Lore: The Life of a Student
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:10 am
A student at the castle’s dōjō awakens well before sunrise, in the Hour of the Tiger. Their day begins with various mundane chores, tasks that would normally be performed by servants: cleaning the barracks, washing their clothing, and so forth. This humble work is intended to instill in them a sense of humility, discipline, and obedience, putting them in the correct frame of mind for their studies. Once the work is finished, the student bathes and eats a brief and modest breakfast, often no more than rice, miso soup, and tea.
From the Hour of the Dragon onward, the dōjō’s students are in the courtyard performing their daily exercises: calisthenics and basic fighting stances, the latter performed with a wooden practice weapon in hand. In some dōjō, archery or unarmed combat may be practiced at this time as well. The students do these exercises in unison, standing in ordered ranks, under the supervision of a sensei or, perhaps, a senior student chosen for the honor. Typically, each ritual move is accompanied by a shouted kiai (war cry). The students may also go inside the dōjō to engage in one-on-one sparring under the supervision of a senior sensei.
The student takes a brief lunch break at the Hour of the Horse, again eating sparingly and simply. After the meal, a new round of chores begins: cleaning up the practice ground after their work there and preparing the interior of the dōjō for the afternoon’s training. This typically includes sweeping, washing, and polishing the floor. Depending on the dōjō, these tasks may be shared equally among all the students or divvied up according to age; in the latter case, the youngest students get the hardest work. The afternoon is spent in focused training on a specific topic. This may be a particular aspect of swordsmanship, such as clan kata or dueling techniques, or it may be a secondary field of study such as another weapon, archery (in clans that do not consider archery coequal with swordsmanship), riding, or so forth. Academic and theoretical studies, such as of the writings of famous clan samurai or of the ways of battle and warfare, can also take place at this time. Typically, the student will study a single topic intensively for a month at a time and then move to something else.
The afternoon classes end after sunset, during the Hour of the Rooster. The student bathes again to cleanse the sweat and dust of the day’s work and performs ritual prayers. They eat with the other students, although younger students eat separately from the older ones, who may be honored by the presence of the sensei at their tables. This meal will be somewhat more generous than those earlier in the day, but it is still kept simple in content, and sake is normally not served; the students are not yet adults and thus are not permitted to drink alcohol. If there is a special event, such as a ceremony to honor older students or to show reverence to ancestors, the students may be allowed a single cup of sake to perform a ritual toast.
After dinner, the student is permitted a brief period of “free time” without any required work or study. However, many dōjō expect their students to use this time for self-improvement, such as by reading educational books like Akodo’s Leadership or Kakita’s The Sword. Prayer and meditation are also considered acceptable ways to pass this time. Regardless, the student must remain on-site at the dōjō unless their sensei grants them specific permission to leave. Rambunctious or dishonorable students sometimes sneak out at night for one reason or another, risking punishment or expulsion.
The day comes to an end at the Hour of the Boar, with the students going to sleep on simple futons or— in the harshest dōjō—bare tatami mats
From the Hour of the Dragon onward, the dōjō’s students are in the courtyard performing their daily exercises: calisthenics and basic fighting stances, the latter performed with a wooden practice weapon in hand. In some dōjō, archery or unarmed combat may be practiced at this time as well. The students do these exercises in unison, standing in ordered ranks, under the supervision of a sensei or, perhaps, a senior student chosen for the honor. Typically, each ritual move is accompanied by a shouted kiai (war cry). The students may also go inside the dōjō to engage in one-on-one sparring under the supervision of a senior sensei.
The student takes a brief lunch break at the Hour of the Horse, again eating sparingly and simply. After the meal, a new round of chores begins: cleaning up the practice ground after their work there and preparing the interior of the dōjō for the afternoon’s training. This typically includes sweeping, washing, and polishing the floor. Depending on the dōjō, these tasks may be shared equally among all the students or divvied up according to age; in the latter case, the youngest students get the hardest work. The afternoon is spent in focused training on a specific topic. This may be a particular aspect of swordsmanship, such as clan kata or dueling techniques, or it may be a secondary field of study such as another weapon, archery (in clans that do not consider archery coequal with swordsmanship), riding, or so forth. Academic and theoretical studies, such as of the writings of famous clan samurai or of the ways of battle and warfare, can also take place at this time. Typically, the student will study a single topic intensively for a month at a time and then move to something else.
The afternoon classes end after sunset, during the Hour of the Rooster. The student bathes again to cleanse the sweat and dust of the day’s work and performs ritual prayers. They eat with the other students, although younger students eat separately from the older ones, who may be honored by the presence of the sensei at their tables. This meal will be somewhat more generous than those earlier in the day, but it is still kept simple in content, and sake is normally not served; the students are not yet adults and thus are not permitted to drink alcohol. If there is a special event, such as a ceremony to honor older students or to show reverence to ancestors, the students may be allowed a single cup of sake to perform a ritual toast.
After dinner, the student is permitted a brief period of “free time” without any required work or study. However, many dōjō expect their students to use this time for self-improvement, such as by reading educational books like Akodo’s Leadership or Kakita’s The Sword. Prayer and meditation are also considered acceptable ways to pass this time. Regardless, the student must remain on-site at the dōjō unless their sensei grants them specific permission to leave. Rambunctious or dishonorable students sometimes sneak out at night for one reason or another, risking punishment or expulsion.
The day comes to an end at the Hour of the Boar, with the students going to sleep on simple futons or— in the harshest dōjō—bare tatami mats