Machi-Kanshisha

The Machi-Kanshisha was an Otokodate who acted as a band of "volunteers" that followed the orders of the magistrates in Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru. They replaced the job of the yoriki that the magistrate should have. Way of the Wolf, p. 33 Though the Machi-Kanshisha were a corrupt lot, they were not easily bribed, because the Kaeru family paid them very well. Way of the Wolf, p. 53
== Pipe ==
The Machi-Kanshisha carried and used Machi-Kanshisha Pipes for their traditional recreational purposes, but they were also trained to use them as bludgeons and to strike at an opponent's joints and other weak points. Complete Exotic Arms Guide, p. 28
== Dojo ==
At first their numbers were few but as the holdings of the Kaeru family grew, so did their need for armed enforcers. Word spread that a rich family was recruiting for capable ronin, and so many that answered the call that the Kaeru could afford to pick and choose, selecting those candidates who best suited their interests. Eventually a barracks was "gifted" to the okodate and a small training room was included which became the dojo of the Machi-Kanshisha.
While it was little more than a large room with a sparring mat on the floor, but the ronin who sparred there could claim a master, a sensei, a duty and steady pay. More than one of them frequently boasted about this. Way of the Samurai, p. 94
== Training ==
Training was practical. As the Kaeru ruled the city in all but name their enforcers were taught that they served the Kaeru, not the Empire. To help the maintain the illusion of magistrates and law enforcers the ronin did their best to keep their swords sheathed even in combat. A mark of acceptance into their brotherhood was a long iron smoking pipe. This pipe was often used as a bo staff, and was also used to bludgeon suspects into submission. Then the officer could sit down and calmly have a smoke. In general the Machi-Kanshisha favored practicality over concepts of honor and Bushido. Their status was not that of a full samurai, and their employers held no real claim to the city, so while the members of the Machi-Kanshisha were loyal they would not go out of their way to aid a fellow member in furthering their individual prospects. The War of the Rich Frog, Part Three, by Rich Wulf
== Sensei ==
The master sensei of the Machi-Kanshisha was always appointed by the leaders of the Kaeru family. This sensei became the master of the ronin brotherhood, and the Kaeru expected him to keep his enforcers in line and on duty. 
=== Notable Sensei ===
* Kaeru Kenko
* Rensei
== Secret Dojo ==
Hand-picked members of the Machi-Kanshisha were members of the House of the Golden Frog, a dojo for the Kaeru's secret operatives. Way of the Ninja, p. 60
=== Known Techniques ===
* Smoke and Mirrors
* Clouded Mind
* Wear Them Down
== History ==
=== War of the Rich Frog ===
During the War of the Rich Frog, the Kaeru ordered the Machi-Kanshisha to act as forward spotters and scouts. The marginalization of the Kanshisha has led to some ill-will, as the Lion treated the Kaeru and the Kanshisha as subordinates. The graduates of the House of the Golden Frog were ordered to quietly eliminate Unicorn and Dragon patrols whenever the opportunity arose. Many Lion samurai found the principle of ambushing and assassinating fellow samurai in the night distasteful. The Kanshisha even looted their victims and quietly sold. Way of the Thief, pp. 77-78
== See also ==
* Machi-Kanshisha/Meta
Category:Otokodate
Category:Ronin Dojo