P2+Swords,+Armor+and+Bows

Swords, Armor, and Bows, Oh My P2 By: Rachel M. Samurai had a personality of their own that they would use not only as a sign of respect towards their master but also as a role model to the citizens of Japan. The Samurai of Japan fought for their masters and Emperors in furious battles. To do that they needed strong weapons, like swords and bows. They also needed protection with armor. The Samurai had to be well trained. Not everybody could be a Samurai. Only those born into the class of Samurai could have been. Samurai were strong and protective, they never gave up. Samurai were very good role models towards the people of Japan. Samurai had many characteristics and feelings that they had to display. All Samurai had to be willing to risk their lives for their master, without any fear. Samurai were not afraid of dying while serving their master. They had to show respect, loyalty, honor, and bravery towards their master. The Samurai were leaders of local clans who fought on horseback to serve the Emperor by protecting the border of their land. Samurai carried two swords with them at all times, when they drew the sword they were obliged to use it. They carried a long sword, meant for battle, and a short sword, used for seppuku which was ritual suicide. Samurai were not only warriors but models of the Japanese culture. Nobody that was not born into the class of a Samurai is allowed to be a Samurai. Japanese people were born into their social class. Samurai were born into their social class just as everybody else was in the Japanese culture. Anybody born into a class that was below Samurai socially could never become Samurai. Though Samurai were born into their class, they were not ready until they went through all of the training for the use of all weapons. Samurai could not have served a higher class until they had mastered the techniques of the sword and the bow, which took years. The Samurai sword was a very important and resilient weapon in the Japanese culture. Magnificent sword smiths set aside weeks or even months just to make one perfect sword. The swords were meant to be sharp and resilient. They were made flexible but strong, for anytime Samurai draw the swords they had to be able to use them to kill. Two kinds of steel were combined which made a flexible core and a harder edge to hold the blade. There were over twelve folds in the metal; each fold was formed to make the swords tougher and stronger. The swords were heated then cooled many times, but the last cooling was the most important. The swords always had a chance of breaking in the cool water, which meant that weeks or months of hard work had gone to waste. The sword was tested on dead bodies or on prisoners; if the swords was made correctly it should have been able to cut through a limb with one single blow. Of course there were more weapons that the Samurai had to master before they actually went into battle for an Emperor, like the bow. The Japanese bow was not like western bows, with the handle in the center and easy to aim. The Japanese bow did not have a handle in the center of the bow, but it did have a handle more near the bottom of the bow. This made the bow harder to aim but also less likely to break. The shooting of the bow took years to master. Most Samurai started with a large log in front of them, but most still could not hit it. Once the Samurai had practiced for many months or even a year the Samurai were able to shoot the bow while on horseback. The bow was made from saplings or from stronger strips from wood from other trees. Bamboo was glued to the bow which formed the inner part of the bow. With all of the powerful weapons that the Samurai could use, they had to have some source of protection. Samurai had a good source of protection from all of the weapons from around the world. The armor for the Samurai was designed to be flexible but strong like the sword. The body of the armor was formed from pieces made from leather, bamboo, iron, and silk. Rawhide plates were made then overlapped with each other to make a strong and protective outer side. The armor of a Samurai is not only for protection, but to show the opponent that they had strength and power. The full suit of armor also included big rectangular shoulder guards, a neck defense, and an iron helmet. Samurai were great role models, and had great respect towards the Emperor and their master. They used all kinds of weapons, and armor, to protect the borders of Japan. They risked their lives to save the lives of their master, and their people. People born into the Samurai class had all of the characteristics of a real trained Samurai, which they would be soon. The life style of a Samurai was very important to the people of Japan. Swords, armor, and bows were essential to the Japanese culture because without the protective weapons, the culture would not be safe. Also, because the skill of Samurai when fight with swords and bows was considered an art. Without the art of the swords and bows the fighting was just swinging a sword or shooting a bow.
 * Introduction **
 * Samurai- What they are and what they are like **
 * Who cannot be Samurai? **
 * Samurai Swords **
 * Samurai Bows **
 * Samurai Armor **
 * Conclusion **

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