P7+Swords,+Armor+and+Bows

__**Swords, Armor, and Bows, Oh My!**__ By Emery B. and Maggie M.

Samurai used many different weapons in battle, such as swords, guns and bows. These weapons were very complicated to make, and so it took a long time to make them. Different weapons were used in different time periods. Samurai wore intricately designed armor to protect themselves from these weapons. The armor could be very decorative, and had many parts. The combinations of the weapons and armor made the samurai deadly opponents.
 * Introduction**

Swords were the most lethal weapon of Japan, but were not used as much as most people believe. No samurai has completely relied on his sword for battle, and mostly used a bow while riding on horseback into battle. Only when the samurai ran out of arrows did they begin using their swords. Each samurai usually carried at least 20 arrows with them, so the dramatic pictures of a samurai dying, looking like a porcupine there were so many arrows stuck into him, may not be as far-fetched as people believe.
 * Swords and Bows**

Guns were also used in the ancient times of the Samurai. Guns were introduced to the Japanese in 1541 by Portuguese merchants. Guns were quickly adopted by the Samurai and were used in the civil wars in the sixteenth century. Since swords were no longer used, all of the swordsmiths became gunsmiths and made copies of the guns that were being used. By 1560, feudal lords were able to fill battlefields with thousands of foot soldiers armed with muskets and other types of guns. These became a great threat to the samurai because they could easily kill people even with years of samurai training. The unification of the Tokugawa Shogunate, in 1600, laws were passed to restrict the use, production and ownership of guns and firearms. This limited the use of them to use on the battlefield. Many different types of guns were used in battle when they were allowed. They varied in length and size. These guns included the bajojutsu, and the tanzutsu. Both of the two types of guns had two different types of them. One was smaller than the other. The bajozutsu was longer and skinnier than the tanzutsu. The bajozutsu was used on horseback and literally meant “horseback barrel”. The tanzutsu literally meant “short barrel” and was also used on horseback, it was just a smaller version. Both of the two types of guns had two different types of them. One was smaller than the other.
 * History of Guns**

Samurai armor was very different than the European armor from the same time periods. The helmet was often very decorative, so it would distract the enemy long enough to strike. The helmet was decorated with antlers, golden horns, shells, and feathers. A mask was worn to protect the face, with exaggerated features carved in. A mustache made of horse hair was added to the mask as well. Another addition to the armor was a Sashimono, a flag that bore the emblem of the samurai’s master. The design on the flag could be replaced with feathers or other materials, and still have the same effect. The Horo was a type of sashimono with a few differences. A horo was a colorful cape stretched over bamboo framework instead of just a flag on the back of the armor. Originally, the horo was used to protect against arrows, but it was later used as a piece of decoration for a Daimyo’s elite samurai.
 * Armor**

All weapons are made in different ways. A samurai sword is designed to slice swiftly and precisely. A swordsmith had to be a person of the highest values because it was believed that the sword had a personality of their own. The blade was made both sharp and resilient. This was done by combining different types of steels with different hardness’s, the hardness of the steel depended on the content of carbon. Over twelve folds are made in the metal. Two types of steel are combined to make the middle soft and flexible and a hard coating to make the blade razor sharp. Each blade has a curve because of the hot metal being dipped in the cool water. After all of this was done, a sword weighing less than three pounds was created. When the Samurai started using guns in combat, all of the swordsmiths switched to making copies of the Portuguese guns. The guns were hollow wood so that a barrel could be made for the bullet to be shot out of.
 * How Weapons are made**

All of these weapons were used in different ways and time periods. There were various types of swords used on the battlefield. These included the tanto, the wakizashi, the other wakizashi, and the katana. The smallest of all of the swords was the tanto. This was used for committing //seppuku//, or an act of suicide. Seppuku is done when you lose a fight, your sword is taken from you, or you disobey your master. All of the other swords are used in battle. Most samurai rode on horseback. All weapons were made so that they could be used on horseback and on the ground. Guns were only used for a certain period of time. They were a replacement for swords until a law was passed restricting the use of guns.
 * How Weapons are used**

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Conlan, Thomas D. //Weapons & Fighting Techniques of the Samurai Warrior: 1200 - 1877 AD.// New York: Metro Books, 2008. Print. Image. [] [24 February, 2012]. Web. Image. [] [24 February 2012]. Web. Image. [] [24 February 24, 2012]. Web. Odijk, Pamela. //The Japanese.// Englewood Cliffs: Silver Burdett Press, 1991. Print. Turnbull, Stephen. //Samurai Armor: Warriors of Medieval Japan.// New York: Osprey Publishing ltd.: 2005. Print. Turnbull, Stephan. //Samurai: The World of the Warrior//. Wellingborough: Osprey publishing. 2003. Print.
 * Citations**