Scottish Samurai Awards 2018 in Aberdeen

The Maryculter House Hotel in Aberdeen was the venue for the Scottish Samurai Awards 2018, held on the 16th of September, attended by Prof. George Popper, President of IBSSA and Dr. Fritz Wendland OSS (from Germany), a great figure of martial arts and IBSSA (Founder and ex-President of World Karate Confederation, Founding member of IBSSA).

Founded and overseen by Ronald Stewart Watt OBE (Order of the British Empire), the Order of the Scottish Samurai is an award inspired by Thomas Blake Glover (1838-1911), known as the Scottish Samurai or The Scot who shaped Japan, who played a particular role in the Scottish-Japanese business, trade and cultural relations. By his business activities Glover became famous in Japan and was the first non-Japanese to be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun for his great contribution to impoverishing Japan to the industrial age, including mining and shipbuilding industries (by 1905 Japan became the 3rd largest naval power in the world). He died in Tokyo at age 73, his ashes were interred in Nagasaki’s Sakamoto International Cemetery.

While Ronnie actively heads the Order, he is supported by patrons, members and recipients and many of them were present at the ceremony, as Lord Charles Bruce, descendent of the historic Bruce family (the Earls of Elgin and Kincardin) and the great King of Scotland, Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), who freed Scotland from English rule, winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and ultimately confirming Scottish independence in the Treaty of Northampton (1328), including the recognition of Robert I’s title as king of Scots and the abandonment of all English claims to overlordship.

The opening speech was delivered by Ms. Masami Fujimoto, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate-General of Japan in Edinburgh. The event saw some 23 or so Samurai and Shogun awards made to a broad range of recipients:

Two previous Lord Provosts of Aberdeen, Mrs. Margaret Smith and Mrs. Margaret Farquhar received Shogun awards for services to Aberdeen, while Duncan McPherson and Robert Boyd received Legendary Samurai Awards for services to the Japanese Martial Arts. Terry Boyle and Tyrone Smith were awarded OSS Shogun and Becca Hobart – alongside delivering a splendid display of Highland Sword Dance – collected up a well-earned OSS Hatamoto for services to the Order of the Scottish Samurai. The award ceremony was augmented with demonstrations of martial arts performed by Ronnie's students. A high level Japanese iaido demonstration was performed by Robert Boyd.

The members admitted to the Order are encouraged to use the letters OSS (Order of Scottish Samurai) after their name.

The event was concluded by a special award for the founder of OSS: upon the decision of the IBSSA Board of Directors, Mr. Ronald Stewart Watt OBE was awarded with the Honorary Membership of IBSSA by Prof. George Popper, President of IBSSA and Dr. Fritz Wendland for his significant professional achievements and lifetime contribution to strengthening of the cooperation and friendship between people and different nations through karate.

24th September 2018

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