Samurai served many functions in Japan’s history, but the role we know them best for is that of the warrior. Here are 5 killer weapons the samurai used.
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How Samurai Work:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/samurai.htm
Music Attribution:
“Shochikubai” by Koto Ensemble of the Ikuta School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v39aWI1myhY
Video Attributions:
Three Reasons: Seven Samurai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V4dEWPJKNk
Harakiri last fight scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7GDfzGeVnM
13 Assassins: Death by Arrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvON7JZAqzY
Samurai Archery – Yabusame in Nikko (Japanese Horseback Archery)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf3QRc_OShE
Kill Bill Vol.1 – Hattori Hanzos Sword – The Lonely Shepherd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnjtQQQaDKo
Pure History Specials – Samurai Sword The Making of a Legend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4qud54IiYs
Two Swords Technique – Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto ryu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2xmfyZSn80
13 Assassins Best Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Mk9Tr8BgE
Hidden Fortress
https://vimeo.com/7051676
Japanese women practicing naginata-jutsu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJ99IJSglw
Samurai shooting old fashion gun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-a9YaC9bME
Demonstration of Japanese traditional matchlock by Samurai Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-35RoW8qHs
Transcript:
Did you know that for the first few centuries they were around, samurai were better known as mounted archers than sword fighters? In fact, the samurai code of honor of Bushido evolved from the devotion to horseback archery known as “The Way of the Horse and Bow.” A samurai horseman’s primary weapon was a six-foot “yumi” bow made from an oak ash base and finished with bamboo. Arrows could be accurately fired from a fitted handgrip, allowing for accuracy from a moving horse. To train, archers tethered swinging targets to a pole. In fact, this included living dogs until the cruel practice was abolished.
Eventually the sword was considered a crucial part of a samurai’s life. When they were born, a sword was brought into the bedchamber during the samurai’s delivery. And when a samurai died, his honored sword was placed by his side. Before making these blades though, a swordsmith would pray, fast and even purify himself with cold water. And they faced a difficult metallurgical challenge. See, samurai sword steel had to be forged so it had both a sharp edge and wouldn’t break during a duel. If it’s too hard, the sword is brittle. Too soft, and it won’t take on a keen edge. So the solution was to make the sword’s core with a soft metal that wouldn’t break. Then, cover it with harder metals that are repeatedly folded and hammered until there were literally _millions_ of layers laminated together. If you had vermin to kill, this steel would cut them right in half.
Samurai warriors actually wielded two swords though, referred to as “daisho.” “Dai,” meaning “large,” represented the single-edged katana sword. Focusing until his mind was clear of distractions, a samurai could draw his katana and kill an enemy in a single move.
The samurai’s second sword was the wakizashi, the “small” part of “daisho.” It was used in close combat and for beheading an honored opponent after killing them. But the wakizashi’s most important role was for a samurai to ritually disembowel himself during the act of seppuku. This form of suicide was performed to maintain a samurai’s honor. Sometimes a ritual dagger was used instead of the wakizashi, but regardless of the blade chosen, another samurai stood by to behead the victim so their death was quick.
When they weren’t shooting you down or cutting you to pieces, samurai also used polearms in combat. The most common of these long poles with attached blades was the naginata. Its blade was 2 to 4 feet long while its shaft reached up to 5 feet. This extended reach allowed samurai to strike before a sword wielding opponent could even reach them, or to bring mounted enemies to the ground.
Finally, when European traders began to arrive in Japan in the 16th century, the reproduction of their matchlock guns was quickly mastered. These firearms were an influence on all of Japanese warfare, so samurai took them up as backup weapons. Some even wore solid-body-designed plated armor that was intended to be bulletproof.
