Samurai Presantation
Published on Nov 18, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
THE RISE OF THE SAMURAI
BY MICHAEL WALLERIUS
Minamoto Yoritimo created a military government led by shogun. Shoguns were to commander-in-chiefs of the military.
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Similar to Europe in the Middle Ages, warriors were rewarded with land, government positions, and money.
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Japan's warrior society began to closely resemble the lord-vassal system used in medieval Europe during the 14th century.
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Towards the end of the 15th century, Japan fell into total chaos. The shogun was losing power and daimyos, warrior-lord who worked under the shogun, were rapidly gaining power. Daimyos began to treat their land as independent kingdoms. Samurai pledged their allegiance with their daimyo. Fights erupted over land and daimyos were using their samurais to fight for them.
Photo by Michael Davies
Armor
Samurai armor was composed of heavy armor on the outside, a kimono on the inside, baggy trousers, and shin guards for leg protection. What made samurai armor unique was that it was made of small metal plates that were laced together with silk cords. It was strong, but at the same time very flexible and versatile. Unlike European armor that was very heavy and bulky, samurai armor was easy to move around in.
Photo by JapanDave
Samurai used to put incense in their helmets so if they were beheaded, their head would smell sweet.
Weapons
Bows and arrows, spears, and swords were the main weapons used by samurai. A samurai's bow could be up to feet long. It took a lot of strength to use it. Sharpshooters would ride on a horse and fire arrows at enemy troops. Spears were used to knock enemies of horses and finish them off with a powerful thrust.
Photo by Mariusz Sikorski
Out of all the weapons, a samurai's swords was the most prized. A samurai's sword was made by expert craftsman and seen as some of the finest swords in the world. They were flexible, but at the same time, razor sharp. In battle, samurais carried two types of swords. A long one for fighting, and a short one for beheading downed enemy soldiers.
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MILITARY TRAINING
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The training required to become a samurai was extremely vigorous and covered a wide range of skills. First, a young samurai was taken into apprenticeship under an archery master. Then, they were taught how to shoot a bow and how to fire arrows while on horseback.
After learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, samurai were taught they art of swordsmanship. They were shown how to force the enemy to make the first move, how to stay out of range of the enemy sword, and how to fight groups of enemies. Samurai were also taught how to fight without a sword by using martial arts.
Samurai had a very unique style of battle. It was more of game than a war. First, both sides would send messengers to determine the time and place of the battle. Then, both armies would stand several hundred yards away and began yelling battle cries, heroic deeds, and reasons for fighting. After that, the battle would commence. The winning side would behead their opponents and show the heads to the warlord as proof of victory.
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MENTAL TRAINING
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Samurai were taught to always be alert and how control emotions that can interfere with fighting. To learn to endure pain and suffering, samurai had to fast for days, walk barefoot, and hold stiff positions for hours. They were also taught how to overcome the fear of death by thinking that they are already dead.
Samurai master used to hit young samurai with a stick when they least expected it so that they would learn to always be aware.
WRITING AND LITERATURE
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In the 17th century, samurai were taught calligraphy and poetry. Calligraphers used a brush, a block of ink, and paper or silk for writing. The most famous type of poetry samurai wrote were haikus. A haiku has 3 lines. One with 5 syllables, one with 7 syllables, and the last line with 5 syllables.
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Samurai were primarily Buddhist. There were two forms of Buddhism popular in Japan: Amida and Zen.
Amida Buddhism
Founded by a monk named Honen in the 12th century, Amida Buddhism teaches that if you say the Amida Budda's name repeatedly throughout the day, when you die, you will be taken to a paradise called Pure Land.
Photo by Sujatin
Zen Buddhism
Based around self-reliance and achieving enlightenment through meditation. Zen Buddhists would meditate for hours in an erect position without moving. People were required to give up everyday, logical thinking to seek enlightenment. Zen helped samurai become discipline, focus their minds, and overcome their fear of death.
Photo by vgm8383
