Bushido or Bushi-don’t: An expert critiques Craig Wright’s Samurai skills
Craig Wright thrilled onlookers at last week’s CoinGeek conference in New York with an impromptu display of his Samurai skills.
CoinGeek publisher Calvin Ayre captured the sight of the litigious Aussie entrepreneur and self-proclaimed Satoshi unleashing his inner ronin on video and promptly posted it to Twitter on Wednesday.
“#Satoshi defending his legacy,” Ayre wrote in the caption.
It appears that Wright’s demonstration is a PR stunt for Satoshi Swords, a gaming blockchain project.
Wright, a polarizing figure, attracted a wide range of responses.
Reactions on Twitter and from the audience in the original video veered wildly from full-on support (“Again, Craig!”) to mild apprehension (“Put the sheath back on please”) and to full-blown mockery.
Read more: [Craig Wright wins Bitcoin white paper copyright suit by default]
But in the spirit of impartiality, we deemed it unfair to judge Wright without first consulting an expert.
We got in touch with Dana Abbott—Shihan 7th dan, Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee, author, and the go-to guy for all things concerning “The Way of the Samurai.”
Abbott kindly agreed to take a look at the now-infamous 24-second clip. He then let us know what he thought of Wright’s technique.
Samurai essentials: A confident face and the right carpet
Interestingly, the first thing Abbott picked up on wasn’t Wright’s often-off balance flailing but the decor of the conference venue.
However, there was obviously enough there for him to suggest this may not have been Wright’s first time handling a blade.
“What made Craig’s movements stand out was the circled floor design and background,” explained Abbott. “It gave that samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi look and flair to Craig’s sword casts, cuts, and swings.”
“Craig has handled a sword before but for only a short amount of time. He might have learned a few moves and pre-arranged forms when he was younger.”
Abbott also picked up on the effect Wright was clearly having on the gathered crowd. Though a little rough around the edges, with some expert tutelage, Wright may yet make a decent samurai, he suggested.
“His face has confidence as I hear the onlookers’ voices sounding amazed and slightly apprehensive of Craig’s sword-wielding prowess.”
“For a sword professional like myself, it would be easy to polish Craig’s movements so he could stand taller in front of his peers.”
The best fighting is in the courtroom
Samurai or not, Wright’s been involved in his fair share of battles in recent months.
In June, he was victorious in London’s High Court when judges ruled that Cøbra—the anonymous owner of educational portal Bitcoin.org—must remove Bitcoin’s white paper in the UK.
And just last week he won again when a UK judge came down on the side of Dr. Wright in his libel battle with British podcaster Peter McCormack.
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