Samurai have been shrouded in mystery, thanks in no small part to the rampant misinformation put
out by popular movies and TV shows over the years. While surely these stereotypes that most people
understand about samurai are grounded in some truth, they were more often than not fantasy. It
is true that Samurai warriors were among the most elite and feared opponents on the battlefield,
which is part of the reason why many of their famous fighting styles live on to this day
in disciplines like jujitsu. But what did it really take to become a Samurai warrior?
After all, these warriors did not just magically appear one day to
become seasoned veterans and their training started years, sometimes decades prior.
To become a samurai, depending on the age you were born, you had to have a hereditary link
to begin training. While this was more common after the Tokugawa shogunate unified Japan,
prior to this, during the Age of Troubles plagued by constant warfare, it was easier
for anyone with skill to attend training. For those families who had a military heritage,
it was not uncommon to start training the children to be warriors at a young age.
Fathers would teach sons some of the crucial martial skills at home before sending them to
school. These early lessons would focus on things like swordsmanship, archery, and horseback riding.
For those who were not born into a wealthy or military aligned family,
they could still get training from an early age through other means. Throughout most of medieval
and early modern Japanese history it was illegal for common people to own weapons. Because of this,
naturally, it was difficult for most to become warriors. However, there were several ways
to bridge this learning gap for commoners. In the villages it was still common to teach
self-defense classes. Since civilians were unarmed they were frequently easy targets for bandits and
renegade soldiers. Learning self-defense was considered one of the martial skills of the
samurai that would have to be learned later in training so this would be an advantage.
Commoners could also learn by taking advantage of lessons provided by travelling samurai. Because
samurai relied on the hospitality of others for food and shelter during their frequent travels, it
was not uncommon for them to repay this kindness with lessons in swordsmanship, spearmanship,
or some other martial skill. Villagers could also learn from returning veterans from the constant
campaigns who might offer their services for those wanting to take up arms as a profession.
Beyond this ad hoc training, once a young man reached his teenage years, he could apply for
formal training at a ryu. (Pronounced rye-you) The ryu was a blanket term for most centers of
learning for samurai. These schools varied over the years and their course of instruction largely
depended on where the school was located and what clan it belonged to. Though there were
many schools, they often taught a core set of skills with an emphasis on one in particular. For
instance, to be considered a samurai, a student would need to know a style of swordsmanship,
spearmanship, archery, horseback riding, unarmed combat, and swimming at a bare minimum. After the
introduction of firearms in Japan, musketry was also added to this core list of skills.
Ryus could specialize in different weapons and styles, attracting those individuals who
wanted to learn those specific skills. They could also branch into more unique fighting
styles and weapons but more on that later. The schedule that a prospective samurai had
depended largely on the size and funding of the ryu. For those in wealthier areas, the schools
could afford at least one master, or sensei, in a particular skill. The largest and most prestigious
schools could even have multiple instructors on staff. For smaller, less-funded schools,
there might only be one sensei who taught multiple subjects just on different days. Additionally, the
experience of a student depended largely on how devoted they were to the program. At most schools,
the students had the option of living there full time or attending classes and then going home.
For those that chose to stay, they would often become the favorites of the masters who would
reward their dedication with extra instruction. Regardless of how a student chose his path to
become a samurai, they were all bound by a certain set of rules.
Students who were accepted had to swear to an oath of secrecy about the training that went on there
beyond the basic techniques that practically every warrior had learned. Since these special additions
to the core techniques were what made each school different, protecting these nuances was vital to
ensure that school’s warriors maintained an edge on the battlefield. If the techniques taught at
the school got out to other people not privy to the information, countermeasures and new weapons
could be developed to defeat these samurai in combat. By keeping the training a secret,
the young students could preserve the integrity of the program for generations to come.
Once in the program, the students would also be part of a rigid rank structure amongst themselves
and in their relationship with their masters. Students would be given a rank based on the year
of training they were in. Typically, the program of instruction would last for six years. Once
graduated, they would receive certificates for the completion of their training and become samurai.
The students would also have a paternalistic relationship with their sensei. The sensei,
especially for those that lived at the school, would become a father figure to them caring not
only for their instruction but physical and mental well-being. To question a sensei was considered
a huge infraction and could get a student kicked out of school. While we would like to believe that
this was never abused by those in a position of power, that might not have been the case.
But instead of questioning the authority of a sensei, if a prospective student wanted to go to
another ryu to continue training on a specialty he wanted, he would have to apply for the opportunity
through his clan. If the clan granted permission, then the student would be permitted to attend any
school he desired as long as he brought along a written recommendation from his clan leadership.
Despite the vast array of dojos and fighting styles available, samurai were expected to be
well-versed in a variety of core skills that would enable them to win on any battlefield
under any condition. Learning a variety of skills was also seen as a way of making samurai
warriors stand out amongst their peers and be hired by more prominent and wealthy masters.
Though wielding weapons was how samurai became victorious in battle, it was their armor that
would enable them to keep fighting and was one of the main ways that distinguished them
from the common foot soldier. In the days of feudal Japan, large conscript armies of peasants
were lightly armed and armored, usually only fielding simple weapons and light leather armor.
On the other hand, samurai were seen as the professional heavy infantry, with their iconic
armor not only being a status symbol but serving a much more practical use as well.
Samurai armor was famed around the world and differed much from the armor worn by European
knights. While the West favored protection over mobility, the Japanese were able to do both.
Samurai armor was composed of many pieces that would be individually tied to each portion of
the body. The arms, legs, chest, back, groin, neck, and head each got their own piece of
armor. The individual pieces were commonly made of leather with steel plates sewn into them.
Of course, good armor was incredibly expensive and time consuming to make with sets of armor
often being passed down generation to generation. Though the Hollywood depictions of ornate samurai
armor were actually worn, these sets were only worn by high ranking field commanders
as a way to bolster morale of their troops before battle. Rather, though samurai armor was
cosmetically beautiful, contrary to the movies, it was more simple and utilitarian in real life.
But once that Samurai was dressed for battle, he would have a plethora of options to fight with
and of course, what would a samurai be without his sword? Swordsmanship was the fundamental martial
art studied by all samurai regardless of rank, class, or skill. Learning how to use a sword in
combat was one of the primary means of fighting. However, there are a lot of misconceptions out
there and one the main ones being about what constitutes a katana. A katana for the samurai
was just one of many swords that could be carried. In short, a katana was either a double or single
edged sword, depending on the era, of standard length. A samurai could pick a longer sword called
a daito or a shorter sword called a wakizashi. No matter what kind of sword the samurai picked
as his main weapon, he would always carry a second sword on his belt. This second sword
could serve a variety of functions depending on the situation. It could be a secondary weapon if
the samurai loses his primary one. It could be a tool used to decapitate defeated foes.
Or it could also be used to commit ritual suicide in the case of defeat or dishonor.
Beyond the sword, samurai could also pick a spear as a primary weapon since this was also taught as
one of the fundamental fighting styles every samurai should learn. The spear in Japanese
military history actually has a longer precedence than the katana. Its long length and wide variety
of spear tips made it a common weapon of choice due to its versatility. The increased range of
the weapon was also a favorite for those who wanted to keep their enemies at a safe distance,
better take on multiple targets, and take on enemy cavalrymen better.
Another primary weapon that all samurai were expected to be well-versed in was the bow and
arrow. Bows again take prominence in Japanese military history with bows being the dominant
long range weapon before firearms. Samurai would first begin training on the bow at a young age,
perfecting their technique and accuracy during hunts for wild game. They also would have a wide
range of bows to choose from with about five different kinds of bows available to them,
including crossbows. However, the long bow would eventually serve as
the premier Japanese bow of choice due to its ability to be wielded on horseback.
Samurai archers were well-renowned for their accuracy with a bow even long after the advent
of firearms. It was said before one battle a samurai warrior was asked to demonstrate his
ability with a bow by the enemy commander and he was able to do so by shooting a duck in the
clouds solely by the echoes of its quacks! Because of their storied history with bows,
even until the very end of the feudal era, samurai were expected to master the bow.
The last of the fundamental martial fighting styles samurai had to master were the art of
horsemanship and swimming. Both of these techniques came in handy due to the nature
of Japanese tactics and landscape. Japanese tactics revolved around the use of cavalry
to go around and trap large bodies of troops. Military commanders would also need mounted
scouts to collect intelligence as well as move quickly to meet enemy threats.
Samurai also trained on using horses with all their fighting styles of swords, spears, and bows.
Swimming also comes in handy due to the nature of how Japan is laid out. As an island nation,
it has a large number of rivers, lakes, streams, and coastlines that were frequently the scenes
of battles. Samurai warriors were expected to train to fight and swim in the water.
Swimming in full armor was a skill that would be necessary to save a samurai’s life
should he ever have to ford a body of water for escape or maneuver or make his stand in it.
While these are nowhere near all the training methods and weapons used by samurai warriors,
they are a great overview of what was most common.
Once a samurai mastered these basic techniques and weapons, he could go on to more advanced
training in prestigious schools or acquire certificates in lesser-known styles of combat.
With dozens of dojos teaching their own styles for each kind of weapon, a samurai
had a very unique and personal experience on his way to become a warrior. Combine that with
the fact that there were almost a dozen other commonly accepted weapons to choose from, and
it makes the cookie cutter samurai in Hollywood movies armed with a katana seem kind of bland.