History

Who and what are we anyway? Like all people, nations, and well, like anything in existence, we all have a history and a story to tell.

Here is a snapshot of where we came from and why we are here! Much Like all things in history, there has to be a beginning. Mine started the moment I was born and given my name.

My name is Scott Forest Pulsipher, and I am the founder of The Redwood Samurai. I originally came up with the idea of The Redwood Samurai from various occurrences in my life. The first being my given the family name, Forest. (Which will become more clear as to its relevance and connection later in the grand story). Second huge occurrence was being given the opportunity to live a childhood the way that I did. Free, able to run around outside, adventure with my older brother, younger sister, and friends from our community. Third, having new technology in the house; yes, I said it, new Tech! Zelda. The Golden Cartridge, so shiny! It was because of this adventurous story of Link, the Hero, questing to save the princess, that planted the deepest of seeds in my mind, heart, and future! I did many things in life because of that game. I realized that if you wanted something, you could go and get it! If you could imagine something, you could create it with ease. If you didn’t know how, you simply had to ask. If you didn’t have enough money, you saved up until you did! And of course, weapons! What young youth doesn’t like Bows, Arrows, Shields and Swords!?

I made my own bow, strung with Yarn, before the age of seven (7). Arrows, Made of Bamboo! Because they were already thin and straight… ish… haha! I still remember to this day shooting at Bats just two apartments down from my own, just like Link does in the game. No,… no animals were hurt during that exercise.

Fast forward to high school! During my high school years, Graduate of 2005 from Encina High School. And during my freshmen year, having gone on a trip to Washington with my mother to visit some family, I was introduced to one of my uncles, Uncle Bry. If it wasn’t for him, and being given my name at birth, I don’t believe that things would have occurred in the order that it did.

Uncle Bry, being Special Forces for the US Military, gifted me two books that forever changed the direction of my life that Christmas holiday season. “Hagakure,” and “Musashi’s Book of Five Rings.” He also had mentioned “Art of War, by Sun Tzu.” The first two, he gifted to me, and then said that I should buy the Art of War on my own.

Hagakure,… Single Handedly the book that I couldn’t put down. I had this book read faster than any other book I have had the honor of reading. This book spoke deep vague truths that I would later read again and again for a total of 6-7 times front to back to gain deeper understanding of the nature of the contents of the book.

Watching a black and white Japanese film: Seven Samurai. Again, something that truly changed my life! I realized that I was going to have an “entity” originated by Seven people including myself.

Not too long after that, … one of my best friends from high school comes back from a trip to Arkansas with a gift for me. It was a Huge Dagger with a heavy brown scabbard. She named it, “Redwood,” after my middle name.

Since I had become accustomed to who and what “Samurai” were from the books and history classes I was taking in high school, it all just clicked!

And so, “The Redwood Samurai” was Born!

It wasn’t too much longer after that when I was spending time with my uncles in native tradition Southern Drumming, Singing and Dancing. As well as visits to family on the reservation and participating in harvesting wood for the Sweat Lodge. A whole other experience for another time.

I ended up being told that some of my cousins had been given their, “Totem’s” by elders in our family. I later came to my uncle and said, “I am the Redwood Forest Owl.” To which he said, “no no, it doesn’t work like that Scott.” I said, well what do you mean?” He said that I have to be given my Totem by an elder. I simply replied with my understanding and went about life.

Not that long after, my uncle and I were enjoying our company together, and he said to me, “you know, The Owl suites you, I give you my blessing to use it as your totem.” It was on that Day, that I knew things were meant to be.

He passed away less than a year after he said that to me.

Fast forward to my second semester in college at Victor Valley Community College. I had some extra money from my financial aid. Knew about Japanese Fencing. Looked up a local school. Bought Kendo Armor (Bogu), and Hakama and Kendo Gi, as well as all the required swords needed. Shinai and Boken. The school, I went to only once; because they claimed to teach Kendo, but were not going to teach any Kendo, so I left.

I took my armor, swords and geared up during one of my Speeches in my Public Speaking Class. I was to give a “persuasive speech” on why others should practice Kendo. This was a very exciting Demonstration of a fellow student swinging the Shinai (Bamboo Sword) at the “Do,” or Chest plate / Chest Guard.

Fast forward to age 26-27. I started my official Kendo Practice at the Rancho Cordova Kendo Dojo under a Mike Nakagawa Sensei.

Age 28, I brought the very little that I knew about Kendo and Iaido to students at my old high school, through their after school program that I worked for, “ASSETs.” I was a Tutor and Mentor for two and a half years.

There I was able to really develop the program, “The Redwood Samurai.”

Fast forward, to AmeriCorps in Texas, I took my program into the Science and Engineering portion of the 4H Capital AmeriCorps program, teaching students from Kindergarten to 5th grade all that I had developed. Further deepening the structure of my program to be more tailored to different age groups depending on their level of physical, mental and emotional aptitudes.

I forgot to mention that I had started Kendo at the Austin Kendo Doshikai during my time in Texas as well. Maybe two or three years total as an AKD Member, having tested for the rank of Ni-Kyu before finally having to move out of the state due to hardships in life.

Now that I am back in the Sacramento CA area, I look forward to building this community strong in my own home town of Sacramento.

Including myself, there are Four of the Original Seven Redwood Samurai that Live in the Sacramento Area. So it would seem that things have come back full circle and are rising to the occasion.