Bushido, Clans, and Sportsmanship.

I am a warrior.

Had I been born a mere two hundred years earlier, you would have found me leading troops into battle, or teaching a martial art. You would have found me a footsoldier or a general.

What makes a warrior?

Violence is one aspect of it. The most frightening. Every warrior does violence at some point, the willingness to, the capability to harm another, is a large part of what makes a warrior a warrior. And let’s be honest, not everyone is capable. Most people would rather not fight, or only fight if they are frightened. Warriors are made from people who have a certain temperament which allows them to do violence without regrets or shame, for the most part.

Bushido, every system of honour, chivalry, and duty, exists to harness this violence, and make warriors into Humans. My concept of humanity is a person who knows themself. Anyone can be a brute, a beast by nature, following instincts. Anyone can go through life with their head down, following lust and desire. Anyone can go through life, never opening their eyes, and learning anything. A human is above these things, able to control their basal natures, and become more than their impulses would dictate. A human can be of any nature, and do things outside any nature. A Human can be a warrior monk, a priest of sex, anything that they turn their mind to, because they are at balance and at peace with who they are. They have faced themselves, and learned to face the world, and do what they believe needs done.

Bushido, and Chivalry, exist to take violent men, and turn them into Humans. They exist as a code of behaviour, which teaches us what is and isn’t acceptable, and how violence can be used for the benifit of ourselves, and those around us, without turning us into tyrants. The irony is, these codes eventually did make tyrants of their followers, but any system sufficiently codified becomes a societal control, rather than a true thought.

I adhere, as best I can, to my concepts of Honour, Duty, and the Correct Use of Strength. I was not a strong or violent child, and so, when I grew up rather suddenly, and became a strong adult, with a hidden temper, and an enjoyment of all things violent (Sparring, swordfighting, First person shooters, I have even served in the US military without qualm, think of me what you will.) I at first worried that I was cruel, for enjoying violent things, then worried that I would become violent without purpose. So I sought out philosophies that explained the nature of violence as a needed thing in society. And I believe it is. I believe there will always be a need of defending warriors, those willing to do violence, to defend the peaceful against those who have never become Human, and desire only to do violence for their own enjoyment. I believe that even should peace reign on earth, there will be violence, real or imagined, in this realm or a virtual one, there will be those of us who desire, and need, to fight.

So what are we fighting for?

In C:SI, we are fighting to increase our skills. To honour our names. For recognition, or for self improvement. Either way, we’re fighting because we like to fight. We like to fight without consequences, and in a situation where we can test our skills against one another in a violent moment, and learn things about ourselves. How we feel under pressure. How to stay calm, and act and react without fear of death, because death, even on screen and painless, has an impact on us. Being ‘beaten’, and ‘dying’, make us feel as if we have been conquered in a violent moment. And winning makes us feel as if we have conquered another, does it not?

And so we create clans, to teach one another to fight better, to defend our clan honour, to increase our own skills, and the skills of those around us, to be better warriors. But clans should be more than just a group of people who fight together. Clans should represent an ideal, or system of ideals. Clans should be like minded people, who fight for the same things, and desire the same things out of C:SI.

Each clan should be clear and well defined in its policies and philosophy. If your clan believes that Balance is crucial to the C:SI system, it should be clear about what weapons are unbalanced, and be clear about when and where it is acceptable to use them. A clan should teach what it is to care about the Community, or just about the Clan. A clan should give purpose to what is, in the end, a system created so that two individuals can do violence to one another.

But what of those who are in it to win it? They don’t care about skills, they just want to win, every match. They exist for that moment of conquering glee, and abhor the moment of loss, so strongly that they care not at all for the fairness or honour of the win, and turn to unbalanced weapons and seek out cheap wins.

These are not warriors. They may be fighters, they may be highly skilled, but they are not true to the spirit of Bushido, or Chivalry. They exist for self glorification, and truly, they have my pity, since they are so small and insecure that they must seek out a hole in a system to feel good about themselves.

What should we do about these people? In life, real or second, I have learned that those you are with shape your world. I do not associate myself closely with honourless people, and I don’t seek out their company. I would never suggest ignoring, or refusing to talk with these people, but nor would I invite them to be my brothers, or to spar with me regularly. I would not be in a clan, where there are people who believe that there is nothing wrong with fighting simply to win. I would not be in a clan which believed that such a philosophy was ok.

But neither would I call for such a clan to be disbanded, or ignored. These people exist. They play the game. Let them play with one another. Any clan which believes that balance is not important, that winning is everything, should say such as well. Let them espouse their philosophy that this is simply a game, and that winning is all that matters.

Let us be clear in the rules of engagement though, and certainly, let us be clear in our sportsmanship. If you do not like a weapon, or a behaviour, be of strong character, and say such things openly. Do not be afraid or timid in your beliefs. Be an honest warrior, and present who you are without fear of reproach. If you do not fight against unbalanced weapons, be unashamed to say such, and ask for a fair match. If you are not interested in honour, be unafraid to say as much openly and without malice, that you prefer to only play if you have an unfair advantage. Be clear about who you are, and what you desire in the game.

Be clear about what behaviour you expect from your peers. Associate with those who are like minded. And be clear about your honour.

This post is not about anyone in particular. You, whoever you are, are not the subject of my ire, or my scolding. I simply am making generalizations here, because I feel they need to be said.

EA