The Armor of Samurai

Samurais are quite popular in pop culture due to their distinct look, way of life, and combat. Your typical samurai, a social class in Japan born in the 12th century, looks badass because the armor looks highly decorative—but you may not consider such protection effective if it’s so pretty. Contrary to that perception, samurai armor…

Dots on a monk’s head

If you’ve ever encountered a Buddhist monk—or a Shaolin monk, even, as they might practice Buddhism—you may have noticed that they have dots etched on their foreheads. It turns out that, like many things, they are part of an ancient Buddhist tradition. They are the results of a ritual under the Chinese Foguangshan monastic ordination…

What are Shuang-Gous?

When it comes to unusual-looking ancient weapons, you can believe that the Chinese are at the top of the list for these. Due to their rich martial arts culture, they have a number of intriguing, unique, and effective weaponry, but none is as deadly and intimidating as the shuang gou, or the Chinese hook sword.…