Notes on the Sources.
The following quotes are referenced within Young Samurai: The Ring of Sky (with the page numbers in square brackets below) and their sources are acknowledged here: 1. [Page 37] 'When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.' By Charles Austin Beard (American historian, 18741948).
2. [Page 127] 'No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.' By William Blake (English poet, 17571827).
3. [Page 300] 'Revenge has no more quenching effect on the emotions than salt water on thirst.' By Walter Weckler (190569).
4. [Page 325] 'Don't be afraid of death, be afraid of a life un-lived.' By Natalie Babbitt (author, b.1932).
5. [Page 350] Haiku. By Bash (164394).
Japanese Glossary.
BUSHIDO.
Bushido, meaning the 'Way of the Warrior', is a Japanese code of conduct similar to the concept of chivalry. Samurai warriors were meant to adhere to the seven moral principles in their martial arts training and in their day-to-day lives.
Virtue 1: Gi Rectitude.
Gi is the ability to make the right decision with moral con. dence and to be fair and equal towards all people no matter what colour, race, gender or age.
Virtue 2: Yu Courage.
Yu is the ability to handle any situation with valour and con. dence.
Virtue 3: Jin Benevolence.
Jin is a combination of compassion and generosity. This virtue works together with Gi and discourages samurai from using their skills arrogantly or for domination.
Virtue 4: Rei Respect.
Rei is a matter of courtesy and proper behaviour towards others. This virtue means to have respect for all.
Virtue 5: Makoto Honesty.
Makoto is about being honest to oneself as much as to others. It means acting in ways that are morally right and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Virtue 6: Meiyo Honour
Meiyo is sought with a positive attitude in mind, but will only follow with correct behaviour. Success is an honourable goal to strive for.
Virtue 7: Chungi Loyalty.
Chungi is the foundation of all the virtues; without dedication and loyalty to the task at hand and to one another, one cannot hope to achieve the desired outcome.
A SHORT GUIDE TO PRONOUNCING JAPANESE WORDS.
Vowels are pronounced in the following way:.
'a' as the 'a' in 'at'
'e' as the 'e' in 'bet'
'i' as the 'i' in 'police'
'o' as the 'o' in 'dot'
'u' as the 'u' in 'put'
'ai' as in 'eye'
'ii' as in 'week'
'' as in 'far'
'' as in 'go'
'' as in 'blue'
Consonants are pronounced in the same way as English: 'g' is hard as in 'get'
'j' is soft as in 'jelly'
'ch' as in 'church'
'z' as in 'zoo'
'ts' as in 'itself'
Each syllable is pronounced separately: A-ki-ko Ya-ma-to Ma-sa-mo-to Ka-zu-ki arigat (gozaimasu) thank you (very much) azuma no yabun hito Eastern barbarian b wooden fighting staff bjutsu the Art of the B bokken wooden sword bugy a magistrate or governor bunbu ichi the pen and sword in accord (also Bunbu Ryodo the duel path of pen and sword) bushido the Way of the Warrior the samurai code Butokuden Hall of the Virtues of War chigiriki a Japanese flail weapon with a wooden shaft and a spiked weight on the end of a short chain daimyo feudal lord daish the pair of swords, wakizashi and katana, that are traditional weapons of the samurai Daruma Doll small wooden egg-shaped doll with no arms or legs, which is modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen; one eye is filled in with black ink while making a wish or goal, and the other is filled in when the wish or goal is attained dochu no sei stillness in motion dohy the ring in which sumo wrestling bouts are held dojo training hall dshin Edo-period police officers of samurai origin (low rank) ens a circle and a concept strongly associated with Zen fudoshin literally 'immovable heart', a spirit of unshakeable calm fusuma vertical rectangular panels that act as sliding doors or room dividers futon Japanese bed: flat mattress placed directly on tatami flooring, and folded away during the day gaijin foreigner, outsider (derogatory term).
gasshuku martial arts training camp geisha a Japanese girl trained to entertain men with conversation, dance and song geta traditional Japanese sandal with an elevated wooden base gyji a referee in sumo wrestling hachimaki headbands, sometimes reinforced with metal strips hatamoto literally 'under the banners'; a samurai in the direct service of the Shogun hayanawa a short rope used for restraining prisoners hikyaku 'Flying Feet' (a courier).
ippon seoinage one-armed shoulder throw jigoku Hell pool jutte (or jitte) an iron truncheon or rod with a short pointed hook kabuki a classical Japanese dance-drama kama sickle-shaped weapon kamon a samurai family crest (also mon) kata a prescribed set of martial arts moves kataginu a Japanese-style jacket with stiffened shoulders like wings katana long sword ki energy flow or life force (Chinese: chi or qi) kiai literally 'concentrated spirit' used in martial arts as a shout for focusing energy when executing a technique kiaijutsu the Art of the Kiai (shout) kimono traditional Japanese clothing kissaki tip of sword koban Japanese oval gold coin koto a thirteen-string zither-like instrument.
kuji-in nine syllable seals a specialized form of Buddhist and ninja meditation kunai a farming tool, which resembles a masonry trowel and can be used as a weapon kyusho vital or nerve point on a human body mabiki a farming process of weeding out the rice seedlings; also a term for infanticide menp protective metal mask covering part or all of the face metsuke technique of 'looking at a faraway mountain'
mie a powerful and emotional pose struck by an actor during a kabuki performance mikan satsuma, orange citrus fruit mikky secret teachings.
mochi rice cake mon a round copper coin with a hole in the centre, common currency of Japan until 1870; also can be a samurai family crest musha shugy warrior pilgrimage nanban southern barbarian ninja Japanese assassin ninjat ninja sword ninjutsu the Art of Stealth Niten Ichi Ry the 'One School of Two Heavens'
nodachi a very large two-handed sword obi belt.
ofuro bath -metsuke a spy of the Shogun, reporting directly to the Council of the Shogun onsen natural hot springs used for bathing ramen a noodle dish.
ri traditional Japanese unit of distance, approx. 2.44 miles ronin masterless samurai rotenburo open-air hot spring bath sake rice wine.
sakura cherry-blossom tree samurai Japanese warrior sankyo a wrist lock in aikido that is termed 'third teaching'
sashimi raw fish.
saya scabbard Saya no uchi de katsu victory in the scabbard of the sword sensei teacher seppuku ritual suicide.
Sha ninja hand sign, interpreted as healing for ninjutsu purposes shakuj a Buddhist ringed staff shamisen a three-stringed plucked lute Shichi H De 'the Seven Ways of Going', the art of disguise and impersonation shinobi shozoku the clothing of a ninja Shodo the path or way of writing; Japanese calligraphy Shogun the military dictator of Japan shoji Japanese sliding door shuriken metal throwing stars.
suki a term in kenjutsu for a break in concentration that results in flawed technique or vulnerability to attack sumimasen excuse me; my apologies sumo a Japanese form of heavyweight wrestling.
sushi raw fish on rice suzume Japanese name for a sparrow; also can be used as a name taijutsu the Art of the Body (hand-to-hand combat) tameshigiri a test cut to assess the quality of a samurai sword, performed on corpses and sometimes convicted criminals tant short knife.
Taryu-Jiai inter-school martial arts competition tatami floor matting tekubi gatamae hyperflexing wristlock.
ten-uchi a sword technique the arm and wrist make a twisting motion during a descending strike torii a distinctive Japanese gate made of two uprights and two crossbars denoting the separation between common space and sacred space, found at the entrance to Shinto shrines Toro Nagashi a ceremony that is carried out on the last evening of the Bon Festival; paper lanterns are floated down rivers and out to sea in order to guide the spirits back to their own world tsuzumi handheld lacquered wooden drums in an hourglass shape.
uke training partner who attacks.
wakizashi side-arm short sword.
wako Japanese pirates washi traditional Japanese-style paper.
yakitori grilled chicken on a stick.
Yama Arashi Mountain Storm throw a hand-throwing technique that also uses a thigh sweep to take an opponent to the ground Yoko Sankaku Jime side triangle choke using the legs.
yubitsume a Japanese ritual to atone for offences by means of cutting off one's own little finger (lit. 'finger shortening') yukata summer kimono.
Zai ninja hand sign for sky or elements control.
zazen meditation.
Japanese names usually consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, unlike in the Western world where the given name comes before the surname. In feudal Japan, names reflected a person's social status and spiritual beliefs. Also, when addressing someone, san is added to that person's surname (or given names in less formal situations) as a sign of courtesy, in the same way that we use Mr or Mrs in English, and for higher-status people sama is used. In Japan, sensei is usually added after a person's name if they are a teacher, although in the Young Samurai books a traditional English order has been retained. Boys and girls are usually addressed using kun and chan, respectively.
Acknowledgements.
With Jack's journey in Japan finally coming to an end, so has mine. And it has been a musha shugy of epic proportions. The original idea was first born in 2006, with the first book, The Way of the Warrior, written in the spring of 2007 and published the following summer in 2008 (UK). Six years have passed since that spark of an idea. Eight books have now been released in the series: 636,208 words written in total. Jack's adventures have been published in twenty-five countries and eighteen foreign languages (so far). They've been nominated for more than sixteen book awards (and won some!). And I've toured ten countries, twenty book festivals, more than 500 schools, and performed live to over 100,000 fans and almost a million as part of the Biggest Book Show On Earth online festival. Yet none of this could have happened without the support and belief of the following people ...
Charlie Viney, my agent, who recognized the idea for its potential and had the unwavering belief to make it happen.
Sarah Hughes at Puffin Books for seizing the Young Samurai sword before anyone else could; swiftly followed by my editor, Shannon Cullen, who bravely took up the sword from Sarah and sharpened it to perfection over the years. Also, Lola Bubbosh at Disney and the ever-faithful and fantastic Puffin team, including Wendy Shakespeare, Helen Gray, Julia Teece, Jayde Lynch, Sara Flavell and the cover designer Paul Young.
Pippa Le Quesne for her early guidance in the art of writing. Tessa Girvan, Franca Bernatavicius and Nicki Kennedy, my overseas agents at ILA, for taking Young Samurai round the world.
My martial arts instructors Steve Cowley, David Ansell and Peter Brown for their expert tuition, knowledge and support.
My friends Karen, Rob and Thomas, Geoff and Lucy, Matt, Hayley, to name only a few for their constant encouragement and feedback.
My family Sarah, Zach, Mum and Dad, Sue and Simon, Steve and Sam, Ann and Andrew, Laura who have been with me every step of the way, carrying me through the toughest of times and celebrating with me at the best of times.
And, finally, a huge heartfelt thanks must go to my readers. This book is dedicated to you, and here are just a handful of the most ardent supporters: Adeeb Nami, Guilherme Merched Salomo, Charlie Harland, Hannah Lim En Hui, Paul Nelson, Koh Xuan Hong, Tyler Thompson, Cross Lee Jun Ye, Gabby Bolderstone, Tee Yew Ping, Andrew Whetherly, Nick Ritter, Nathaniel E Whiles, Lorraine Whiles, Cameron Clarke, Joel Monroy, Alexander De Potter, Rhiona O'Brien, Mon Yeu Chan, Natalija Damjanovi, Laura Colussi, Tom Horton, Shevy Oakly, Siddhant Ganguly, Liam Moir, Daniel Baryshnikov, Elmiga Herbst, Gracie Millett, Victoria Frberg, Matthew Apps, Philip Morgan, Charlie Baker, Low Chuan Wei, Aidan Bracher, Kirby Phillips, Marco Rivolta, George Griffiths, Tiwa Ethan Adelaja, Nur Zarifah Mohd Zafrullah, Callum Dunlop, Seth Alexander James Turquand-Cook, Nirmit Dhanani, Thean Li-Yang, Robert Mitchell, Li Chao, Anurag Kumar, Elliott Daly, Isabelle Monteiro, Chloe Anne Dervey, Soon Jia Yi, Isaac Roe, Mu'ammar Theba, Mohammad Dainish Jabeen, Nicholas Mitchell, Thibaut Revers, Nathaniel L. Williams, Emilie Elizabeth Carroll, Anisur Rahman, Shelbert Creech III, Shelbert Creech IV, Bishal Bahadur Sanmani Magar, Instructor Steve McCormick, Shazaan Nadeem, Hank Kiser, Simranjit Cheema, Zoe Oakes. Lande Fourie, Banti Debnath, Colby Wolfer, Edward Bennett, Oliver Morley, Millie Tillman, Oliver Hall, Matthias Moosburner, Sian Maiden, Matt Selesky, Jivjyot Singh, Daphne Ooi, Kevin Haex, Danil Altena, Shray Bhandary, Ishaan Kumar, Byron Paterson, Sarah Aschmann, Jonathan Kaname Sison, Dmitry Alyohin, Noah Benoit, Dion Birney, Thomas Leyton Sidney, Dawn Sidney, Robbie Cannon, Janis Lim Hui Qin, Andy Honrado, Jessica Morgan, Luke Wolfer, Ozzie Teschler, Tim Hoogstoel, Harrison Facey, Zac Wakamatsu, Roman Frenkenberg, Sam Buss, Nate Kimball, Gabriel Kemble, Mark Butterworth, Brock Burnett, Jonathan Paul Walkotten, M. Salman Khan, Joseph Baross, rla and Cara Murphy, Axel Revin, Harry Woodley Luneth Calibur and every other Young Samurai fan (sorry I couldn't include all of your names!) ... Remember, keep waving the sword the battle may not yet be over!