Imagine seeing a man in Japan fighting with a katana. This man was a samurai. A samurai was a professionally trained warrior in feudal Japan.These samurais worked for their daimyo or the Shogun. They were hired to protect them, their family, and land. Samurais were hardworking and respectful to everyone. When samurais are in battle they win and do not lose. People say samurais are very well disciplined because of Bushido, and it is true. Bushido was the rule of the samurai code. Samurais were expected to live disciplined lives. In source 4, “The business of the samurai consists...in discharging loyal service to his master if he has one, in deepening his fidelity in associations with friends, and ...in devoting himself to duty above all” (Source 5). This statement can mean that samurais had to be devoted to being a samurai no matter what. Which meant staying true to all the rules. Also this is important because, not only did they have to be loyal to their duty, but also loyal to their friends and family. It can also be said, …show more content…
In source 4 it says, “A boy in a samurai family was given his first sword when he was born. It was not real, but a symbol of the life he was going to lead” (Source 4). This means that since birth people already started to expect big things from them. Which meant a lot of pressure on them as they grew up. By the age of 13 they knew how to read, write and knew about physical training, poetry, and spiritual discipline since a young age. At the age of 7 they learned kendo, moral code of a samurai, and Zen Buddhism. “At age 13, the young samurai was given a training sword, armor, and a warrior name. They learned how to fight well with a blade and how to fire arrows on horseback with accuracy” (Source 4), source 4 said. Learning how to aim with a blade on a horse would help them in the future during battle. Most samurais has had this training and has started at a young
In school, they learned of the Kendo, which is fencing with bamboo sticks, the moral code of the samurai, and their religion, Zen Buddhism. Their code of conduct, the Bushido, demanded that a samurai must hold his loyalty, courage, honesty, compassion, and honor. According to The Way of the Samurai by Yamaga Soko, “Within his [samurai] heart he keeps to the ways of peace, but without he keeps his weapons ready for use.” As stated before, samurais have a much lighter armor. This is mainly due to They have an opening on their right arm in order for them to draw their bows faster and
To begin, the samurai receives physical training, poetry learning, and spiritual discipline. At the ceremony, Genpuku, the warriors become a samurai at age 14 (Doc. C). The knights receive training like learning how to ride a pony, practicing with wooden swords, and accompanying knights in battle. At the age of 7 or 8, the warriors would become a page to serve his father. Later, at the age of 14, the young page would become a squire. The squires would accompany the older knights in battle. For example, they would feed him, dress him, and care for his horses. Around the age of 21, the squire would gain approval from the knight he was serving, and he would become a knight (Doc. C). Based on the evidence, the differences are greater than the
The samurai had an unwritten code of honor called the bushido. Bushido means “way of the warrior” (History of the Samurai 3). This provided them with a code to help show them how to live and conduct themselves at home and in battle. One of the most important duties of the samurai was their loyalty to their lord. The samurai would defend their lord until the death. Revenge was also central in the samurai’s
Samurai and Knights are warriors fighting and serving for their lord. Samurai and knights are both trained, physically and mentally to fight for their lords, however while in a battle, strategies of both make it hard to distinguish who would win. While both warriors are very similar in many ways, Samurais differences such as their, training, weapons, and armor give them big advantages.
The samurai were a powerful warrior class in Japan, and were very skilled with a sword. Samurai used swords and were trained very well to do many things such as fire a bow while on horseback. The samurai practiced Buddhism, which is a religion that taught people to respect the world to reach enlightenment. When the samurai disobeyed The Bushido Code, they committed Seppuku, which is ritual suicide for the samurai. Japanese culture was influenced by the samurai warrior class.
The entire Japanese culture is based on honor. Honor extends to the nation, the family, and the individual. The samurai are no exception to a code of honor. The samurai follow the code of bushido. Bushido is closer to the western term of chivalry. Bushido places emphasis on courage, benevolence, justice, politeness, truthfulness, honor, loyalty, and most importantly is self-control. The samurai's primary religion is Zen. The samurai adapted Zen easily due to the philosophy that fits closely to Buddhism. Samurai may act in the extreme when it comes to honor. They will kill anyone who may dishonor them or their lord. Nothing is worse to a samurai than to have corrupt dealings. Some of the warriors believed, "Honor is the power of deciding upon certain course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering … to die when it is right to die, to strike when to strike is right." Other warriors believed that "Honor is the bone that gives firmness and stature. As without bones the head cannot rest on top of the spine, nor hands move, nor feet stand, so without honor neither talent nor learning can make of a human frame a
Samurai training is more fit for training warriors than knight training. First of all, samaurai training involves all attributes that one needs to have in order to be a warrior. It incorporates both physical and spiritual training, both of which are important for effectively training a strong warrior who is ready for battle. Samurais train through martial arts, which is very beneficial for both the body and the mind. In order to be a warrior you must be fit physically and also mentally. Samurai training stresses this concept in order to create warriors well enough for battle. Samauri training also enforces a strict ethical code , called Bushido, which a samurai must live by. Included in this code are rules about staying faithful to one's
In, document D - The Way of the Samurai, 1600’s: it talks about the code of Bushido and Chivalry. It says (paragraph 1) “ Outwardly he stands in physical readiness for any call to service in inwardly he strives to fulfill the Way….” this shows just how honorable a samurai could be. In Europe it was just the same (paragraph 2) it states “give mercy in those who ask for it” These similarities are significant because loyalty between the two, shows how much they trust each other. Without this trust and loyalty , these countries would be
The training of a samurai depends on the wealth of the family. Training is a lot of loyalty and honour.
A samurai is a very tough opponent towards a knight if they were to create a battle. The knight would overpower the samurai in the end because of their abilities and movement they have versus the samurai and their weapons as well.
Samurais and Knights are very similar, yet they can be very different along the lines of training, armor and weapons, and code/law. They both start training at a very young age in childhood. According to Document A, “training of samurai began in childhood,” and according to Document B, “knight’s training began at age four or five.” During training they learned certain skills with swords, but practiced with sticks. Later at age 14, both warriors promoted up a rank.
Samurai and knights had a lot in common but they also had a lot of differences in training, armor, and code. As said in document A and B, Both of the Samurai’s training and the knights training began when they were only children. Another similarity in training as said in Document A and B, was when they were young they would practice with fake weapons, the samurai would study Kendo and the knights would practice fighting with wooden swords. But they also had differences in training. As said in document A “School was a unique combination of physical training, poetry, and spiritual discipline.”
Cameron, C. M. (2002). American samurai: myth, and imagination in the conduct of battle in the First Marine Division, 1941-1951. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today
Bushido comes from medieval Japan, but until the 1600's it was something that had to be taught by a master. It was later written down for everyone to see and understand (Hurst 16). Bushido comes from all kinds of traits. It comes from Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. All these schools of thought and religion has formed the code of the warrior that the samurai follow in their everyday life (Clark 2). Buddhism teaches the samurai that you need to detach yourself from worldly feelings, wants, and needs. This was so that the samurai would not fear danger or death (Clark 3). Zen mediation teaches the samurai how to focus to rid themselves of unsteadiness and of all