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Samurai Senryu: 300-Year-Old Poetic Wisdom for Today's Martial Artists

Samurai in ornate armor with shadows on a textured background. Text reads: "Ancient Wisdom from Warrior Poetry: The Samurai's Sharpest Words."
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Senryu are not as familiar to Westerners as the more popular haiku.


Senryu look much like haiku, but they don’t usually contain a seasonal word and they’re often more like aphorisms. They’re little bits of doggerel that often contain truths hidden in humor or quiet commentaries on the human condition.


There are several senryu that address the life and culture of the samurai class and its martial arts. It’s revealing to look at them because they give us an idea of how the samurai and their arts were perceived in their age. Given the unchanging elements of human nature, these senryu also have some intriguing applications for today’s martial artist.


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