Presented by Jesse Enkamp
17 Mar 2023
Today I’m training like a samurai warrior from Japan! 🇯🇵
I visited a samurai museum and learned how to wield weapons like katana and spear. Through my training, I discovered the incredible martial arts history, culture and discipline that the samurai possessed.
I also tried on real samurai armor to experience how it works in combat. Turns out, my Karate skills are basically useless on the battlefield!
Big thanks to Dr. Kacem Zoughari, William ”The Swedish Ninja” Ustav for filming and Samurai Museum Berlin for this amazing experience.
Summary:
Explore the history and discipline of samurai warriors. A martial arts expert learns to wield authentic katana and spear at a samurai museum. The experience reveals surprising differences between on-screen portrayals and real battlefield combat techniques.
Step inside Europe’s first and only Samurai Museum located in the cultural heart of Berlin—where the past meets high technology to unveil the true world of Japan’s legendary warriors. Guided by Dr. Kacem Zoughari, martial arts historian, researcher, and PhD in Japanese Studies, this immersive tour reveals the intricate blend of history, craftsmanship, and philosophy behind the samurai tradition.
In the video tour, Dr. Zoughari begins by dismantling Hollywood myths: the samurai’s signature sword, the katana, was not their primary weapon. Long before the curved blade became a symbol of power, the bow, spear, and naginata ruled the battlefield. These tools demanded mastery of movement, precision, and warrior discipline—values still alive in today’s martial arts.
As the host explores the museum’s treasure-filled halls, Zoughari introduces forgotten weapons such as kusarigama, crossbows, and even concealed firearms ingeniously disguised as blades. Each artifact, from a sixteenth-century spear to a battle-worn helmet scarred by gunfire, speaks of the brutal yet refined world the samurai inhabited—a world where strength, rank, and composure defined survival.
Dr. Zoughari then explains how samurai armor evolved as both protection and symbol. Massive antler-like crests or horns marked rank and honor, transforming warriors into living emblems of their clan’s spirit. He stresses the harsh reality of their existence—“you cannot show any weakness”—a mindset deeply ingrained in the philosophy of bushido, the way of the warrior.
In the museum’s upper level, the sword collection offers a moment of reverence. As Zoughari reveals, even weapons carried moral meaning: though feared, they could serve justice and virtue in the hands of an educated heart. Among the most impressive pieces is a gold-engraved executioner’s blade known as Futatsu Dō Giri Otoshi, capable, according to records, of cutting through two human bodies in a single strike.
But the tour doesn’t end in observation—it transforms into experience. The host dons an authentic Edo-period armor, weighing dozens of kilograms and valued in the hundreds of thousands. Under Zoughari’s guidance, every movement—from stepping forward to drawing the sword—becomes an education in biomechanics and martial wisdom. The lesson: in real battle, there are no dramatic gestures—only efficiency, balance, and survival.
Through short, controlled strikes and fluid footwork, the difference between cinematic combat and authentic martial movement becomes clear. Ancient tactics like uke-nagashi (deflecting with flow) and kumi-uchi (close combat grappling) demonstrate how seamlessly technique, weapon, and body unite in traditional Japanese combat arts.
The video concludes with a humbling insight: each weapon embodies human intention. As Kacem Zoughari reminds us, in the right hands, even an instrument of violence can become one of wisdom, justice, and respect.