Feudal Japanese Warriors Serving No Master
Welcome to the Ronin Workouts, a series of functional-based circuits aimed at developing power, explosive movement, speed, balance, coordination and strength building.
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Feudal Japan
A Ronin was a Samurai warrior in feudal Japan without a master or lord. The name ‘Ronin’ literally translates as ‘wave man’, and the connotation is that they are drifters or wanderers. The term started as a term for serfs who had fled from their lords and become vagabonds. However, over time, the term grew to encompass rogue samurai.
A samurai might become a ronin for several different reasons: his master might die or fall from power or the samurai might lose his master’s favour or patronage and become an outcast as a result. These samurais were then seen as outlaws and vagabonds, men who had been expelled from their clans or had renounced their lords.
Rulebreakers
No big deal you may think, however, this was not the case in feudal Japan, where honour was important. For the Samurai caste if their master was killed or dishonoured the samurai was expected to show allegiance and commit ritual suicide. This was how samurai preserved their honour. It also served the society’s need to avoid revenge killings and vendettas, and to remove troublesome freelance warriors from circulation.
The masterless samurais who chose to ignore that tradition and continue living fell into disrepute. They still wore the two swords of a samurai, unless they had to sell them when they fell upon hard times. Within the strict feudal hierarchy and as members of the samurai class they were forbidden to take up a new career as a farmer, artisan, or merchant, (most would have disdained such work). As such they wandered the land, living as mercenaries and selling their skills to the highest bidder as bodyguards, soldiers and assassins.
The Ronin in Popular Culture
Japanese cinema, manga and anime have popularized the romantic image of the Ronin. Films such as Lone Wolf and Cub, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and more recently Thirteen Assassins have been international box-office hits. As well as audiences Samurai films have also proved very popular in the Western directors. Directors from Quentin Tarantino to Sergio Leone to Clint Eastwood were heavily influenced directors by Japanese directors such as Akira Kurosawa. Leone and Eastwood adapted the wandering lone warrior concept for a number of Westerns and ‘The man with no name‘ was born.
The Ronin workouts below are mainly dynamic, whole-body workouts aimed at power, explosive movement, speed, balance, coordination and strength building. This is given the Japanese warrior’s fantastic reputation for leaps and rapid attacks with their Katanas (Japanese Heavy swords). A Ronin would also undoubtedly have had incredible upper body strength, speed and mobilisation to wield their swords with the blink and you’ll miss it (as your head departs your shoulders) reputation that they are legendary for!
Ronin possessed all the training of their Samurai counterparts, but as per their desperate position would be (as an outlaw) more likely to break from honourable fighting and employ any method necessary to obtain victory. Bear this in mind with the workouts, fight like a demon to get through it.
The Ronin Workouts
There are three workouts, which I have named after Ronin popular in modern pop culture ‘Yojimbo‘, ‘Zatoichi‘ and ‘Lone Wolf and Cub‘ Workouts. Yojimbo can be done Monday and Friday with Zatoichi being undertaken on Wednesday, likewise the following week, Zatoichi can be undertaken Monday and Friday with Workout A to be done on Wednesday. Save Lone Wolf and Cub for Weekends!!
Yojimbo Workout
Equipment Required:
A Sandbag, Dumbbell or Kettlebells (Various sizes if possible), battle ropes and a Plyo Box.
Set and Reps:
We are aiming for 3 X rounds of this workout. 2 X rounds if you are a beginner. 4 X rounds if advanced. 12 X reps of each exercise before immediately moving onto the next. 15 seconds rest between rounds.
The Exercises:
1. Hindu Push-Ups
2. Skater Jumps
3. Push-Ups and Renegade Rows.
4. Depth Jumps
5. Ropes slams and waves.
6. Alternating Crossover Lunge with DB’s
7. One-Legged Burpee.
8. KB Halos.
9. Suicide Planks
10. Weight Plate Front raise and squat
11. Weighted Woodcutters.
Zatoichi Workout
Equipment Required:
A Sandbag, Dumbbell or Kettlebells (Various sizes if possible) and a Plyo Box.
Set and Reps:
We are aiming for 3 X rounds of this workout. 2 X rounds if you are a beginner. 4 X rounds if advanced. 12 X reps of each exercise before immediately moving onto the next. 15 seconds rest between rounds.
The Exercises:
1. Spiderman press-ups
2. Bulgarian split squats
3. One-armed push-ups
4. One-armed inverted rows.
5. Resistance band – Targeting Anterior, Medial and Posterior Delts.
6. Dumbbell jump squats and 1-minute sprints.
7. V-Ups.
8. DB jump lunges
9. Farmers walk on toes with DB’s
10. Bosu ball one leg deadlifts DB’s
Lone Wolf and Cub Workout
Equipment Required:
A Prowler sled and a sandbag.
Sets and reps:
We are aiming for 3 X rounds of this workout. 2 X rounds if you are a beginner. 4 X rounds if advanced. 12 X reps of each exercise before immediately moving onto the next. 15 seconds rest between rounds.
The Exercises:
1. Prowler push 4 X 50ms.
2. Sandbag lunges with rotation x 12 (each side).
3. Prowler push 4 X 50ms.
4. Sandbag overhead presses x 12 reps.
5. Prowler sprints 2 X 50ms.
6. Sandbag frog jumps with a sandbag on shoulders 2 X 25ms.
7. Sandbag push-ups and drag through’s X 12 reps (6 each side).
8. Prowler push 4 X 50ms.
9. Sandbag Get Ups X2 then plyo box jumps X 10 reps (then repeat before moving on).
10. Sandbag one leg deadlifts X 12 reps (Each Side).
11. Sandbag triceps extensions. X 12 reps.
12. Prowler push 6 X 50ms.
Whichever workout you undertake
Remember to cool down and drink water!
Workout Complete!!
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