What Did A Samurai Wear?

Roughly in the years 1000 to 1600 CE there were Samurai and knights. They were two very different but very similar warriors. Samurai were the knights of japan and knights were the samurai of europe. Both made from a lack of army and government, both needing land or payment, and both giving their lives to their master. They look very different, but are they more similar than they seem? Keep reading to find out.

The samurai’s and knights were two warriors from two different civilizations from across the world, yet they had many similarities, as well as differences. To start, they both started training in their childhood and participated in spiritual practice. One difference about their training is knights learned how to ride horses and acquired great horse skills. In Document B it states, “A prospective knight’s training began at age four or five with learning to ride a pony.” Similarities in armor between the two warrior classes include the fact that both had very heavy armor. One unique difference was that samurai had their right arm without armor for flexibility while handling a bow. According to Document C, “Samurai did not wear armor on their

In the samurai armor, small iron scales were tied together, then bound into armor plates with silk or leather cords. The samurai helmet bowls were made of 8 to 12 iron plates, below this was a 5-piece neck guard. The samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so that they could easily draw their bows. Lastly, when a samurai’s armor got wet it became very heavy. For the knights armor, tiny metal rings were linked together.

In document D written by The DBQ Project, it says “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow.” Even though their was no protection on the right arm, it was light and easy to move around. Another reason why Samurais use weapons and armor to the best of their abilities was in Document D written by The DBQ project, it stated, “A knight’s armor could weigh 40 to 60 pounds. This proves that a knight’s armor is heavy 24/7 while a samurai is heavy only when it rains. But how did they get such good

The first way that samurais have an advantage is because of their armor. In document D written by Terry Bennett it says “The helmet bowl was made of 8-12 iron plates, and below it was a 5-piece neck guard”. The samurai armor had multiple layers to make sure that they are protected and not easily wounded or killed. Another piece of evidence that supports this claim in in document D written by Terry Bennett it says “The body of the armor had four parts”. Samurai didn’t have very heavy armor, letting them move easily while still being protected.

Likewise, knights wore “complete suits of plate armor, constructed from metal...wore helmets, gloves, and shoes of steel...a knight’s armor could weigh 40 to 60 pounds.” (Document D) Both samurais and European knights were protected by a heavy armor out of metal in battle; it can be inferred that both Japan and Europe found importance in protecting their warriors looking from the stringency of armor and protection. The reason for protecting their warriors would be due to the myriad of battles feudal Japan and Europe would have had to carry out. To ensure success in battle, they would’ve made further technological advances such as protective armor, ensuring better performance when battling. By protecting the warriors using this effective armor, both Japan and Europe would’ve been able to attain more as a whole and advance as a civilization - a common achievement carried out as well. Despite the many differences between Japanese samurais and European knights, the similarities outweighed these differences due to the homologous elements in their position in hierarchy and the use of protective armor in battle, leading to the success in both Japan and

They also both wore helmets, but the creation of guns ended the use of this armor. Samurai armor was made with very great craftsmanship. Armor is made of iron with bits of silk inside to make it comfy, but if it got wet, it would be very heavy. The helmet of the samurai usually has 8-12 plates. They also don’t have any armor on the right arm so they could draw their bow quickly. Knight armor after the chainmail became very different. They made the armor out of plate metal. This covered the whole body. Horses wore armor too! According to Document D, “Even horses wore armor. A knight’s armor could weigh 40-60 pounds.” The weight and flexibility of the armor made it very hard to move, so if a knight fell off their horse, it would be hard to get away from enemies. Both knight and samurai have codes of conducts. These codes are similar because they are thind like pledging their loyalty to their master and devoting himself to his duty. The samurai code is called Bushido and it is based on striving to fulfill The Way, and like it says

The samurai have been known to be very agile if compared to the knights, A quote that proves this is from Source 3 and it states that “A knight's armor could weigh approximately 100 pounds. ”(Yue 1) The armor weighing this much can prove to be a great disadvantage when the times comes for the fight on foot to occur. Source 3 also states that “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm…”(Yue 1 )

Samurai wore leather outfits that protect their body in battle and let them have mobility to fight well (Document D). This proves they were superior because if they didn't have armor that protected them then they would be more likely to be injured or killed in battle, so by having good armor they could fight well and not be worried about being injured. Also, their armor allows for mobility

In document D, written by the DBQ Project, it states “Not only was their entire body covered… even horses wore armor.” This shows that a knight could win in a battle because they were completely covered in protection. They wore helmets, gloves, and shoes made from steel. This was helpful because they wouldn’t get hurt as easily. Also, their swords were shorter, much easier to move in the air, and they had amazingly sharp sides that can do some serious damage. Another piece of evidence is from the same document, which says “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm… One disadvantage of samurai armor is that when it became wet, the silk cords absorbed water and became very heavy.” This makes it beyond difficult for the samurai to get around because most of the Earth is water, and Japan is an island. Since they didn’t wear armor on one part of their body, it is much easier for them to get hurt, especially since the knights’ swords were so advanced. The knights’ armor was better than the samurais’ for fighting in a lot of ways, but there are still other advantages that the knights might have

My second reason is that the knights had very strong and effective armour, whereas the samurai’s armour was always changing and was never as good as the knight’s armour, as samurai depended more on their fighting skills instead of the armour. The samurai armour was made up of several sections. The main body is called a do or cuirass, and is made from plates or lamellae (small oblong-shaped pieces of steel linked by strips of leather and covered with layers of lacquer). The helmet has a crest and a hair pommel. There is also a face mask, which would have been decorated with ugly features intended to scare the enemy. Extra protection is provided by a coverage of the neck (made of jointed metal) and shoulder guards (made from small plates laced together, with silk allowing movement). Thigh and calf guards are made from a combination of chain mail and plates. Underneath the samurai’s armour, the samurai would wear a one-piece baggy garment with a special kimono (the kimono looks a bit like a dressing gown). This did mean that the samurai would be more likely to get injured, as the armour would only offer very little protection. Samurai armour was designed to help the Samurai move comfortably and efficiently when fighting, so if a knight stabbed the samurai then the samurai would get injured and this would affect the samurai while he is fighting (the samurai would be fighting worse), and possible depending on how bad the wound is, it could kill the

Lastly, by looking at these soldiers armors, the differences are noticable. Samurai wore small iron scales woven together with silk or leather, while knights completely covered themselves in metal armor. However, it is evident that despite the differences, both of these armors would cover most of their bodies, and offered great protection (Document “D”). All in all, training and armor made warriors who they are, and it wasn’t quite different for samurai and

Samurai - The footsoldiers of the Imperial army, samurai fight with utter dedication and courage. Most will go into battle armed with the daisho and other hand to hand weapon.

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

Have you ever seen a TV show or a movie about Samurai? Have you ever seen someone dressed up as a Samurai, or read a book with one in it? Maybe you just have a vague idea in the back of your head. Well, guess what? That definition or example, you may think is a Samurai is probably only a small taste of what the calm yet strong warriors were like. Samurai were not only the fearless fighters that we may think of at first, in fact, they were educated, controlled, loyal, and well prepared people. To create a broader picture and to ensure that we don’t create stereotypes about samurai and the people of Japan in general, this PSA was created. The purpose of the different gradation of the various illustrations was to emphasize the middle illustration