Jiri Prochazka’s Samurai Connection: Does the Ex-UFC Champ Own a Sword? All We Know About ’Denisa’s Training

The noted former UFC light heavyweight champ, Jiri Prochazka has garnered a lot of attention due to his unconventional training methods. Pretty surprisingly, a large chunk of the MMA universe accepts him as the embodiment of a modern samurai. But how exactly did a Czech native proclaim himself a modern-day samurai?

Well, it is the Japanese media that propagated this title for Jiri Prochazka. His unusual training methods caught the public eye during his time in ‘Rizin Fighting Federation’. After achieving massive success in his ‘Rizin’ fights, the Japanese media coined him as ‘The Czech Samurai’ which eventually built his image as a modern-day samurai. But apart from the image, is he a real samurai? If not, how does his training method resemble the techniques of how samurais trained? Let’s try to find the answers to all of these.

Is Jiri Prochazka actually a samurai?

No, Jiri Prochazka is not a Samurai. In fact, the samurais were abolished within a few years following the end of Japan’s feudal era in 1868. It’s perhaps almost impossible for Prochazka to be one of their heirs who lives thousands of miles away from Japan. Hence, we can say that he isn’t a real samurai. But, apart from being an ethnic clan, the samurais were also a group of people whose lives were governed by a set of values, like honor, discipline, and loyalty. If we go as per these values, ‘BJP’ is pretty much a samurai.

Most fans may know that the 31-year-old chose Muay Thai and karate as the primary genres of his martial arts training. But he started incorporating the samurai techniques after Jiri Prochazka’s coach gave him a book named ‘The Book of Five Rings’ almost a decade back. It was written by Miyamoto Musashi, who is a legendary Japanese swordsman.

The teachings of this book moved Jiri Prochazka massively as he also said, “This is my bible. It’s showed me the right way on how to do these martial arts”. He even started committing himself to the ‘Bushido Code’ that samurais use as a guide to their lives.

A lot of fans may now realize why Jiri Prochazka often trains with a samurai sword called ‘katana’. Well, he also owns the katana showcased in the videos of his training. Meanwhile, talking about the ‘Bushido Code’, what does it really mean?

What is the Bushido code that the former champion follows?

The attitude of the Samurais was based on a strong moral code – ‘Bushido Code’. It refers to the way of a warrior, which emphasizes the importance of loyalty, honor, and of course, martial arts. The code also believes in a warrior devoid of fear, and sacrificing oneself for valor. Moreover, Jiri Prochazka gave his understanding of the ‘Bushido Code’ in a past interview.

“Bushido philosophy, or the samurai ideology deals with the honor of a man and the fact whether he is capable of honoring his word under any circumstances. To keep his mind still, whatever happens around him,” Jiri Prochazka told MaArtial. Since adopting the ways of the Samurais, the Czech star has never looked back and has always maintained his way of life.

But can this way of life help Jiri Prochazka become a two-time UFC champion this weekend at UFC 303 against Alex Pereira? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.