Written by Illmatical | @Masternever

It’s late February, but y’all already know, Illmatical been on his soapbox. It’s the month when I join hoteps, woketeps, and the rest of America — and ostensibly take time to acknowledge the achievements of the so-called Negro in America and sometimes abroad. But if y’all know me, if you ever read my work, you’d know that Illmatical been on his Malcolm Roman-numeral-ten-shit. But if I get too conscious, I’ll get sick. A one month shout out and still no reparations. A one month shout out, and the so-called Negro is still getting lynched. But whatever, word to Trayvon’s hoodie, Illmatical been sharpening his sword, I been on my Black samurai shit.

The last time I came at you in February, I dropped a freestyle called Forgotten Fury: 12 Legendary Black Martial Arts Masters You Need To Know. I gave praise to the brothers who played and didn’t get paid, the masters who were put it down in the dojos, in the streets and where ever.

Y’all didn’t realize it, but when I dropped my freestyle, I was in the midst of a four and half year journey through Asia, on a quest for knowledge, self-mastery, getting my words and sentences in order, sharpening my liquid sword.

I gave dap to the Emperor in the Forbidden City. The Beijing air tried to choke the shit out of me, so I fled to Taiwan, where a gangster, high on beetle nut tried to choke the shit out of me on the streets of Taoyuan. The gangster didn’t know that I was part samurai and I made him see the hands of God.

In Cambodia, I built with Black men and women on the walls of Angkor Wat, who shared secrets of a glorious, glimmering past. But whatever yo, I took my sword and headed to Vietnam, and don’t get it twisted, I ain’t no Vet, but I dodged all kinds of racist sniper fire in Ho Chi Minh.

But yea son, whatever. I stayed on my grind, kept sharpening my sword and with a dollar and dream, I made it to Hong Kong. After six months of the struggle, after 4 years in Asia, on some bullshit, I got hit with a six-month prison bid, all for some fake ass ninja shit.

But whatever, Asia was necessary. During my time, as the homeboy in the buttermilk, an older god stayed hitting me up on social media, dropping science about an African warrior turned samurai. According to the older god, the samurai’s name was Yasuke, pronounced ‘YAS-KAY.’

There was something in the air, something about Yasuke being Japan’s first foreign samurai and something about history, not getting his story right. Me being the samurai that I am, I kept this in my mental, envisioning the African warrior, steadily sharpening my verses, lyrical steel transformed into liquid swords.

YASUKE AND THE RISE OF THE BLACK SAMURAI

‘The Internets’ say that Yasuke found his way to Japan in 1579, in the midst of the Sengoku period, and after he said ‘Yessa massa’ enough times, a powerful lord named Oda Nobunaga who liked his complexion or swag, or possibly both, decided that Yasuke didn’t have to serve biscuits-in-the-house-no-more and for whatever reason, Nobunaga decided that Yasuke, the so-called slave would become samurai.

According to ‘The Internets’ Yasuke was on some “Give us, us free” and in a foreign land, he became a young lord.

But whatever yo, ‘The Internets’ and history books stay lying. An older god had already put me on, according to him, beyond Yasuke, Africans been getting some rising sun. There are several books, including The African Presence In Early Asia and The Contribution of the Negro to Human Civilization, that suggest that one of the first Shogun, was a Black man named Sakanouye No Tamuramaro.
Beyond Sakanouye, Yasuke’s journey, rise to power, and disappearance all equate to an intriguing story.

But whatever. In the shadows of Yasuke, in my mind, it’s always February. Since I have liquid swords, I thought it would be a good idea to acknowledge Black men and women who embody the modern samurai spirit and honor facets of Japan’s warrior code.

Master Rico Guy

Hanshi Rico Guy began his journey with Japanese swordsmanship 51 years ago. Steel came to him, while he was already an experienced martial artist, teaching at the University of the Streets, which evolved into the infamous Nisei Dojo. His students, legends in the world of martial arts, Wilfredo Rodan, Chaka Zulu and Ron Van Clief.

An invite from Yoshitero Otani to learn swordsmanship at the Japan cultural center in 1968 changed his life.“From that point on, I studied Japanese swordsmanship, the Iaido and I took it very seriously. I took a lot of grunts and everything else, so I could be like him (Otani) and I did. And I’m still doing it” explained Hanshi Guy.

Beyond any fictional ideas y’all have about samurais chopping people up in the streets, Hanshi Guy emphasizes the spiritual nature associated with the blade and its legacy, saying “It’s a very spiritual thing. Very respectful. When you do Japanese swordsmanship, you have to be very high in the martial arts. You have to know Budo… It’s a different concept and stage when you’re learning Japanese swordsmanship.

It’s so you can have respect for yourself… When you use your sword, you have to know the concept of what you’re doing and the forms… These forms are very spiritual. These forms come from other Japanese martial artists, from years ago. We’re following in their footsteps…”

Hanshi Rico recommends swordsmanship and its discipline for individuals interested in martial arts and those looking for direction in life, beyond warfare, saying “It’s something that should help them guide themselves, where they’re going. And for other people, who are searching for where they’re going in life.”

Jerry Smith

Before Jerry Smith put fangs in the Black Karate Federation’s crest, he was all about that samurai life yo. Before homeboy got busy in tournaments, handing regular “L’s” to Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and his brothers, while the rest of America was dodging the draft, on some crazy Kanye White House shit, Jerry volunteered for the Marine Corps. Just so he could get to Asia, and get some of that Bushido code.

“I joined the Marine Corp when I was 18 years old. My whole purpose was to get to the Orient just so I could study Karate… All the other Marines were going out to the bars and whore houses. I was studying Karate… I tell people, I went to the other side of the world, to study the Bushido code, and after getting there and learning it, and seeing what they had to offer, It was wonderful! I still try and live by it.”

Homeboy Jerry would learn that the life of a samurai was more than steel and in actuality, the samurai class were indirectly responsible for creating Japan’s most popular form of martial arts. He explained saying “I liked the code of the samurai, but there is more to it than the sword…

The sword is one facet of a very interesting story. I got a chance to study in Okinawa and if you know Okinawans, the samurai were actually special… They were on a different social level than a regular peasant. They were sent out to different provinces. They were held in high esteem because they collected taxes for the lords. They were also sent to Okinawa.

Okinawa was basically very poor and Okinawans were not looked on as pure Japanese…  The samurai kind of abused the Okinawans. The Okinawans started to create a defense against the samurai. That would be with the sai, tonfa, sickle and chain. Those are all farm tools that were turned into weapons, so they could defend themselves against the sword… The first form of karate empty hand fighting was Shorin-Ryu… There was no empty hand fighting in Japan, Funakoshi took Shoryin-Ryu, to Japan and started Shotokan.”

Homeboy Jerry Smith dodged bullets, returned to the United States with open hand, and with the code of Bushido, he’d played a pivotal role in creating an American martial arts legacy.

Joseph Miller

Shihan Joseph Miller is one of the few Black men who teaches martial arts in Japan. Years ago, while serving in the Air Force, a letter of invitation allowed him to study Hakkoryu Jujitsu, which he is currently ranked 10th degree. Sensei Miller spoke about some of the difficulties associated with his work saying “In order to teach martial arts here in Japan, you have to be cleared by the police department. You have to be a certain rank, 5th degree and up and then you have to get fingerprinted and then it has to get approved by the police department, the Japanese Ministry, health ministry. There is a lot of red tape you have to go through like I did to establish your school in Japan.”

Shihan Miller took time to clear up some misconceptions that many have about samurai culture and history, saying “The samurai lived by a set of very unique codes. They went to war all of the time. If you lived to be 18 years old, you were a good samurai, because they were fighting since they were 14 years old… A lot of people in Western culture have this definition that the samurai were good. Some of them were, but most of them were ruthless killers…”


Beyond ruthless killing, Sensei Miller uses the code of Bushido to live a productive life, which focuses on being humane, he explained saying “We do practice samuraiship in terms of being loyal, dedicated, with dignity and having respect for other people… Whether you’re a Christian, or a Muslim, just going out and trying to be a humanistic person with values.”

Beyond the code, Sensei Miller believes that modern samurai are those serving in the armed forces, saying “Being a warrior are the guys that go to Iraq or have been to war — that have killed and seen people being killed. These guys are warriors. If anybody is a samurai, it’s a military man. He or she has been in that type of situation.”

Al Yisrael

Master Al Yisrael is a practitioner of Iaido and Kenjutsu who demonstrated the samurai spirit with service in the Marine Corp.  He spoke on the seriousness of the modern day samurai code, saying “A lot of people like to say, ‘Samurai,’ but they don’t know the definition. I was in the Marine Corp… To actually understand what samurai means, you can read it, you can study history, but go live the lifestyle of a Marine! Semper Fidelis — always faithful! Just like the samurai serve their shogun and the emperor — they serve. You’re going to protect the United States. It’s the same mentality. You don’t think about death. Death is around the door. The samurai had that same mentality!”

Despite mastering several disciplines of the martial arts, Al recalls the difficulty of training in Japan, there, the biggest challenge was being accepted and overcoming cultural and racial barriers. He explained saying “Some families would not even take you in.”

With over 30 years of mastery in various disciplines of the martial arts, he expressed satisfaction in sharing his knowledge and helping others “It’s been a wonderful life experience. It’s a life journey. I’ve taught many people, children to elderly, celebrities, people who compete in tournaments, people who want to better themselves, health wise or have more focus.”

Hanshi Tanya Jones

Hanshi Tanya Jones has been devoted to steel for 14 years, she began her journey with the Iaido under Hanshi A.D. Lingo. A master with black belts in multiple disciplines, obtained in a career of 40 plus years in martial arts, she found her calling, with the sword, and in doing so, she honors masters and women warriors before her.

Hanshi Jones provided her definition of a modern day samurai and their actions saying “You give your word. You speak your word. That is the most important code… You’re teaching this sword. You’re going from the masters of old. Everything that we do is a distillation of past masters secret movements. I honor those things. We’re honorable to our weapon. We present them in a certain way. We draw the swords in a certain way. We talk about Miyamoto Musashi and the way he taught the circle. We talk about all the honorable ones, who left this secret message with us… Everything that we do, has to do with past masters.”

Her devotion to the blade encourages other practitioners and more importantly, calls other women to the representation of steel. Hanshi Jones explained saying “I am a Muslim woman. When I teach, I will teach about the Muslim women who pulled the sword… This goes back to the 1700s. These women are remarkable! I like to teach about the women, when I pull my Odachi, my heart is representing those women who protected the homes, who protected the gates when the men were gone. I represent them.”

O’Sensei Seitu Kenyatta

Over 60 plus years in martial arts and 30 years of swordsmanship with the Iaido and in Kendo, O’Sensei Kenyatta encourages the discipline of the blade for self-mastery, he explained saying “This art here, you’re mostly by yourself. You master yourself… You work on it. You practice. With the weapon, you master your hand and mind and you move as one.


You think automatic and unconsciously. You have to unify your spirit and technique. You practice from all positions, crawling, sitting, walking, standing. You build every angle of attack. Left. Right. Front. Rear. In the darkness as well as the daylight… Behind working by yourself, you try to deal with yourself. You don’t challenge anyone else.


The martial arts in itself, it teaches disciple. When you get into the blade work, Iaido, Kendo, you go deeper into yourself. It’s not about outward. You go inward.”

At the ripe age of 75, contemplating his journey, O’Sensei Kenyatta says “I’m still a baby I have a lot to learn.”

Marcus Bossett

When it comes to samurai weaponry, we often think of the sword. In actuality, the bow or Kyudo was actually the weapon of choice for earlier samurai.


Marcus Bossett, one of America’s Kyudo experts, is currently ranked 5th Dan. Despite the number of international tournament victories, he insists that his martial arts discipline allows him to live a productive life in all aspects of society. He provided his view of modern-day samurai saying “The code of Bushido, is simply living in the moment. Release the past, live in the now, and the future is not guaranteed. You live as if today is your last day. The code of Bushido, means you serve one lord or whomever you’re serving. The word samurai means, ‘One who serves.’ You have loyalty and life commitment to whom you serve.”


The Level 3 Olympic archery coach has even performed before the princess of Japan. He emphasized the importance of training, and how this perseverance translates to success beyond the dojo walls. He explained saying “Budo is life. Everything that happens on the dojo floor, happens in life. Blood sweat and tears is what you leave on the mat and what you have outside the door, is the same. Every woman I’ve ever met who was of any caliber, including both of my ex-wives came from the dojo… Love, power, respect, honor, pride, dignity, all of this happens on the dojo floor, all of this happens in life.”

As accomplished as he is, Master Bossett humbly acknowledges a Black woman, of a higher rank name Renshi Regine Graduel, a 6th Dan Kyudo master who teaches in France.

Henry Smalls

Henry Smalls is the illest. A master in Kendo who has achieved the rank of Go-Dan — despite losing both his legs in an accident when he was younger. Master Smalls believes that modern-day samurai exist and they do so through service, he explained saying “Embodying the samurai spirit is being a servant… In our times, a Black person like myself can be someone who proves to better themselves in order to be of service to the community. Loyalty, not to a lord, but to a community, to himself, to his training, bettering himself as an individual, a better human being. You learn to light yourself up from the inside, out. A modern samurai is someone who trains to protect.”


Master Smalls was already a 7th Dan black belt in Isshin-ryu Karate when he developed an interest in Kendo. He was introduced to a Korean master, who had lived in Japan and more importantly, emphasized the spiritual aspect of swordsmanship. “He was kicking that philosophy. Telling me stuff about internal energy… Zen Buddhism teaches, the inner self, how to be in combat and still maintain yourself… With Zen Buddhism, you put everybody else in slow motion.”

Master Smalls encourages the discipline of the blade for everyone, and especially for Black men because of the spiritual development and pride associated with swordsmanship, saying “For the brothers, Kendo is like alchemy, with alchemy, you change yourself from within… Through doing the Kendo, you learn self-mastery. Through the process. Self-mastery in the process is going to reflect your life, outside. When my students come to the dojo, they put everything away… So that they are pure.

What you’re doing through kendo, in your training, you’re bettering yourself and using Kendo as alchemy or an assistant for self-transformation. Somebody will come into the dojo and you’ll see the transformation. It’s a very natural state… For the brothers, there is a sense of nobility when you’re a swordsman. There’s a sense of etiquette, there’s a sense of manliness, fortitude. Calmness under pressure. I believe this would be great for brothers. Karate gives you the mindset that you have to be prepared for a fight at any moment, but that doesn’t make your mind pure. You’re putting out energy, whatever energy you put out comes to you.


“Swordsmanship is a different thing… It’s facing danger and moving into it purely, with a pure mind.”

IN THE SHADOWS OF YASUKE

So here they are, modern-day samurais y’all, embodying that Bushido code. What led them? Who knows? Whether it was the battle cry of Sakanouye, echoing from centuries ago, or Japanese masters sharing great secrets, reminding them of their ancestors, and brilliant Kemetic kingdoms of gold, these warriors, embody Yasuke’s legacy with soul.


I’ve been standing in the shadows of Yasuke myself, sharpening my lyrics, swinging my liquid sword. I’m on my Black samurai-ish, totally composed.


Beyond Bushido, I’m preparing my steel anxiously awaiting the day, when I take off Zimmerman’s dome.

~Illmatical 無敵將軍

Clarke Illmatical (@masternever) is a writer from Queens, NY. He is the
creator of the martial arts fantasy story, MASTERNEVER AND THE FLOW OF DEATH.
His writing has appeared in The Amsterdam News, The Norwood News, Harlem
Community News, and Queens Politics in New York City. In Asia, his work has
been featured in The South China Morning Post, China Global Daily, TimeOut
Hong Kong, The Phnom Penh Post, and E-China Cities.

To learn more about Yasuke, the first black samurai, follow our journey to unravel his mysterious but true story:

• Web: Yasuke: The Black Samurai
• Twitter: @yasukesamurai1
• Instagram: @yasukeblacksamurai
• Facebook: Yasuke The Black Samurai

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