Our Soldiers

Here, we introduce our encampment's troop quarters, which, unsurprisingly, take up the majority of the encampment space. The soldiers in our gumi (unit) are from all walks of life, from carpenters and armourer apprentices to ex-ne'er do wells. Uniting them, however, is loyal service to their lord, Takayama Shingen, and their bond with one another forged through merryment, training, hardship, and war.

What duties and training do the ashigaru have?

Melee Weapons

Sword (kenjutsu), dagger (tantojutsu), spear (sōjutsu), glaive (naginatajutsu), wrestling (yawarajutsu), and armoured grappling (kumiuchijutsu), are arts in which all experienced ashigaru in our unit train. The ashigaru ko gashira, sergeant, is the most experienced of the ashigaru and will often assist in teaching the men in his own inimitable fashion.

Skirmishing Weapons

The art of skirmishing with ranged weaponry, primarily bows (kyujutsu) and matchlock firearms [hojutsu, coming soon], along with the use of shield screens (tate) is crucial on the battlefield. Therefore, ensuring there are trained bowmen and gunners in the unit is of the utmost importance.

Fieldcraft

It is a useless soldier who does not know how to set up a shelter, stand on sentry duty, dig a latrine, help prepare basic fortifications, cook his rations, prepare himself for the march, keep himself healthy and keep his kit in working condition. Therefore, mustered ashigaru of all backgrounds are taught these vital skills from their commanding samurai and/or their sergeant.

Pikewall Discipline

Manoeuvring in the spear/pike wall requires high levels of discpline, coordination, teamwork and an ability to immediately respond to orders whether they come from the commander or the drums. These skills are of the utmost importance for ashigaru to learn and, therefore, we take this element of training very seriously. We ensure all ashigaru are trained to fight and manoeuvre in this crucial battlefield formation.

What do our men get up to when off-duty?

War and military duties are not all that an ashigaru takes part in. Not only do our ashigaru engage in social activities and games with each other to pass the time, they also practice some of their own crafts. All had a background before they became a soldier, and they make use of this background either by command of their lord or in their time off-duty.