The Important Role of Donning a Samurai armor

History states that the Japanese Samurai armorwas developed during the fourth to sixth centuries. It took one whole year to create a samurai armorthat is why it was very expensive. It was even used for trading to other countries and given out as presents to the nation leaders.

O-yoroi was the term given to the first armor that was produced. It was made up of interweaving metals. By the fourteenth century, do-maru substituted this. It was less in weight and did not cover most of the body. By the time the sixteenth century rolled by, the whole of Japan was in a state of war. The Japanese armorhad to go under modification to be able to act as a solid defense that would equal the opponent’s gears. Gusoku was the outcome; it was made up of overlying plates of metal.

Constituents of a Japanese Samurai Armor

A Typical Japanese samurai armorhas numerous segments that is put over the robe and pants. This is done for better resistance. The armor does not only mean protecting the body but it also means safeguarding the head. The idea of any armor is to swathe what can be covered without totally making it difficult to walk. These are the parts of a Samurai Armor:

1. HELMET
Shielding the head is just as equally important as shielding the body. Kabuto is the Japanese terminology for a helmet. It contains a guard for the neck that has interlacing plates called a Shikoro.

2. UPPER TORSO SHIELD
This is the armor for defending the samurai’s upper torso. In Japan it is termed as do. The plate for the shoulder is called a sode and the covering for the sleeves to protect the arms is called kote.

3. LOWER TORSO SHIELD
The lower torso includes protecting the thigh, the shin and the legs as well. Haidate is for the thigh guards and suneate for the shin.

4. FACE SHIELD
In Japan, the armor included covering the face. The term for this in Japanese was menpo.

How to get into the Japanese Samurai Armor

With all the ramifications of a Japanese samurai armor, there is actually an official technique of putting on a Japanese armor. The first that they put on is the undergarments before the armor. Then, the samurai dons his armor up to the waist area before putting on the armor for the protecting the arms. This provides easier and swift movements in dressing.

The plate for the chest and armor for the body comes next then the guards for the shoulder. The samurai sword is then put into safety. And the last and final armor to put on is the helmet and the face mask.

Facts regarding a Japanese Samurai Armor

The armor serves only to protect the wearer himself. The ability to fight is solely reliant on the samurai’s very own capabilities and skills. Donning the right and appropriate armor greatly affects the movements and the proper execution of even the easiest actions.