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From the article: 45% of members have at least one part of a digit amputated. Those are probably not stats they tell you on recruitment day!
by mmcconnell1618 11y ago
From the article: 45% of members have at least one part of a digit amputated. Those are probably not stats they tell you on recruitment day!
- mc32 11y agoIf they watch any Yakuza movies, I'm sure they are aware of the practice, maybe no the extent, as you point out, but they're not naïve... That said, there has to be a Tony Iomi joke in there somewhere.
- dclowd9901 11y agoIt also seems a bit of a defeating cycle. If you lose part of your pinky, you are, almost by definition, less effective than you were before (with the exception of maybe running), thus leading you to make more mistakes. I get tradition, but you have to wonder if 45% of your people are operating at 99% of their capability, that's quite a bit of lost manpower.
- GSimon 11y agoThat's one way to look at it. You could also see it as 45% of your workforce has now a much greater difficulty finding a normal job because of this now visible gang affiliation. Those 45% have less options to make a traditional living which increases their reliance on the Yakuza.
- wdewind 11y agoThat was actually the original point: the pinky is extremely necessary in swordfighting and by cutting it off you made yourself more dependent on the clan. It's a show of commitment.
- nommm-nommm 11y agoThats the point. From the article: "The practice dates back to the 1700s, when gamblers known as bakuto would accept a person’s severed finger in order to settle a gambling debt. The little finger on the left hand was chosen as its removal hampers a person’s grip on their sword (katana), weakening them as an opponent."
- mhurron 11y agoIt's pretty much only people outside of Japan that don't already know this. Identifying Yakuza members is something you just 'know.'