Simply question....do you think that Splinter was part of the foot clan?

[Luckyday]

From the past he and Shredder use to be friends. Could they also be part and serve in the same clan back in the day?

I don't know what the ninja clans are like in Japan in this show but if a rival and weaker clan knew that Shredder was in the states to hunt down Splinter and having trouble then maybe they would try to help Shredder's emeny if they heard that Splinter had started his own clan with powerful ninjas.

[Midnight Mutant]

Personally, I'm going to say no.
The reason I don't think Yoshi was part of the foot or part of Saki's clan is because in the flashbacks, you clearly see Saki wearing the foot clan symbol on his clothing. Yoshi's is different. It's also how Shredder identified Splinter's throwing star on T.V. so that must be Splinter's clan symbol.

That's why I think they were from different clan's anyway.

Plus, I don't see Yoshi really leaving a clan to start another. Yoshi seems pretty honorable and loyal. If anything, I'd think that Saki would do that. In most incarnations the foot wasn't even a bad clan until Shredder started leading it and if Yoshi was part of it, I would see him being the leader before Saki, so I don't see why he'd leave. In the cartoon he was framed by Saki to get kicked out, but I'd imagine that would create more of a rift between them than just a woman and they are pretty dead set on making sure you know that their relationship fumbled over a woman.

[victory_angel]

It is possible. It was mentioned they were trained in the same ninja clan, so I can certainly see Oroku Saki ruining Splinter's reputation and making the Foot Clan turn against him. So the emblem we see with Splinter is likely a family crest.

[BubblyShell22]

I don't know. We know they were in the army together based on the photo shown in "New Friend, Old Enemy." But maybe Splinter was in the Foot and left because he felt it was a dishonorable clan and went to a new clan. After all, he does say to the Turtles that he lost his clan as well as his home and his family, so it could be that he was in a different clan than the Foot.

[victory_angel]

In the OT Oroku Saki was a second in command, but when the opportunity arose he turned the Foot Clan against Hamato Yoshi by first making him look disrespectful by pinning his kimono to the wall so he couldn't bow. Then when Hamato pulled out the blade pinning him, it was assumed the knife was intended to murder the honored guest who had come to visit.

And in Show Down, Dogpound says this and I quote: "One of the best. He trained in the same Ninja Clan as Master Shredder. They used to be like brothers, until Hamato Yoshi betrayed him. Let me put it to ya this way, he's as skilled as Master Shredder...but he doesn't have the stomach to finish the fight."

[Machias Banshee]

I think this is a great question. :)

Here's a copy of the pic they were mention earlier...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d172/Machias_Banshee/TMNTFinalePhoto.png (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/Machias_Banshee/media/TMNTFinalePhoto.png.html)

[BubblyShell22]

My guess is that they did train in the same clan, but perhaps Saki transferred to the Foot after his falling out with Yoshi, or even before that since in the flashbacks we've seen, Shredder is clearly wearing his Foot uniform while Splinter is wearing his own uniform with his clan symbol on it.

[Luckyday]

It makes you wonder what the system is like over there in Japan? Is like how it was in the historical books of where they serve rich businessmen or companies that have blood ties to noble clans? Are they mercenaries that will only serve anybody that can pay? Is a foot clan just comprise of one family or is it a monopoly of bunch of ninja clans or is more a union that has life insurance and among other things?