Yamabushi

Yamabushi (One who hides in the mountains) was the name for the hermits of ancient Japan. They used to live in mountains and lead an austere life. Their life goal was to get enlightened using mystic practice techniques. Yamabushi were known for their perfect esoteric capabilities and they were recognized and reputed as qualified healers and holy people, on the whole.

Being the adepts of the school Tendai, one of the principal Buddhistic schools in Japan based on the Chinese lotus school Tyantai and Singon founded by the monk Kukai, they supposed that they would get enlightened through spiritual contemplation, union of human beings and nature. Mountains were the perfect place for the hermit where the nature allowed devoting to cognition of yourself and the whole world around to the full extent.

Yamabushi monks were not only devoted to perception being alone in mountains. They had, by the way, to survive from the mountain robbers and, thus, they mastered the martial arts and were highly qualified in using cold arms. However, naginata was the favorite kind of the edged weapons.

Yamabushi were glorified to be perfect warriors using both esoteric practice and martial arts.