P7+Swords,+Armor+and+Bows

by Griffin M. and Madeline M. Samurais were great warriors of Japan. They had different fighting styles from any other fighting style during their time. Bushido was what the samurais code was and they lived by it. The Bushido emphasized honor, total loyalty to their masters, and simplicity. Samurais were very important to their community, they protected them all the time. Samurais had very unique fighting skills. Samurais did much more than you would ever believe. Bushido: ** Bushido was the code of life for the samurai, it was literally translated into the way of the warrior. Bushido emphasized honor, total loyalty and simplicity. Honor was very important; if you dishonored your master you would commit seppuku, ritual suicide, so you could die with honor. Loyalty for a samurai meant complete dedication to their master; they were always prepared to die for their master. Lastly, simplicity was the foundation of their religion and why gardens were so important (copying nature and trying to be calm in their gardens). Fighting Styles: ** The fighting styles of the samurai were different from any other fighting styles of their time period. Samurai would swing their swords in circles so they would not lose momentum, unlike knights with long hard hit the samurai’s hits were faster. Samurai would ride on horseback with their bows and arrows shooting enemies. Once their arrows were out they would ride past the enemy and try to hit them with their long sword or a Katana. Weapons: ** The weapons of the samurai were also different than all other weapons of this time period because of the shape and length of the sword. Most swords did not have sharp curved blades just strait swords. Also the bows were much longer in Japan and were used by pulling the arrow back as you pull the bow up. The long sword of the samurai, katana, had a curved sharp edge so it could slice through objects easily. The swords weigh less than 3 pounds and slice precisely through the target while most others weighed a lot more. The samurai bow was also different than western bows because the samurai bows were a lot bigger and had the grip at the bottom. The bow was drown up as it is pulled back and is let go as soon as it hits the only moment of balance. Samurai also used a long pole with a curved blade on one end, Naginata. Armor: ** Samurai armor was flexible and strong and took about a year to make. Samurai armor was formed from pieces of leather, iron, bamboo, and silk. Samurai armor was designed to be flexible enough to be worn even in unarmed combat; each rawhide plate overlaps with the next to make flexible panels which were then sown into the suit of armor. Samurai practices: ** Shinto is the main religion of the samurai. Shinto’s gods were called kami and were believed to live in nature. The mother of all kami was Amaturasu. Amaturasu is the sun goddess and is to have put down decedents to earth to be the Emperor of Japan. Chado is also another big practices of the samurai, Chado is the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony was very important to the samurai because it was a calming time for them. Chado had 42 rules you had to follow and it took about half a day. Conclusion: ** Swords, armor and bows were very important to the samurai of the Tokugawa period. They were the fighting tools of the samurai and showed their status. Bushido was important because it was how samurai lived their lives. Swords armor and bows were the most important concepts and possessions of the samurai and without them the samurai would not be who they are.
 * __Sword Armor and Bows__**
 * Introduction:**
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

media type="custom" key="5458617"