The man known as Saigy (also called En'i late in life) was born the son of the samurai Sat Yasukiyo in 1118, at a time when government was in the hands of Retired Emperor Shirakawa and the imperial court was still relatively strong and prosperous. For generations the Sat, a minor branch of the Fujiwara family, had served in the Imperial Police and the Gate Guards of the Left, and Yasukiyo followed in that tradition, eventually becoming a personal bodyguard to Shirakawa. It was only natural therefore that the young Saigy, known then by his lay name, Norikiyo, should be trained in the martial arts from a young age in preparation for a career in military service.

Records indicate that Norikiyo took well to his military training, becoming especially proficient in horseback riding, swordsmanship, and kemari (kickball), the latter a sport popular among both the military and civil aristocracy...