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	<title><![CDATA[it's hard being a samurai]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[[indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][i][URL="http://www.flickr.com/photos/godchased/363258873/"]The Twilight Samurai[/URL] by Jonah Sng[/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/i]


This is a video clip of a very cool swordfight. It's from [I]The Twilight Samurai [/I]directed by Yoji Yamada. 


[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg5qChXeDdI[/url]


Yoji Yamada is famous as the director of the popular [I]Otoko wa tsurai yo[/I] - It's hard being a man - series of Tora-san movies. They are rather lightweight. So the samurai trilogy Yamada directed subsequently was a wonderful surprise. 

The three movies are [I]The Twilight Samurai[/I], [I]The Hidden Blade[/I] and [I]Love and Honor[/I]. I recommend them - they are all really excellent movies.   

The swordfight is interesting because the main character Seibei uses a short wooden sword against his opponent's katana. A little like Miyamoto Musashi using a sword carved from an oar in his duel with Sasaki Kojiro.

Hiroyuki Sanada who plays Seibei has a background in martial arts and he is one of the few Japanese actors who looks competent when he is using a sword. He was in [I]The Last Samurai[/I] and he is also in [I]47 Ronin[/I] due for release in 2013.   

Niall

[I][B]background articles[/B][/I]

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasogare_Seibei[/url] 
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanada_Hiroyuki[/url]
[url] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoji_Yamada[/url]
[url] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otoko_wa_Tsurai_yo[/url]
[url]http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/ff20021023a3.html[/url]

 
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sEdxb3I3dk[/url]
movie trailer


photo: The Twilight Samurai by Jonah Sng [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/godchased/363258873/[/url]
Jonah Sng's photostream: [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/godchased/with/363258873/[/url]


my home page with a mirror of these blog posts plus other stuff: 
[URL="http://mooninthewater.net/aikido"]mooninthewater.net/aikido[/URL]
 

my [URL="http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=75&filter[1]=Niall%20Matthews"]columns[/URL] on aikiweb


I have an essay in a [URL="http://fortohoku.org/"]charity e-book[/URL] put together by some writers and photographers to raise money for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku on 11 March 2011. It costs $9.99.[/i]


© niall matthews 2012]]></body>
	<date>05-11-2012</date>
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