is a Japanese term. It means "sword saint" and directly refers to Musashi Miyamoto, whose treatise on strategy ( A Book of Five Rings) is possibly the best of its kind ever written. The book ( and, I suppose, the man) has profoundly influenced my life. When I first started surfing the net, I joined the Mobile Infantry ( Starship Troopers) and was required to use a 'nom de guerre'. I chose Kensei , and have seen no reason to change it. Just FYI, Japans most famous actor,Toshiro Mifune, made himself famous by playing Musashi and Musashi-like characters in the old Kurasawa samurai movies, many of which were later re-made in America ( and Italy) as cowboy movies ( Magnificent Seven, A Fist Full of Dollars) and even SF movies like Star Wars ( original title- The Hidden Fortress).

Kurasawa samurai movies (2 Replies) tOM - 06/30/1998 - 09:12:39 A I've seen "The Seven Samurai" and "Io Jimbo" (?). Loved the first, loved the second even more. Are there others?

RE: Kurasawa samurai movies (0 Replies) Kensei - 07/01/1998 - 11:12:42 A Here is the post I tried unsuccessfully to put up yesterday: Most definitely. Here's a short list of some of the more interesting ones: Sanjuro - sort of a follow up to Yojimbo. Still photographs of Toshiro Mifunes sword fight scenes from this movie are used in "This Is Kendo" the basic primer for Kendo (Japanese fencing) students. Rashomon- not a samurai flic, but one of Kurasawa's finest films. The plot has been lifted by every B- writer in Hollywood. Watch this, then watch Voyager/Silent Witness and tell me that ST doesn't plagiarize. Ran (Chaos) -This is the ne plus ultra of samurai movies. It's actually a brilliant adaptation of W. Shakespeare's Macbeth. The cinematography is beautiful, the acting superb. A genuine 4 star academy award winner (best foreign film). Kagemusha (Shadow Warrior) - Another 4 star film (IMHO). The Hidden Fortress - According to G. Lucas this was the inspiration for Star Wars. These are by no means all of Kurasawas' films, or even all of his samurai movies. If you want more after these, I'll post a list of all of them ( I have to check my tape library at home).

RE: Kurasawa movies (0 Replies) tOM - 07/06/1998 - 10:34:42 A >>>Rashomon- not a samurai flic, but one of Kurasawa's finest films. The plot has been lifted by every B- writer in Hollywood. Watch this, then watch Voyager/Silent Witness and tell me that ST doesn't plagiarize. I've seen Rashomon. This has been stolen more times than you can shake a large stick at. It reminds me a Durell's "Alexandria Quartet" in that every fact remains true but they take on a whole new meaning with each re-telling. Kurasawa does it best in that, if I remember right, none of the people is lying. Usually Hollywood will have someone fabricating a story because the Western mind has trouble with the concept of the truth as more than just one thing. I'd like to say that I'm interested but actually, I probably don't have any time to watch them. But to those people who do have the time I'd highly recommend them. These are great stories that do not get compromised just to make the ending come out "happy".

RE: Kurasawa samurai movies (0 Replies) pookha - 06/30/1998 - 01:23:26 P article data could not be accessed --------------------------------------------

RE: The Naming of Things... (3 Replies) mab - 06/29/1998 - 03:32:16 P I could be totally wrong but is this the same man who wrote "The Art of War"? That book has influenced everyone from governments to businesses for the past 2000 years. Is this word related to "sensei"? mab

Kensei I believe (0 Replies) pookha - 06/30/1998 - 08:49:05 A was the name of one of twin Dorsia soldiers in the Gordon Dickson stories.

RE: Art of War (0 Replies) Kensei - 06/29/1998 - 05:34:57 P Art of War was written by Sun Tzu, a Chinese general, well over 1000 years before Musashi's time ( 17th century). However, Musashi was deeply influenced by Sun Tzu's writing as he was schooled in Chinese literature, quite common for a man of his station during this time. Both books sit on my reference shelf, and while AOW is better known in the west ( it was first translated into a western language, French, during the time of Napoleon), Musashi's work is considered by many to be superior ( and this is highly debatable) due to the fact that Musashi incorporated and elucidated on much of the earlier work, and the fact that it is required reading in all Japanese business admin courses. Both books have much to offer, as they are not so much treatises on warfare as they are guides to interpersonal conflict. The term "sei" is basically an honorific meaning master or teacher ( a sensei is the teacher of a particular art form, not necessarily a martial one). Kensei is a combination of the radical (sei) and the Kanji term (ken) meaning 'sword'.

I thought he was a sensei named Ken. (1 Reply) Vir - 06/29/1998 - 04:55:00 P Nope. The Art of War was written by Sun Su, who was Chinese, and lived a lot earlier than Musashi.

You're a fount of information, Vir! (nt) (1 Reply) mab - 06/29/1998 - 05:10:37 P

I'm not aware of too many things; I know what I know if you know what I mean (nt) (0 Replies) Vir - 06/29/1998 - 08:23:50 P ..................................................................................