Other Pirates or Ninjas?

[Kiwi Jo]

WHOOPs You appear to have unlocked one of my Special Interests™, But I'll try and condense my absolute undying love for pirates into a few paragraphs without boring people who don't care too much.


Pirates, as a rule, were all from the gutters of society. Piss-poor working class fishermen, merchantmen, and ex-navy who wanted to make a better life for themselves without the horrifically oppressive laws of the time (1780s-1860s, generally) binding them to a life of poverty. Merchant and Royal Navy ships were notoriously cruel and unfair, with flogging and caning for minor offenses, awful pay, and terrible food (a pound of meat and bread a week) being the norm. So these people who have been victimized by this awful system just said "No. No more of this." and went off to start or join pirate crews.


Pirate ships were pretty great compared to the rest of the world at that time, actually. There was a contract on most ships that had to be signed by all members of the crew stating that they agreed to the conditions outlined. They had very fair pay, with each man getting an equal share of the loot, plus higher-ranking officers and the captain never getting more than twice the amount of any other member of the crew. The captains were democratically elected and could be removed from their position at any time if they weren't properly performing their duty. If any of the crew was seriously injured, they were compensated, plus if anyone wanted out of the life of piracy, they were given a sort of "retirement fund" of x amount of money and dropped off at a location of their choosing. They actually didn't do too much fighting and raping and murdering, that was an image created by the English government to demonize them and make people more likely to turn them in.


SO ANYWAY what I'm trying to say is, Pirates all the way. They were just average people trying to live free from unfair rules and make lives for themselves. thank you for your time


p.s. the whole "ninjas wearing black" thing came from the Kabuki Theatre! People dressed in all-black were used to move props around, and the audience mostly tuned them out in favor of focusing on the actual characters in the play, so it came as a shock when one of them slipped up behind the main character to assassinate them! Kind of like some early 4th wall breaking shit, if you ask me.

 

[TeaMMatE11]

Looks like I have to step up from my last argument.


Ninjas know Taijutsu, the hand-to-hand martial arts combat to take down people effectively. They also know how to throw Kunai, Shuriken(ninja stars), and other traditional Japanese weapons. C'mon, you don't pick a katana over a pirate's sword?


I'm not sure what time period ninjas were used for military power, but they were essentially mercenaries for the different Japanese tribes/clans at the time. They were organized, and unlike pirates, not freeloaders. They were the best soldiers at the time.


That's my 2 cents. Pirates can only fire a gun and use a sword.

 

[Aldur]

Looks like I have to step up from my last argument.
Ninjas know Taijutsu, the hand-to-hand martial arts combat to take down people effectively. They also know how to throw Kunai, Shuriken(ninja stars), and other traditional Japanese weapons. C'mon, you don't pick a katana over a pirate's sword?


I'm not sure what time period ninjas were used for military power, but they were essentially mercenaries for the different Japanese tribes/clans at the time. They were organized, and unlike pirates, not freeloaders. They were the best soldiers at the time.


That's my 2 cents. Pirates can only fire a gun and use a sword.

I'd pick a cutlass over a katana :V


Also, your last statement is pretty underwhelming.

 

[TeaMMatE11]

I'd pick a cutlass over a katana :V
Also, your last statement is pretty underwhelming.

Well...I mean...my first post on this thread was pretty bad. This was 100% better than my first one.

 

[Kiwi Jo]

Looks like I have to step up from my last argument.
Ninjas know Taijutsu, the hand-to-hand martial arts combat to take down people effectively. They also know how to throw Kunai, Shuriken(ninja stars), and other traditional Japanese weapons. C'mon, you don't pick a katana over a pirate's sword?


I'm not sure what time period ninjas were used for military power, but they were essentially mercenaries for the different Japanese tribes/clans at the time. They were organized, and unlike pirates, not freeloaders. They were the best soldiers at the time.


That's my 2 cents. Pirates can only fire a gun and use a sword.

You make valid points and so I raise you: Multicultural pirates. Pirates weren't just the European swashbuckling white guy stereotype. There were tons of other pirates! Most European pirates would accept runaway slaves as part of their crew and treat them as equals. Many African pirates controlled the area near the Cape of Good Hope and other important trade choke-points. And Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian pirares controlled almost all of the western Pacific. Actually, the most successful pirate to ever live was a Chinese woman (I forgot her name but shes amazing) who commanded over 8,000 men. Pretty badass. So naturally, the variety in ethnicity leads to a variety in weaponry and fighting styles, if that's what does it for you! And a significant number of European pirates were ex-Navy, so they would have had some experience with combat training.

 

[DarkDestinySoul]

[QUOTE="Kiwi Jo]You make valid points and so I raise you: Multicultural pirates. Pirates weren't just the European swashbuckling white guy stereotype. There were tons of other pirates! Most European pirates would accept runaway slaves as part of their crew and treat them as equals. Many African pirates controlled the area near the Cape of Good Hope and other important trade choke-points. And Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian pirares controlled almost all of the western Pacific. Actually, the most successful pirate to ever live was a Chinese woman (I forgot her name but shes amazing) who commanded over 8,000 men. Pretty badass. So naturally, the variety in ethnicity leads to a variety in weaponry and fighting styles, if that's what does it for you! And a significant number of European pirates were ex-Navy, so they would have had some experience with combat training.

[/QUOTE]
This is oddly informative. It does not change my opinion however, I would rather not be seen and deal with those elements from the shadows with a more diciplined lifestyle than swashbuckling antics. Also I cant swim so I am biased against any life choices involving deep water.

 

[Kiwi Jo]

This is oddly informative. It does not change my opinion however, I would rather not be seen and deal with those elements from the shadows with a more diciplined lifestyle than swashbuckling antics. Also I cant swim so I am biased against any life choices involving deep water.

Thats fair and I respect that. Ill admit, ninjas are pretty amazing too so I can't blame you

 

[FaallenAngelx]

Pirates!

 

[Arvios]

[media]



[/media]
I chose ninja, but I was forced to under the eternal law of "Eenie Meenie Miney Moe!"

 

[SparkleBreaker]

A pirate's life for me.

 

[TheDetonator00]

Definitely Ninjas

 

[Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Ninjas, because I actually know one (kinda, teaches Bujinkan and is at the highest grade there is) and I'm too scared that he might be watching me to say otherwise.


Although if you show me a safe room that I can stay in, I'll confess Pirates.

 

[Street Light]

Well it's an easy call, for me. Y'see, I just simply go with what I'd personally like to be. And I'd love to be a pirate. Good god, to hear the thunderous booming of cannons, and to smell the dastardly smell of gunpowder in the air, as your mighty vessel rocks and shakes in the sea, the stench of the deep filling your senses, as you know that at any moment you could reach a watery grave. The splintering wood from the target of your aggression, flying everywhere, as you rope and drag them to their doom, heaving your crew onto their ship, to scour their numbers to the last, retrieving some precious booty along the way. The wide open seas, endless adventure, and the life of freedom. Ah yes. It's an easy call.

 

[officialfly]

<p>Ninjas all the way!</p>