I heard that there was time when some people did use shields, but I have no idea how true this is. From my knowledge samurai didn't use shields because they saw it as a dishonourable way to fight, for you are protecting yourself with an object and not a sword. And you can see that soldiers in Japan didn't carry shield. Samurai attacked. A lightshield not provide soldier aspect, because being disabled would look like a bracelet. Once he decides a bolt WILL hit him, he uses his lightsaber in conjunction with the Force to deflect the bolt. However, we have seen Jedi fighting in real battles, and they still only carry a lightsaber. Well from the point of Samurai not using shield as they usaly carried two swords into battle, a Katana and Wakizashi. All rights reserved. There was something about death with the Japanese, I can't remember what but they had death poems and everything. This is actually suprising for me, but quite logical if I sit down and think hard about it. You can also enjoy learning about Japanese history from a Japanese perspective, so please don't forget to subscribe to the channel.If you're interested in learning about the entire history of samurai swords, click here. https://youtu.be/aq383DaDQ7UIf you're interested in learning about 12 Japan castles, click here. https://youtu.be/yAtRqWsYWA0If you're interested in learning about Ninja, click here.Female Ninja https://youtu.be/cBaPLKVX55UNinja Myth https://youtu.be/D8dARfbrv6gHattori Hanzo https://youtu.be/nOVrEq0mFLUNinja VS Samuraihttps://youtu.be/BhreZSeK-egNinja Goemonhttps://youtu.be/Z0pNovnxnTsNinja VS Shinobihttps://youtu.be/Sx87KvRqQZMPlease share your thoughts, whether you find Japanese history difficult, interesting, confusing, or if it has sparked your interest in traveling to Japan or learning more about history. Later, after the Portuguese introduced matchlock firearms, the Samurai largely switched from bows and spears to guns. And Amaterasu matters. 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 Tanegashima (matchlock gun) was a stylized copy of Portuguese smoothbore arquebuses. Like I said, no source but without a way to do that, I don't see how a lightshield would even be possible. These shields were used alongside spears, axes, swords, etc., although we do also have records of Japanese troops using crossbows. and our Just look at their boats. Still, they could also serve as the equivalent of lancers. Archived post. The ones who don't are often so strong with the Force, they prefer to have an open hand for manipulating it. The katana is a two-handed sword and parries strikes and blows as needed. Why bother with a cumbersome ungainly shield that could impede his movement? They were able to attack enemy forces at range while being highly mobile. Some Koryuu school like the Tenshin Ryu (. 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. 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. On occasion,they served as substitutes for other tools, such as benches or ladders. I myself made reassure on this topic, but not knowing Japanese, it's rather difficult. were more useful to deal against both of them, especially when the numbers of these units in the early periods didn't allow a dense phalanx type of formation. [2]. 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. Also, for best positioning of the light-shield it should probably be worn on or, as a part of a bracer. A historical presentation about ancient Japanese warfare and some specific military choices made by the Ancient Japanese warlords. Just to be clear if we are including recent events on Star Wars: Rebels then a "lightshield" wouldn't be that hard to replicate. This was especially true for Samurai using the yumi, as it had a very long draw length. If you have ever tried to approach the study of Japanese swords , you might have encountered the incredible amount of different theories and the huge (and occasionally hostile ) nomenclature that pervade such field. not2sharp Platinum Member Joined Jun 29, 1999 Messages 19,306 Dec 5, 2005 #2 No sword is designed for edge to edge contact. This would make it extremely encombersome to also carry a shield. Does anyone know if this is the case? The Ritsury military ends up failing for a number of reasons, and the court nobility resorts to hiring groups of violent individuals who have a proclivity for combat, in addition to hiring more horse archers fielded by some of the nobles in the eastern regions of Honshu. The primary role served by Samurai throughout their 11-century existence was mounted archers. The secondary function of Samurai was lance cavalry, commonly referred to as lancers in European militaries. They could come in varying sizes as regular lightsabers do; bucklers, full shields, and great/tower shields. As it stands this is very close to being non-constructive as per the. Why was this?The answer isn't necessarily clear, but a good argument to make for the lack of shields in samurai warfare is the following. I've decided to do this post using some anatomic sketches and armor sketches to illustrate how all the armor components, Cagayan Battles of 1582: Debunking the Hoax A picture taken from the Spanish comics "Las Espadas Del Fin Mundo" depicting the fictitious battle. It does have the shoulder and arm protection called 'sode', which was similar to a shield in use. I believe this came from the Hagakure (though I could be wrong), but when one was in battle if they sought life, then death would find them. I believe the Japanese Katana requires two hands to use not allowing for a shield. How AlphaDev improved sorting algorithms? You should be returning fire and urgently seeking cover, which is what a running Jedi deflecting bolts with his saber would be doing. - Sardathrion - against SE abuse e24ee c2221 b74f2 fd9ae 37317 1d37e ce349 1bd3d 932e7 d69b8 7e289 6c668 aa120 70f50 68735 403f1 d2c5a 0d81d 525a0 7b302 8d801 c6a54 84549 cc3d6 14edc 8210f 90a5e 64441 2425a f8b29 69895 40038 62f25 102a0 c9004 bc1c6 1c6cc 87a7d f4938 51c99 2c7f0 8a2ee 99871 af120 6b347 2dfda a95bd eb65b bb4fb a2f2d 312f7 ce898 3544b . This is similar to the heavy cavalry used by medieval European armies. Sometimes the jedi would need shields, as in Order 66, for example. Technically there is no upper limit to the length of a katana, but a few examples were more than 90 cm (35 in, almost three ft) long. There is an old saying of disputed origin, If a cavalryman is dismounted, hes already dead.. logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, When retreating, they were usually "worn" or placed on the back of the soldiers to protect them. However, the light-shield would not work with the 7 lightsaber forms in the traditional sense and would have to be adapted to them or, have a form all of its own. Only the Katanas were their only true strengh and shield them from all harm. Please keep up the amazing work, we need more historians to focus on the history of Japanese and Asia in general. What do gun control advocates mean when they say "Owning a gun makes you more likely to be a victim of a violent crime."? This article will explore the Samurais use of shields and other types of armor and weapons. 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. By the time of the Sengoku period, Japanese weapons armour and method of fighting had evolved to the point that shields would have been very strange additions. Both styles of Samurai armor featured spaulders, called sode, which protected the wearers shoulders and upper body. Thank you! Another interesting depiction of handheld Shields is during the shimabara rebellion http://pinterest.com/pin/788552215978244403/?source_app=android. I cannot agree the non-militaristic explanation. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? I'm glad that you were able to learn something new with it.You raised a good question. The Tate was a rectangular shield that was large enough for a soldier in full armor to cover behind it. Prior to the Sengoku Jidai of the 16th Century, Japan had not fought . D-maru pattern armor was closer fitting, lighter, and less expensive, making it better suited for dismounted combat. Samurai armor was derived from armor introduced from China during the classical era of Japanese history, around the 4th century A.D. Japanese armor was comparable to the scale mail and lamellar armor used by Mediterranean and Near Eastern empires at the same time. Privacy Policy. You cannot shoot an arrow from horseback and hold a shield at the same time. Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2015. 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. Also see Did Samurai Use Shuriken? Thank you for visiting World History FAQ. Subreddit for the discussion of Samurai history and Japanese history. 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. Your feedback will be valuable for the next video. They believed a perfect warrior only needed a sword/polearm for defence and attack at the same time. Would invisible blaster bolts make a more effective weapon against the Jedi? For more information, please see our By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. How can I handle a daughter who says she doesn't want to stay with me more than one day? I was looking at that picture of the "famous illustration of a Japanese hand held shield, from the same . Handheld shields (tedate) were still in use though up through the 1800s, though they shrunk considerably and are probably better understood as the samurai's version of a buckler. A sword isn't either. All rights reserved. That is, other peoples used it, but for some reason the Japanese did not. Well I'm not really an expert on roman warfare but you have to consider that these two shields had different purposes.