By 1994 we had collected a handful of such students, who then raised the idea of me organising weekend events in which they could practise their sport against the background of a historical context. It was decided to have a go at doing something utterly new, something radical that no one else had ever tried and succeeded with, the arrival of the Europeans in 16th and 17th century Japan, where we could mix the familiar with the exotic. If we had only realised at the time, just how much work we were going to have to do over the following ten years, we may well have done something else, as opposed to something very, very different!

However, we persisted and we are all really glad that we stuck with the project, as now we are able to offer these events with confidence, as all the core problems of researching and sourcing equipment, clothing, footwear, weapons and armour have at last been finally and happily resolved.

This leads us to the group's motto, a Japanese proverb, which if you have a Japanese enabled browser you will see to the left of the image below, it reads: "NANA KOROBI YA OKI" which translates as "seven falls, eight rises", or "if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again", alternatively described by one of our members, Simon (Parkway) Anderson as "we're too stupid to know when to quit!"

Click HERE to go to our page telling you how to get Microsoft's FREE software that will enable your PC to read and write in Japanese scripts.

Back to the plot, regretably, as our numbers were small we were unable to cover the steadily increasing costs of hiring the hall we used near Derby for our private events. Sadly, we had to stop these, and instead we began in August 2005 putting on more displays as a conventional re-enactment society. The aim being to raise our numbers, so that once again we could afford to return to running private functions, and we are getting there!

Since starting down the public re-enactment road, an intermediate plan has evolved. To put on shows, we needed a camp, cooking gear etc. which could mean, that once adequately equipped we could run private weekends at a much reduced cost, as all we would need to pay were site fees, no hall required. This year we are preparing to field our first Japanese tent which will accomadate a large number of people easily. This year we are also working on authentic cooking utensils and bedding, thus together with our other two European period tents, we should enter 2008 with a number of private role-playing events in our diary! In the not too distant future we will hopefully be in a position to hire our old hall, with it's large kitchens, and once again run terrific banquets, but this time with a period camp as well en suite.

So, if you want to get in on something which is to all intents and purposes pretty brand new, read on...

七 転 び 八 起 き

This is the same picture as appears on our front page, but with an expanded description: at left wearing the KASA or TAKE-GASA ("bamboo hat") is Simon Anderson, better known to his friends as "Parkway", while in the centre straightening the pieces on the board is Andrew Mellor, a very fine swordsman. Both are wearing KOSODE, a "small sleave" type of KIMONO, plus KOBAKAMA "small" knee length working/fighting "trousers", an OBI or cloth belt, and KYAHAN gaiters around their lower legs. These garments being the typical clothing of the warriors of the era when on campaign. Finally in the armour is myself, Dean Wayland, directing the start of a game of "GO", a seemingly simple strategy game. The armour is a modern Japanese all steel replica in the TOSEI GUSOKU style meaning a "modern suit" circa 1550 onwards, its black carrying box (YOROI-BITSU) can be seen at the far left. The armour has an OKEGAWA-DOU or "barrel shaped body". The KOTE or "sleaves" are of SHINO- GOTE style, that is steel "splints and mail" sewn to a textile base, as are the SUNEATE or "shin guards". The HAIDATE or "thigh guard" is of TATE style, "shields" or plate scales. Japanese armour is rendered flexible by the use of silk, leather or as in this case pale blue cotton lacing. In front of the table are another pair of KOTE, belonging to Andrew, which are of far heavier and superior make. At the far left can be seen a pair of GETA, or wooden pattern/clog type footwear, where as I can be seen wearing TABI, "sox" and WARAJI "straw sandals", the typical footwear of the period. At the back of the table you can also see a SAKE set, the short bottle and small cups, although for this event it did not contain rice wine (SAKE) but water. In the foreground you can also see a pair of swords, the set being known as a DAISHO meaning "big-small". These are the long and short swords called KATANA and WAKIZASHI. Lying along the back is a 7 foot long YUMI or bow and a wicker work rucksack (far right). This photo was taken at our tiny display at the "Will Adams Festival", in Gillingham kent in September 2004.

An Animated Advert: Simon ("Parkway") Anderson, carrying a wicker-work rucksack, myself (Dean Wayland) somewhere underneath all that armour, and Mary Gentle, the demon swords-woman, at Military Odyssey 2004.

A small one day display very close to our hearts is The William Adams Festival held in Gillingham, Kent in mid-September each year and is a celebration of the man who in 1600, became the first Englishman in Japan, and the first foreign born SAMURAI ever, providing the model for James Clavell's fictional character John Blackthorne in his epic novel from which we take our campaigns name, "SHŌGUN". Adams who is known as ANJIN-MIURA in Japan, became a senior advisor to the eventual military ruler of a united Japan, TOKUGAWA IEYASU, married a local girl, and is considered the founder of the Japanese navy. When in 1613 The Clove an English ship arrived to set up a trading post in HIRADO, on behalf of the British East India Company, he acted as their representative until his death in 1620, shortly after which the rest of the English party "left" Japan in 1623. By 1639 most other foreigners had been thrown out of the country, after which Japan was sealed. The picture at the top ot this page is from the 2004 festival, and here are some shots of our larger display at the '2005 event, again in 2006 we ended up being way too busy, and photography fell off our "to do list":

In 2006 we also took part in the World History Day event at the Manor House Museum in Kettering, where a good number of historical re-enactment societies depicting different periods/cultures put on their displays. We will be back there again on Saturday May 19th 2007. Sadly, we were far too busy to get any decent photographs, an error that we will correct this year.

A Thumbnail Historical Background

By 1640, all foreigners had been expelled, with the exception of a few Chinese traders, and one tiny European trading post set upon an artificial island in the harbour of NAGASAKI, manned by no more than a dozen Dutchmen. After then no foreigner upon pain of death was allowed to set foot on Japanese soil until the Americans forced the issue in 1853, when Commadore Perry led a fleet of his so-called Black Ships (iron-clads) in to the harbour of the capital EDO, and implicitly threatened to flatten it unless a favourable trade treaty could be arranged. The Japanese had no defence against such technology, and so by 1868 the SHŌGUN and the SAMURAI class were, as the ruling elite of old Japan gone forever. There was one last stand of these ancient warriors in 1877 when SAIGO TAKAMORI the true "Last Samurai", led a revolt to "expell the barbarians". He and his remaining 300 followers were eventually crushed by the new Imperial Army, after which he retired from the field and in time honoured fashion, committed SEPPUKU, ritual suicide. Oh yes, and no, there wasn't an American by his side, which as you can see that it is not quite the same as the Hollywood movie!

Meanwhile back in our version of SHŌGUN circa 1600, peasants, artisans and merchants, Buddhist and SHINTŌ nuns, monks and priests, together with a rich mythology, mingle with our European ancestors, making a exciting, challenging and satisfying back drop against which we learn, fight, die, eat, drink and make merry, not to mention along the way - educate. So, if Japanese history is your thing, why not join us. We don't clain to be experts, but we do claim to be good students.

By the way, the well known and much used term SAMURAI is not quite the right word for the warriors of old Japan, I write it here as it is for most a familiar term. Although the word itself, which can be translated as "those who serve", was known in ancient times, it was only really popularised in the early years of the 20th century, long after their class had been abolished. The Japanese themselves mainly use the word "BUSHI" which means war person, which can be translated more easily as "warrior".

Our shows and events involve sporting combat using authentic reproduction weapons of war, such as European rapiers and daggers, Japanese KATANA and WAKIZASHI, the long and the short swords of the BUSHI, plus cross and long bows like the Japanese asymetric YUMI, all using the Wayland Fight System, with roles for participants wishing to portray both fighting and non-fighting Europeans and Japanese characters alike. Although much of what we do revolves around military life, we do encourage the study and practise of other arts and crafts, something the SAMURAI would appreciate. Activities such as the CHANOYU or Tea Ceromony, KUMIHIMO "braid making" (used in both military and civilian life), cooking, caligraphy, painting, music and games play. When running scenario type events, players not yet trained to fight aren't as is so often the case left out in the cold to merely watch the warriors have a good time. Scenarios are created that place such non-combatants in positions of command, so the warrior players are in their service, which makes for events that are all-round fun for everyone. But training, help with arms, armour, clothing and other equipment is available from or through the School, so if you want to fight, you can. All training is at cost, so it is not expensive at all, see the WFS page. No prior experience of re-enactment, role playing, or knowledge of the period or cultures is really required, learn as you play. Incidentally, participation in these role play scenarios is optional, if you want to just come along and enjoy the history and soak up the culture, and chill out with good company, that's fine too.

As to the subject of authenticity, many historical societies apply rules such as the "10 foot rule", that is, everything must look fine at ten feet. For SHŌGUN we're aiming for the most part at the "holding it in the hands rule". This means that when someone casually examines a piece of our kit, it should look right, unless they really closely inspect it. Much of our equipment will even pass this tougher test, but our sword blades obviously can not. These are not hand forged by Japanese master craftsman, as they are for sporting combat use and not meant for test cutting or art appreciation. However the fittings we use for our swords are of sufficient quality, that they are used for restoration work. This makes a finished weapon start at as little as £500 including SAYA (lacquered wood scabbard), rather than the thousands they would otherwise cost. Plus the blades are precisely made for the needs of safety rather than sharpness, and yet only under close examination have their true nature been discerned by compitant experts, which means that they look very good indeed!.

Our clothing, some of which is either fully or partially hand stitched and made of the correct textiles, use period patterns, which are somewhat different from the modern so-called "traditional garments" used by followers of the martial arts. Most however are of necessity more often assembled with the aid of a sewing machine, but this still means that you have to be pretty close to tell. Truly authentic Japanese costume is on the whole impossible to reproduce and use within a realistic budget, nor do such items stand up well to modern machine washing techniques. This is because these items were originally made from a narrow width fray-proof fabric, which were simply tacked and "pasted" together. The idea being that they would be easily and quickly disassembled for washing and repair, then put back together again, usually by servants!. Apart from the fact that this fabric is no longer made in the correct width (16"-18") for the older era garments, life is simply just too short to unsew and resew our clothing after every event!

As you might expect, during public shows, no non-period items are to be on show. Eventually we want to get to the point where everything that can safely be replaced with period kit, sleeping bags etc. has been achieved.

Though we aspire to a reasonably high standard in terms of our clothing and equipment, you are not "required" to converse in Japanese, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese or even 16th century English. Indeed currently apart from the odd phrase and noun non of us actually "speak" any of these foreign languages. Nor will you need to change your hair style, wear a wig, make-up, or fiddle with your facial features so as to "become the part", unless you really, really want to. This is after all ultimately just a game or pastime, and we do it mainly for our own entertainment and enlightenment, but nevertheless we want to do it as well as we can within reason.

This leads us to the issue of knowledge. It takes time to amass all the know-how required to recreate what is for us an entirely alien culture. Some of us will be better than others, and we will get it wrong, but then the pursuit and sharing of knowledge while having a good time in good company, seems to me at least, to be the whole point of doing something so radically different like SHŌGUN. So when talking to the public we pride ourselves on being honest, and admitting when we don't know something, for only then can you make genuine progress in learning!

So, if you would like to get involved, or you simply require more information please contact me, Dean Wayland, by either phone or email using the details below:

Telephone 01438-368177 Mobile 07771-661816	Send Dean An Email

Links

Link	Description	Updated
"SHŌGUN" Yahoo! Email Group	click here to go to the Yahoo groups site, to join and use the Fight School's members only email list, dedicated to the SHŌGUN campaign.	N/A
WFS Page	click here to go to the Wayland Fight System Page on this site.	June 12th 2008
"WFS" Yahoo! Email Group	click here to go to the Yahoo groups site, to join and use the Fight School's members only email list, dedicated to the Wayland Fight System.	N/A
The Diary Page	What's on and where. Includes a link to the "Quick Ref Diary"	June 12th 2008
Rules & Regulations Pages	click here to go to the Rules And Regulations pages.	May 19th 2008
Bibliography	when available click here to go to our recommended reading list	TBA
Directions to Drum Hill	click here to go to the page giving directions to Drum Hill.	February 27th 2008
Get Japanese On Your Computer	This page tells you how to get your computer to read and write Japanese scripts.	September 18th 2007
The SHŌGUN Tent Guide	Although not yet finished you can click here to go direct to the article on the SHŌGUN tent projects page. Includes details of suitable period Japanese and European tentage, for use by re-enactors and live role players. WARNING: it is recommended that you put on your sun glasses BEFORE opening this page:-)	July 30th 2007
Articles & Links Page	click here to go to a list of articles, links and resources of interest to SHŌGUN players.	August 15th 2008

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