The World of Kung-Fu 5.5: Ronin

Ronin: The Outsiders Who Walked Away.

“Ronin do it their way.”—medieval Japanese saying.

The Ronin are a loosely-knit group of individualists dedicated to doing their own thing. They declare themselves to be members of no society, rejecting hierarchies, rules and social conventions and duties, at least until such time as the Karate Wars end. While anyone who wants to can declare themselves a “Ronin”, the movement is mostly made up of practitioners of Japanese martial arts styles who can see no place for themselves in society when Karate is locked is such an insane and eternal war. Most masters of Japanese “soft” styles like Judo, Jujutsu, Aikido, and Aikijutsu are Ronin, though it also draws some Kempo and Kajukenbo artists, a few Karateka, and a smattering of fighters of all styles. The Ronin don’t see themselves as a faction, but tend to help each other when life gets too dangerous.

The first “Ronin” appeared in the US in the 1950s, as disgust at the Karate War led Judo fighters to identify with beatniks and the counterculture. The movement swelled in the 60s as martial artists identified with anti-war protesters and those who had “dropped out” of conventional society. The number of Ronin is increasing every year. Many Americans train in Judo and Jujutsu, and more than a few in Aikido and Aikijutsu. Few of them guess at the inner torment that grips so many of the masters of these arts, but as they make martial arts more central to their life, they grow in awareness of the tragedy of the Karate War. Those who achieve Trained by a Master generally do so by studying under a Ronin, and go on to become Ronin themselves.

“Why did the judoka train in karate?”

“Just for kicks”—IFF joke.

Ronin as Heroes

Ronin do whatever they feel like in the moment, so if a Ronin has a compassionate heart, they are likely to find themselves brawling to defend the defenseless. Many such Ronin effectively become solo Vigilantes, showing up out of nowhere to ambush gangsters and criminals, and then vanishing again. Numerous Ronin work with Vigilante teams, and some are effectively team-members, though as Ronin, they won’t admit to membership in any group. Ronin are not always the most reliable of heroes, since they live by whim and don’t feel bound by agreements.

Ronin as Villains

With no rules to hold their instincts in check, some Ronin turn into wild animals, taking whatever they want, destroying whatever they feel like, and attacking whoever they get a whim to attack. Ronin are uncontrollable at the best of time, but the violently anti-social anarchists among them lack even the basic moral restraints that keep ordinary Ronin in check. Some just go berserk in crowded public places, attacking civilians and wantonly destroying property. Others declare war on the police in the name of lawlessness or set themselves up as particularly unpredictable gangsters. The worst of them simply kill for the love of killing and attack for the love of violence, like the mad villains of slasher flicks. Since Ronin don’t believe in restrictions, a bad Ronin could be found engaging in any activity, no-matter how base, wicked, or bizarre. If a bad Ronin has a whim to do something, they are going to do it with a passion. The Ronin are infamous for experimentation and indulgence in the pleasures of the flesh.