47 Ronin (see story below) thoughts by Brian Cimins
This is The most famous story of revenge in the history of Japan, if not the world. The insidious patience shown by these trained assassins to “regain their honor” and avenging their masters assassination is absolutely amazing in many ways. The only problem in this story is the concept of “Har Kari” or ritualistic suicide after revenge and murder. Hurting someone, harming a family or child or Taking your life or the life of another are the worst things to do in life. There is NO honor or strength shown in suicide or murder. No matter how bad things are, there is no possibility of triumph when you give up. I tell my son all the time when he “gives up” on trying something. I say, “Quitters never WIN and winners never quit.” My first Karate instructor, Peter Tuccino taught me that and trained me to instill these morals into my students when I was a Black Belt instructor.
Suicide is quitting and everyone loses. I’ve seen some fighters fall into deep depression at the tale-end of their career or multiple losses in Mixed Martial Arts. I’ve personally coached a former professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter who’s competed in the UFC out of suicidal thoughts and words. This is serious business and I care too much about the athletes to see them suffer. Don’t be afraid to seek out a sports therapist for mental training. It’s really hard what you do and your body and mind need to be recharged. After your career, with business consulting from someone like Lloyd Irvin, your “fight career” will only be the launchpad to your future success, in whatever you want to achieve. Just like the Black Belt, just like making it to the BIG show, just like fighting your last MMA match ever, it’s just the first step to your next QUEST in life. Keep your energies positive and know it’s better in the future, not necessarily on the other side.
Quote from Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū Shichi-shi?), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken?) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country’s “national legend.”[1] It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.
The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master’s honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves forced to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.
Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names were changed. While the version given by the playwrights may have come to be accepted as historical fact by some, the Chūshingura was written some 50 years after the event, and numerous historical records about the actual events that pre-date the Chūshingura survive. The popularity of the story is still high today. With ten different television productions in the years 1997–2007 alone, the Chūshingura ranks among the most familiar of all stories in Japan.
Your Grappling Promoter,
Brian Cimins
Brian Cimins 
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