SwordsArmor6

media type="custom" key="5446753"

Swords, armor, and bows were the most common weapons used in Japanese combat. They created unusual types of swords, armor, and bows. They created a new art of swords and armor, which they used in combat and succeeded in many of their battles. The samurai committed a form of suicide, seppuku, to avoid being disgraced. They had a unique and effective way of sword fighting. Their weapons and way of using them changed over time. The arms and armor also had different appearances.

Samurai are knights who fought to expand their leader’s domain. They fought with sharp samurai swords. Those were meant to slice swiftly and precisely. Some of the samurai swords were made with a personality of their own. When a samurai is fighting the blade is always moving in a circular motion so that there is no break in the momentum. A Samurai always thought several moves in advance, like a chess player. Mind, body and sword move as one through hours of practice. The samurai practice and trains to reach perfection, which could lead to something higher, perfection and enlightenment.

When a chief knows when his group is about to be defeated he commits Seppuku. This is a sign so he can have a noble spirit and better second life. They do it if they lose one of their possessions or is about to die. Before they commit Seppuku a samurai must say, It is a sign of respect to admit that they have been defeated. Seppuku is the art of suicide.

The person who made swords was a sword smith. To have this position, the person had to have the highest of morals. They created a blade both sharp and resilient by combining steels of different hardness's. The hardness of the steel depended on its carbon content. There are over a dozen folds in the metal. Two kinds of steel are combined to create a sword with a flexible core and a harder outer edge to hold a sharp cutting surface. The blade has a characteristic curve shape because it is hardened by dipping the red hot blade in cold water. After this process a samurai’s sword should weigh less than three pounds and be able to cut through a body with only one blow.

The person who made armor was an armor smith. Samurai armor was formed from pieces of leather, iron, bamboo, and silk. A samurai suit of armor is designed to be flexible enough to be worn even in unarmed combat. It took over a year to make a suit of Samurai armor and toke lots of practice. Each suit of armor has rawhide plates overlapping with the next to make flexible panels which are then sewn into the suit of armor. The suit of armor was not only designed for protection, but also to show power and strength to enemies and friends.

The swords and armor all had their own unique appearances. There was usually not much decoration on arms and armor. There was more decoration for higher social classes, nobility, military commanders, and elite warriors. The use and function of the weapon or armor said why, how, and how much an object was decorated. There are different kinds of armor that look different. Mail Armor is a mesh of interlinking metal rings that are sometimes called "chain mail". There is also plate armor, which became the main form of protection.

Japanese weapons and the way of using them changed over time. There was a major change in the 5th century because horses were discovered in Japan. In the 15th century, guns were introduced because of the consistency of war. The samurai fought with bows and arrows on horseback until the 1300s. They used swords in the final stages of a battle when their arrows were gone. At first, the Samurai used bows and arrows. Swords were only used for beheading someone and close-in fighting. There were battles with Mongols in the late 13th century which created a change in the way they fought. They started using swords, spears, and naginata more. The Samurai also changed from using horses to fighting on foot. The weapons and armor changed into what they use today.

__Works Cited__ Byam, Mich-ele. __Arms & Armor.__ New York: Knopf, 1988. "Arms and Armor Around the World Japan." //Knights in Central Park//. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2010. McGee, Mark. "A Brief History Of The Samurai." 25 Dec. 1998.Web. 17 Feb. 2010. Breiding, Dirk H. "The Decoration of Arms and Armor". //Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History//. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.