While well synchronized ass kicking looks real good in movies,
there are some who do it better in real life!
Take a look at some of the most lethal warrior cultures in the world.
10.
Knights Templar We have all heard of them and wondered about their efficiency.
They were just damn good!
Also known as the order of Solomon’s temple, the Templars were one of the most powerful
and wealthiest groups in the world.
They wore white mantles and a red cross
and their legendary fighting abilities served well in the crusades.
They also developed their banking system and were perhaps the world’s first multinational corporation.
They were initially formed to keep the pilgrims safe from attackers and often received many
gifts including lands and businesses.
The Templars were often used as an advance shock troop and the heavily armoured knights
on their warhorses often broke enemy lines.
But well, power corrupts and not even the Templars were safe from that.
In 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered their arrest under the charge of denying Christ
and that started their downfall.
9.
Ninjas, Japan Well, we all know of them as the major kickass
dudes dressed in black who beat people up senseless!
Ninjas were a covert agents and mercenaries in feudal Japan and their functions included
espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination and guerrilla warfare.
And while the Japs considered them to be beneath the samurais, we have no doubt that they were
in fact some badass fighters!
It was around the 15th century that the Ninjas, or shinobis, emerged and were recruited as spies.
The clans of Iga and Koga were formed for the training of the first ninjas.
And while it seems as if ninjas generally operate alone, there have been accounts where
they have worked in groups also.
Their weapons were usually meant for short range strikes and consisted of knives and short swords.
They were also pretty good in disguises and generally carried ropes and grappling hooks
to make a quick escape.
That does sound like a pretty impressive array of weapons, does it not?
8.
The Maoris, New Zealand While you generally associate New Zealand
with awesome sceneries and the Lord of the Rings, the Maoris, the indigenous people of
New Zealand are a fearsome culture.
They arrived in New Zealand from Polynesia through canoes in several waves between 1250
and 1300 CE and soon developed their own culture, language, mythology and crafts.
Not to mention their awesome fighting powers!
They believed that combat is the way to achieve spiritual power or mana, as they call it.
And well, they also sometimes ate the people they killed in order to gain their mana, though
it was not a common practice thankfully.
But one thing is for sure.
The Maoris are perhaps the only native culture that has never been conquered.
In fact, when the Europeans came to New Zealand, they were initially held back by the Maoris
until infighting between the different clans gave them the advantage.
The weapons of the Maori fighters range from clubs, Taiaha, Stingray spear and shark tooth clubs!
If you do visit New Zealand, we recommend that you don’t challenge a Maori to a fight!
7.
Aztecs, Mexico The Aztec culture flourished between 1300 and 1521 in Mexico
and a triple alliance between the Mexica, Texcoca and Tepaneca tribes formed the Aztec empire.
Warfare was the most important force behind their economy and religion.
In fact, they would often sacrifice war captives during their festivals.
And while their armies consisted mostly of commoners with basic military training, they
had a considerable number of professional warriors which made them such a fearsome army!
They were very well organized with the leaders naming successors so that if they died, someone
would take their place.
The warrior training began early at the age of 10, with separate schools for commoners and royalty.
And once the boys had completed their training, they would go on campaigns with seasoned fighters!
And then, once they had taken captives, they were segregated into different clans based on their proficiency.
There were man warrior clans in the Aztec army which the soldiers got segregated into
depending on their proficiencies and the number of captives they had taken.
Also, if they ever retreated during battle, their comrades would kill them!
That pretty much tells us why they were so successful right?
6.
The Immortals, Persia If you have seen 300, you know who we are talking about.
While they may have been defeated in the movie, they were some seriously awesome fighters.
The name immortals was given to an elite group of heavily armed infantry unit of 10,000 soldiers by Herodotus.
They consisted mainly of Persians and served as the Imperial guards as well as the standing army.
Wicker shields, short spears, quivers, swords, slings, bows and arrows were the weapons that
the immortals carried along with a headdress.
Some of their most famous conquests include Cambyses II’s conquest of Egypt, Darius
I’s invasion of India and the battle of Thermopylae.
It is no wonder that they were considered so fearsome!
5.
Incas, South America Present day Peru was once home to the Inca
empire who used conquest and peaceful assimilation to incorporate a large portion of western
South America into their kingdom.
Their success was largely credited to their army, whose officers were chosen during the
Warachikuy festival after displays of racing, marksmanship, simulated combat and battle drills.
The army was divided into different battalions and each battalion was composed of a single
ethnic group under a warlord.
And their tactics were simple.
They would march in huge numbers to intimidate the enemy and then the troops would rally to attack.
The army was pretty disciplined
and they had the logistics to support them with roads staging areas.
Their gear included shields, helmets, armour, and the weapons ranged from the flexible spears
called estolica, slings, bolas, macana, clubs, axes and the bow and arrow.
And while they did have their share of peaceful conquests,
they were not the ones to shy away from a violent one.
No wonder the Inca empire grew so rapidly!
4.
Mongolian Army The name of Genghis Khan was often enough to send Kings running for cover all over Asia
and the reason behind the dread of his name was the Mongol army.
They were technically a very advanced army and adapted their nomadic lifestyle into their
fighting style as well.
The army was divided into many units and the unit leaders had the license to execute the
orders they received in any way they thought fit.
There was also an elite force of warriors called the Kheshig who served as the imperial guards.
The reason for the army’s success was their mobility and each soldier had 3-4 horses which
allowed them to travel at great speeds.
The soldiers were trained in horse riding, archery, unit tactics, formations and rotations.
They were generally arrayed in groups of 10 and the one unbreakable rule that they had
was that if any soldier ran from danger, he and his 9 companions would all face the death penalty!
The Mongol army presented a pretty scary picture with their heavy coat fastened by a leather belt.
And from this belt would hang their sword, dagger and more often than not, an axe.
Their gear was also a pretty solid armour as the coats were lined with fur with heavy
silk shirts underneath.
This protected them well from arrows!
All in all, they were a pretty fearsome bunch!
3.
The Roman legion The Roman empire was one of the strongest
and the reason behind it was the Roman Legion.
Typically composed of around 5000 soldiers, the Roman legions formed the elite infantry
unit of the army and were composed of only Roman citizens.
They used an eagle as their symbol from 104 BC onwards and it was a very important thing.
Loss of the insignia would often result in the disbanding of the entire legion.
The reason the Roman Legions were so effective was that they were pretty high up on discipline
and any time that discipline was broken, it resulted in some serous punishment including
being beaten by stone or cudgels till dead!
Another reason they were so effective was that they adopted superior techniques every
time they came across one!
2.
Samurais Japanese culture is pretty much heavy on fighting.
Which is why they have many cultures dedicated to fighting but perhaps the best one is the samurai culture.
And while it consisted of other things like literacy, culture and meditation, they were
primarily a fighting force.
The samurais were associated with clans and their lord, and were trained in matters of
military tactics and strategy.
And although they are mostly associated with swords, the weapons of the samurai ranged
from longbow or yumi, pole weapons, Japanese matchlock staff weapons and even clubs and cannons!
The code of honour was very strong among the Samurais and one part of their code is seppuku,
where disgraced samurais could regain honour by passing into death.
They also had a distinct armour which was made from a series of plates, a thigh guard
and a helmet which was designed to induce fear into the opponents.
There are many myths and legends associated with the Samurais which is probably why they
feature in a lot of movies!
1.
Spartans Yep, you knew they would probably figure on
this list, all thanks to Leonidus and his 300!
The Spartan army was pretty much the centre of the Spartan state and the citizens were
trained in the discipline and honour of the warrior society form a pretty young age.
At the height of Spartan power, it was common knowledge that one Spartan soldier was equivalent
to many soldiers of any empire.
The Spartan army were considered to be the backbone which would protect the entire Empire.
Which was why when new born kids were found to be weak, they were left on Mount Taygetus to die!
They received training in camps known as the Agoge where they ensured much hardship.
Their uniforms consisted of red capes and long hair, because they thought long hair
was a symbol of a free man!
Wonder if rock n roll picked up on that!
The huge success of Sparta in battles was mainly because of the strength of their army.
And well, considering their reputation, we have no doubt that most of the enemy armies
just conceded defeat on seeing them!
Hope you enjoyed this video.
And if you think there were any fearsome warrior cultures that we missed out on, let us know
in the comments.
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