why didn't samurai use shields

But again, the fact that you see hand held shields in Japan too means that they were perfectly capable of dealing with them; with polearms and heavy armor. Once he decides a bolt WILL hit him, he uses his lightsaber in conjunction with the Force to deflect the bolt. Using the Force, a Jedi can determine if a blaster bolt is going to hit him or not. There were many variations of yari, but they generally consisted of a long hardwood shaft, covered in lacquered bamboo, tipped with a large iron blade. Emerging from provincial warrior bands, the samurai of the Kamakura period (1192-1333 . Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. This is actually suprising for me, but quite logical if I sit down and think hard about it. The Sengoku period ( ) is generally speaking the most interesting, intense and famous period of Japanese history. Why didn't Japanese infantrymen and samurai use shields? I do remember reading a brief excerpt from somewhere a while back about how they did exist. Like in many countries, bows were tools for hunting before being weapons, and Japan was no exception. They believed a perfect warrior only needed a sword/polearm for defence and attack at the same time. Historically, polearm-type weapons like spears, pikes, and staffs proved to be superior weapons for poorly trained peasant levies and conscripts compared to swords. The clumsiness is somehow obvious: with a weapon in one hand you can do some other stuff with the other hand. The lightshield would be impenetrable, so I do not see that it is a wrong solution for automatic weapons. Mounted archers were often the shock troops of ancient armies. Ironically, the most famous weapons in the Samurai arsenal were the least ones they used. If so, what period and how were they fielded? Every single answer here explains why they didn't, and you respond continually with "they should carry shields." Metatron 673K subscribers 315K views 6 years ago A historical presentation about ancient Japanese warfare and some specific military. During the peaceful Edo period, hand held shield became pretty small and were used as a form of hand protection; they were easier to carry and if needed they were held together with the sword to gain an advantage over an opponent devoid of this equipment. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. However, we have seen Jedi fighting in real battles, and they still only carry a lightsaber. If you're an existing user, your forum details will be merged with Total War Access if you register with the same email or username. Although there are no samurai in modern-day Japan, the samurai, or bushi, are still an invaluable part of Japanese history. They did, however, use shields mounted across their shoulders and portable barricades. Interesting did not know about the last bit about during the edo period, are you going to an article about the other forms of Taketaba anytime soon? Why didn't Japanese infantrymen and samurai use shields? Why did Japanese not use shields? - Your Wisdom Tips New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Privacy Policy. Samurai didn't use shields because of the way they fought. Sengoku Period Warfare: Part 1 - Army and Battle Formations, Tosei Gusoku () - Body Coverage Explained, Cagayan Battles of 1582: Debunking the Hoax. - Sardathrion - against SE abuse On why didn't the Samurai use shields as often, in addition to the inconvenience a hand-held shield poses to a horse-borne archer, one of the clearest reason is because the unique Samurai armour, the kogusoku and sode. I don't recall if it's ever shown on screen, but. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. not2sharp Platinum Member Joined Jun 29, 1999 Messages 19,306 Dec 5, 2005 #2 No sword is designed for edge to edge contact. Archived post. Also see Did Samurai Use Shuriken? Also, typical weapons such as a sword or a spear needed both hands. The primary weapons used by Samurai throughout history were ranged weapons, initially the yumi longbow and later the tanegashima matchlock firearm. While firearms had been known to Japanese culture since the 13th century, they were never developed into practical weapons and rarely used. All rights reserved. I'm glad that you were able to learn something new with it.You raised a good question. Without both of these, when you turn on the lightsaber, you get either a explosion or a slagged lightsaber casing (Young Jedi Academy books, Jedi Academy books). Would invisible blaster bolts make a more effective weapon against the Jedi? Rather than hand grips, it had wooden stands that could keep it upright without human intervention. For this, they used a long iron-tipped spear called the yari. If you can track back that source in the last paragraph, please, Starting the Prompt Design Site: A New Home in our Stack Exchange Neighborhood, Latest Blog Post: The First Officer: Alpha Protocol Book 2, Favorite Question and Answers from Second Quarter 2023, Personal Shielding Technology in Star Wars Universe. I know they considered it dishonorable and cowardly. 671 1 6 11 5 I have read that kite shields were better for mounted combat because they gave more protection to the legs. The Jedi don't use shields because there aren't any in universe that would work against a lightsaber, Deflector shield technology in the Star Wars universe is not capable of producing a man sized field that can be powered by a man portable power source that can stop a lightsaber. Cookie Notice Australia to west & east coast US: which order is better? Assembly logo, Total War and the Total War logo are either registered trade marks or and our I was just re-watching the final battle on The Last Samurai, and noticed Katsumoto using two swords. Privacy Policy. Before the introduction of horses to Japan in the mid-4th century A.D., Japanese armies consisted of feudal Chinese-style infantry. 2,953 views Apr 19, 2020 148 Dislike Share The Historian's Craft 29K subscribers Did samurai and Japanese armies in. Their armor provided them with sufficient protection. D-maru armor gradually became the primary style of armor used by Samurai and their retainers due to its lower cost. Why didn't Anakin just leave the Jedi Order? A shield offers a great advantage if you are skilled with it and if your enemy is not heavily armored. For more information please read our FAQs here. Shields would not militaristic look, because they would lightshields, and being disabled they would look harmless bracelets. This comment has been removed by the author. The Normans relied on it, the Vikings almost never used it. And you can see that soldiers in Japan didn't carry shield. Subreddit for the discussion of Samurai history and Japanese history. Why did the Japanese Samurai not use shields? : r/AskHistorians - Reddit Unlike most bows, the yumi was not symmetrical if folded across the arrows trajectory. Hello this is really very interesting and quite useful to me for the sport that I do, Historical Medieval Battle. Renegade Jedi that didn't turn to the Sith. Cortosis being one, as well as another saber (which is energy not material as you said), cortosis causes the lightsaber to short out, thus would be ineffective for the application. I believe the Japanese Katana requires two hands to use not allowing for a shield. The Jedi did not carry shields because of their use of the Force. The origin of the asymmetrical shape of the yumi bow is disputed. Did they believe it would hinder movement or something? The Portuguese introduced practical matchlock firearms to Japan, and the Samurai quickly adopted them. Thank you for visiting World History FAQ. Please keep up the amazing work, we need more historians to focus on the history of Japanese and Asia in general. Provided the gungan shields are a valid example of the average energy shield technolody available in the SW galaxy, you can clearly see that even powered down, they remain massive and large objects that require using a hand to grip. So it is the same reason why policemen today carry a handgun and baton at most, instead of an assault rifle with grenade launcher, full body armor and helmet. Thank you Gunbai and I appreciate the reply! The disgraced Samurai would sit in a lotus position and disembowel himself with their tant. They still used stationary or wheeled pavises though. Why didn't Japanese infantrymen and samurai use shields? But, they were a old relic of the Hyperspace War and not many Jedi used them even then. Thank you! Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 8.2K views, 148 likes, 7 loves, 12 comments, 55 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Samurai Original: Why Didn't the Japanese Use Shields? (Guest host Linfamy) By Epimetheus Both types of shields were constructed of iron strips riveted to a wooden backing. The Samurai used two types of armor throughout their history, the -yoroi (great armor) and D-maru (body wrap). The bare side of the blade expands, causing the sword to curve toward the coated side. A Tate would be much more sturdy and ideal to defend positions as it was akin to a portable wall rather than a shield - you cannot really use that as a normal shield. Post AD1000, iirc, but the index doesn't help me find the relevant section in the book. When assualting forts or charging an enemy with superior bow infantry, why did none of the soldiers carry shields? The plates were mounted on a leather or cloth backing to form moveable panels. Handheld shields like the Roman scutum and buckler of Medieval and Renaissance Era Europe were impractical for their combat styles (mounted archers and lance calvary). Not to mention the heavy Katanas would require both hands, so shields were out of the question. How to describe a scene that a small creature chop a large creature's head off? Most Jedi use an open hand to direct their manipulation of the Force. 11.0k members in the Samurai community. Also know as Ono ( ) or as Fuetsu ( ), this weapon is one of the less related within the "Samurai warfare" context. @juan Not canon means not canon. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Stone arrowheads unearthed by archeologists suggest that bows and arrows have b, Sengoku Period Warfare: Part 1 - Army and Formations A detail from , late 19th century. They dont need a shield cause they are bad-***! with those special cases resolved, lets move to the real answer -, You can't turn a light saber into a shield, the physics of that universe don't work that way. Simply put, they don't need them. As depicted in the Star Wars movies, the Jedi were more of an elite, plainclothes police force than soldiers. So, go ahead and watch the video again to deepen your understanding of Japanese history. If a polymorphed player gets mummy rot, does it persist when they leave their polymorphed form? Reddit, Inc. 2023. Some materials are resistant but none would hold up to repeated use. Did samurai and Japanese armies in general utilize shields? Did the Japanese ever use shields in battle? Samurai Warfare: Why didn't they use shields? : Samurai - Reddit Why didn't the samurai use shields? During Phantom Menace we see those shields failing under blaster fire, something we know lightsabers are directly stronger than. rev2023.6.29.43520. Thanks for contributing an answer to Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange! #1. Why Didn't the Japanese Use Shields? New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The Japanese seem to be the only warriors not to use it. Perhaps that's a false assumption. to learn more. Stack Exchange network consists of 182 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. When it comes to the Samurai period ( from the Heian period onward) hand held shields weren't used as much as before, but were still common. The larger shields would even be great for cutting through doors, walls, ceilings, and floors. Masakari () - The Samurai's War Axe Samurai holding a battle axe; detail from the . Instead, they adopted -sode, a shoulder guard, which was considered a pseudo-shield. These are the people that would eventually rise to become the samurai class, and because they fought as horse archers, such combat precludes the usage of large shields. Samurai Original - Why Didn't the Japanese Use Shields - Facebook It seems extremely odd that the most universal piece of equipment in the pre-gunpowder age didn't make an appearance in Japan. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. I was looking at that picture of the "famous illustration of a Japanese hand held shield, from the same . And shields are not effective killing tools Reddit, Inc. 2023. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Cookie Notice Lightsabers cut through anything. Which leads me to ask--- Because of the Japanese having basic familiarity with how shields work in combat--- Would that be another contributing reason as to why the Samurai were still very effective with fighting against the Mongols during the Mongol Invasion of Japan in 1274 & 1281 and the Ming and Joseon armies during the Invasion of Korea and China in close-quarters combat?As the Mongols, Chinese, and Koreans were highly known for implementing shields into their weapons and equipment Hello and welcome to my blog! Did Samurai Use Axes To Fight? - World History FAQ Also, the shield does have advantages itself. Tate were large barries used to protect missile troops while tedate were smaller, handheld shields to be used alongside axes, spears, and swords. The armour didn't change that much after this, only adding some practical innovations (and some rare European components, if you were rich). Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2015. They would only draw their famous swords if surrounded by foot soldiers or dismounted. As far as Mongol invasions are concerned, the majority of shields deployed by the invaders according to the Moko Shurai Ekotoba were pavise like shields called Fang Pai (). Cookie Notice By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. to learn more. Typically, shields of this sort were lined up, sometimes overlapping like roof, tiles, to form a portable wall that protected archers on foot. The best were constructed f. rom a single board, but most were made from two, three, or even four planks. ) One of the results was the implementation of a military conscription system whereby one in four men were required to perform military service. As you might have noticed, is far from the stereotypical idea that in Japan shields were never used. Like all the types of Japanese hand held shield, they had a wooden handle in the centre. Privacy Policy. Darth Vader's helmet for instance, vaguely resembles a samurai's helmet in general shape. Were there any specific classification for the round shields or were they also just called Tedate? Japanese armor technology was among the best in pre-industrial world history. Obviously, because Jedi use the Eldritch Knight archetype, and so they need to keep one hand free for somatic spell components. The Jedi did not carry shields because of their use of the Force. Espaol - Latinoamrica (Spanish - Latin America), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX_lCOjLCTo. The Samurai used a wide variety of weapons, but some of their more famous weapons are listed below. I know they considered it dishonorable and cowardly. The saber would still have all of the traditional parts. Most other weapons used by the Japanese required two hands as well in the ensuing centuries (yari, nagaeyari, arquebus, naginata, even swords were designed to be used two handed). A historical presentation about ancient Japanese warfare and some specific military choices made by the Ancient Japanese warlords. Well from the point of Samurai not using shield as they usaly carried two swords into battle, a Katana and Wakizashi. What do gun control advocates mean when they say "Owning a gun makes you more likely to be a victim of a violent crime."? The Tate was a rectangular shield that was large enough for a soldier in full armor to cover behind it. Meanwhile, the cause of this phenomenon is very interesting and far ambiguous. The important parts of the lightsaber for this answer are the primary crystal and the focusing crystal. We also learn from Corran Horn, Jedi master that when you mess with the length of the blade it grows weak and unstable (I,Jedi and the yuzhong vong books) to the point that striking anything is enough to able to short circuit the beam. There was something about death with the Japanese, I can't remember what but they had death poems and everything. Samurai didnt use shields because of the way they fought. How AlphaDev improved sorting algorithms? A "lightshield" as the Jedi are stylized futuristic paladins. I assume the bushido code was a consequence, rather than a cause. Why do the Samurai never seem to carry shields? - Steam Community It had a simple one-handed grip comparable to most European post-Roman shields. Their heavy weight allowed them to be used as percussive weapons. A lightsaber seemed a poor defense against: If they carried lightshields perhaps they would be able to expand into other areas of the Force without having to focus on repelling projectiles with their lightsaber. "Is he trying to block the bullet with a shield? The freestanding tate was used to protect archers, but aside from this, shields". Your feedback will be valuable for the next video. A shield would have both hands filled all the time. So this was pretty much the full history and development of shields in Japan, hope you have enjoyed reading it! I myself made reassure on this topic, but not knowing Japanese, it's rather difficult. In any case they were familiar with the concept of hand held shield so yes they didn't have any serious problem in dealing with it.The Same goes with Ming and Joseon, although by that period the pike and shot tactics deployed by the Japanese made them deadly at a range in which shields didn't work that much. Shield were used as a standalone weapon and in combination with sword or spear. Although movies, paintings, and stories often depict samurai wielding long-bladed katanas, the truth is that samurai used a wide range of weapons. I'm agree with the samurai explanation. What is the significance of the reversed colours of imperial and rebellion lasers compared to lightsabers? or in magazines for that matter. I have always wondered about this. Samurai rarely used handheld shields due to their primary function as mounted archers and lance cavalry. The katana is a two-handed sword and parries strikes and blows as needed. Which shield do you think is better between Tate and Scutum? These are the troops that do initially use shields in Japanese warfare, although they're not samurai. This specific name is an umbrella term used to refer to every Japanese curved swords, although in this s artilce I'm going to present the very first types of said family, namely the warabitet ( ) which differs from the usual curved Japanese sword of the later periods and all the variations that sprung from this so iconic and yet forgotten Japanese swords. Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. The only weapon lightsabers seem effective against are blasters so why don't Jedi also carry a shield? Tell it to Lucas. A sword isn't either. I understand that when not in a battle they would not carry heavy weapons (just as the famous three musketeers only carried rapiers when in town, and only took their armor and muskets when going into battle), but why do they use the same equipment in battles? Who wants to take equipment into the field that might fail at any moment? In the late 16th century, after the Portuguese introduced matchlock firearms to Japan, the Japanese developed bullet-resistant armor, tameshi gusoku (bullet tested). So I decided to dedicate a series of article talking about the military history behind the most famous warlords and battles of this period. Do I owe my company "fair warning" about issues that won't be solved, before giving notice? Why bother with a cumbersome ungainly shield that could impede his movement? He has something better! -yoroi pattern armor was heavier and more expensive armor designed for mounted combat. Now, Japanese Armor is an huge topic ; to make this article "short enough", I will speak about some different configurations (the most protective ones - and thus the heaviest ) used to protect the warrior on the battlefield of the Sengoku Jidai. This provides a few advantages; namely that being disarmed is more difficult. Why didn't Japanese infantrymen and samurai use shields? meh I don't see how it would be no honor. In my regular videos, I cover a wide range of topics, including the history of samurai and Japanese swords, ancient history, ninjas, famous samurai, and their stories. Handheld shields like the Roman scutum and buckler of Medieval and Renaissance Era Europe were impractical for their combat styles (mounted archers and lance calvary). Historically, the Samurai used their katanas and other swords more for rituals rather than combat.

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