▁Chinese ▁to ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁Mar oon ed ▁C anton ese ▁and ▁H ok k ien ▁naval ▁officers ▁would ▁set ▁up ▁small ▁gang s ▁for ▁protection ▁along ▁river ▁est u aries ▁and ▁rec ruit ▁local ▁sil at ▁pract ition ers ▁as ▁foot ▁soldiers ▁known ▁as ▁lang ▁or ▁lan un ▁( Mal ay ▁for ▁pir ate ). ▁Chinese ▁pir ates ▁like ▁Li ang ▁Da oming ▁and ▁Chen ▁Z uy i ▁became ▁so ▁successful ▁that ▁they ▁managed ▁to ▁come ▁into ▁positions ▁of ▁leadership . ▁Whether ▁pir ates ▁or ▁not , ▁S out heast ▁Asia ' s ▁boat ▁people ▁were ▁cru cial ▁to ▁the ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁weapons ▁and ▁techniques ▁in ▁sil at . ▁Through ▁their ▁jour ne ys ▁they ▁acquired ▁weapons ▁from ▁across ▁the ▁region , ▁came ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁other ▁fighting ▁styles , ▁and ▁spread ▁sil at ▁into ▁Br une i . ▁ ▁S out heast ▁Asian ▁trade ▁had ▁already ▁extended ▁into ▁Ok ina wa ▁and ▁Japan ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁Japanese ▁people ▁trav elling ▁the ▁region ▁increased ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Se k ig ah ara . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁there ▁were ▁small ▁Japanese ▁communities ▁living ▁and ▁trad ing ▁in ▁Ind och ina . ▁Some ▁arrived ▁with ▁the ▁official ▁red ▁se al ▁ships ▁while ▁others ▁were ▁war riors ▁and ▁pir ates ▁from ▁the ▁losing ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Se k ig ah ara ▁war . ▁Although ▁mostly ▁conf ined ▁to ▁S iam , ▁some ▁Japanese ▁escaped ▁to ▁Camb odia ▁and