On March 24th, the Samurai Japan was awarded the championship trophy at the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC). The players were beaming with victory smiles so big that even the multi-colored confetti looked a little faded. The news caused a sensation across Japan and turned the players into heroes.
Back in 2006, another team wearing the mighty Samurai Blue was dominating media coverage: the Japanese National Soccer Team competing in the FIFA World Cup in Germany. Though the team didn’t fair well in the tournament, the term “Samurai Blue” became a powerful spirit that emanated beyond the stadium on game days, with supporters showing their loyal dedication by wearing their own Samurai Blue novelty jerseys and waving long blue towels.
This makes me wonder if it takes a Samurai spirit to become a good athlete.
The Samurai spirit is probably best translated as Bushido in Japanese. Bushido describes the philosophy behind a Samurai’s life, which emphasizes loyalty, courage, respect, sacrifice, and honor until death. It’s slightly different from a sportsmanship mentality, isn’t it? But in a culture like the Japanese, where individuality is less important than the success as a whole, the Samurai spirit is a great catchphrase to motivate the entire team.
So do you have a Samurai spirit?
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