Nice video. Unfortunately the music is louder than the voice, at the beginning of the speech.

interesting the stuf about mountains, also the bottom-up movement, also how fast he is

The Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu contributed to this documentary

Terry said it wrong because I’m Japanese and I am Samurai and my Japanese name is Okuma and I come from the Goshi clan and that’s not the correct way to say it and I come from the Samurai family and my clan is Goshi and so I am Samurai so I’m a bushido (Samurai) and he said it wrong and even the sensi said I look like a Samurai and so I am Samurai and so I am Samurai and I do Aikido and so I am Samurai because I look like one according to the sensei of Aikido in Japan 🇯🇵 and I am Samurai and I train like a Samurai

Great my Shihan 😍

Super!👍

凄いのか凄くないのかわからない😮

"Ancient" 😂 It's only 200ish years ago.

I'm currently reading the Tale of Heike. Very beautiful story.

I loved this one and the Ninja Documentary!

Thanks for uploading this. I remember that my parents videotaped this episode for me as a child, and I would frequently pop in the VHS. It was the beginning of my fascination with the Samurai. Then Shogun: Total War came out on PC, and I was a history nerd forever.

Thank you for this awesome video.

Voice of Yoshitsune TERRY ANGUS

For The Discovery Channel Executive Producer EMILY SWENGROS Producer EMILY SWENGROS SULLIVAN Series Concept CHUCK GINGOLD

Yoritomo: (narrating) Listen up, Samurai warriors! Soon you will be prepared as I, Yoritomo am here to tell you. I escaped with Yoshitsune. We swore to take up the sword and avenge our father. We would follow the path of honor or death. The way of The Samurai. That is what the title says. Yoritomo: (narrating) We were born into a Samurai family and a way of life ruled by honor. For us, the shame of living under the same sky as the man who killed our father was too much to bear. We were bound to seek Vengeance. We would follow Bushido the way of the warrior. The Samurai were the class apart professional warriors born to fight. The very word means to serve. As Samurai placed myself in the care of a lord. In return, the Warrior pledged to his master, his life. Obeying orders without pause, I would know no other life than to train and fight for the leader of my clan. Yoritomo: (narrating) Only 6% of the Japanese were Samurai and we intermarried to maintain our privileged stock. Over the centuries from bands of land-owning warriors scattered across Japan, the clans of Samurai evolved. I, Yoritomo and Yoshitsune were born into the powerful clan of the Minamoto. By the 12th Century, many clans had become great armies and mortal rivals. Japan was at ceaseless war with itself. I and Yoshitsune began to learn the way of the Samurai. The Warrior’s closest any was my horse. We first learned to master it. Once we rode with confidence Yoshitsune was placed in the care of a master who taught him archery. The Samurai bow was sturdily made of strips of bamboo, bound with rattan. 6 to 7 Feet Long it was held one third up from the base, so it could be easily maneuvered. Yoshitsune marveled as I and the other young Samurai combined the skills we had learned. Destined to lead the Minamoto we were now separated for our safety and sent away to finish our training for war. Samurai were trained in the arts of Sojutsu and Naginata the long spear and the halberd. But the ultimate skill of the Samurai was Kenjutsu the art of swordsmanship, the samurai valued his sword above all else so much that in time it became the symbol of his soul. No craftsman was more esteemed than the swordsman, my profession was more religion than craft, I dressed like a priest and purified myself before purifying my steel. A hard steel sheath encased the softer core making the sword stronger yet more flexible than any of its day the blade would be beaten ground and polished to the sharpest edge known to man. Yoritomo: (narrating) The Samurai carried my sword in a finely lacquered scabbard when I drew the brilliantly polished blade, light shown in waves all along it. Yoritomo: (narrating) It was made to kill a man with one blow then with a flick of the wrist the warrior would shake off the blood of his enemy. The young Samurai would learn where a man was weakest. A cut to the side of the throat would sever the jugular and kill within three or four seconds. A slash to the wrists, kidneys or armpit a little longer. The Samurai’s life was like the Cherry Blossoms beautiful and brief for him as for the flower death followed naturally gloriously. Yoritomo: (narrating) No Samurai sought death but all trained to accept it and numb our hearts to fear. Before battle, the Samurai prayed through the secret rituals of Buddhism, he entered a state of divine strength. What does it said, Yoshitsune? Yoshitsune: It is said that on the battlefield if he wills himself and day and night hopes to strike down a powerful enemy who will grow indefatigable and fierce of heart and will manifest his courage. Yoritomo: (narrating) Yoshitsune’s page dressed him for battle his elegant armor was strong yet light made of overlapping strips of iron lacquered for protection against rain and bound with bright silken cords so he could move freely. He wore iron shin guards and arm guards and bare skin boots, his head was protected by an iron-plated helmet bearing an elaborate neck guard. For nearly two decades Yoshitsune had trained for the chance to avenge his father. Now once again the Tyra and the Minamoto would clash both sides followed the strict rituals of samurai warfare. Yoritomo: (narrating) After a day of bloody fighting the Tyra retreated to their boats. Fastening a fan to a mast they taunted the Minamoto to strike it with a single arrow. Yoshitsune summoned a young warrior famed for his archery the honor of the clan was in the young Samurai’s hands he rode out into the rough sea and closed his eyes. Yoritomo: (narrating) In answer to his prayers the sea will come all watched in silence he notched his arrow and steadied his breathing then he took aim and fired. Yoritomo: (narrating) As it floated on the waves the skill of the samurai was honored by loud cheers from both armies for five years the fighting between the clans wore on. In 1184, Yoshitsune reached a Tyra and a turning point at Ichinotani he launched his most daring assault dominating the shoreline backed by a treacherous cliff. The fortress was thought invincible with a handful of trusted men, Yoshitsune rode up to the outcrop overlooking the castle. Far below them the sound of a flute drifted up on the wind the Tyra suspected nothing. Some listen to the music a passion of this cultured clan others pass the time by playing an ancient board game go. From his vantage Yoshitsune decided to test the precipitous route by sending riderless horses down the cliff. Yorimoto: (narrating) Where horses alone could go Yoshitsune decided so could writers, now the renowned horsemanship of his men would be put to the test. Yoshitsune signaled his warriors down by the shore the wealthy mounted on horseback the others on foot, they launched their attack from the rear, Yoshitsune and 30 riders stormed into the castle the Tyra warriors turned to face the real danger too late. Yorimoto: (narrating) A Minamoto warrior by the name of Nazōne gave chase. Yorimoto: (narrating) Tucked into his belt was a flute. This was the boy who just hours before had played so sweetly. Yoshitsune: (voice over) Can I narrate too? Yoritomo: (voice over) Sure you can. Yoshitsune: (narrating) He said holding back his tears. Yoritomo: (narrating) Tears pouring from his eyes Nazōne steeled himself and sliced off the boy’s head with one clean blow. After battle each Samurai gathered his trophies the heads of the vanquished their faces were washed their hair combed and their heads laid out with labels naming both slain and slayer so the lord of the clan could inspect them. For those who brought back the heads of renowned enemies were lavished with titles and estates for their valor. Months after the victory at Ichinotani the Tara clan was finally crushed 24 years after our father’s murder we had our revenge. As the leader of the victorious Minamoto I was raised to shogun supreme military ruler of Japan. For my brother, Yoshitsune the joy of victory was cut short. His bravery and battle had made me popular and made the shogun jealous I issued my own brother’s death warrant. Since boyhood every warrior was prepared for the final self-sacrifice a ritual permitted to no one but a Samurai Seppuku. Through it a warrior could atone for an act of disgrace, Yoshitsune sought only to preserve his honor better to die by one’s own sword than be hunted down like an animal. Yoritomo: (narrating) Yoshitsune’s page brought him a last drink of sake, then he presented him with a short sword its blade wrapped in silk to soak up his blood. Yoritomo: (narrating) In the 13th century the Samurai embraced a strand of Buddhism known as Zen. Like all Buddhism Zen forbade the taking of life yet many Samurai were drawn to it for it took them to another world. for warriors daily facing death Zen was a comforting faith many samurai who survived into old age became Buddhist monks. As late as 1867 Japan would be ruled by Samurai families yet the seeds of their decline were sown long before. In the middle of the 16th century Portuguese traders introduced the nemesis of the samurai firearms. In 1575 at Nagashino castle the Decatur clan for the first time braved musket fire the gun proved mightier than the sword thousands of samurai were slain that day the rituals of Samurai warfare were shattered, the classical age of the warrior was dead.

New Narrator STEVE WHITMIRE

0:01-0:32 Best intro ever for documentary. 25:13 Best final music for documentary. I started learning history looking Ancient Warriors (my parents recorded 9 episodes in VHS).