History of the Samurai

More reliable information has been found in the archeological [sic] excavations of sites around graveyards (kofun), where full suits of armour and different weapons have been recovered. Pottery figures (haniwa), which often depict fully armed and equipped warriors, also reveal much about early Japanese armour." The Japanese classical armour is considered to be Japan's own invention and was used from the 10th to 15th century. Small rectangular or trapezoidal scales were laced to make this unique type of armour. The mask (sho men or men yoro) became standard features of the armour during the late 1300s as it was used to protect the face and give a fearsome/demonic appearance. Long military campaigns of the warring states period revealed the disadvantages of scale armour and so modern armour of lamellar construction (tosei-gusoku) replaced the standard.
             How did they train?.
             Ed Grabianowski (n.d) states that the wealth of a samurai's family decided the form and amount of a samurai's training. Samurai were originally horse-riding archers but the use of the katana soon developed. At the young age of five, training in martial arts began (Discovery Channel 2011). Swordsmanship and archery were essential skills and basic education was received at the local village schools. The samurai training was directed by the older male members of the family. Wealthier families were more likely to attend academies where the boy studied the literature, arts and history and received military training. Samurai training was intense and practised for life.
             What was the purpose/role of the samurai?.
             The samurai developed after 646CE when a few large landholders amassed power and wealth, creating a feudal system to become daimyos. The landholders became lords and created their personal guards, eventually the guards trained martial arts, gave priority to their lords over their family. The samurai were only created to serve, protect and obey their lord.