| Army: 7 Values | Samurai: 7 Virtues |
| Loyalty | Rectitude – (strong moral integrity) |
| Duty | Courage |
| Respect | Benevolence – (an inclination to be kind) |
| Selfless service | Respect |
| Honor | Honesty |
| Integrity | Honor |
| Personal courage | Loyalty |
The virtues expected of the U.S. soldier bears a remarkable resemblance to those of a samurai warrior. The modern soldier can adapt more than these martial virtues, it’s from the samurai that an effective, efficient, and simple means of armored hand-to-hand combat can be adapted for today’s battlefield.
Misconceiving the Battle
There is a thriving misconception in America’s martial arts community that many of the older martial arts systems (which are still studied today) were created as a response to battlefield conditions and, thus, have been battlefield tested. Therefore, to those who teach these systems to the military, it makes perfect sense that these arts are appropriate for fighting in a modern battlefield environment. The truth is that many of these martial arts systems came from a time and place where people were not encumbered by the modern American warfighter’s weaknesses, nor endowed with their strengths in battle.
In regards to most of the systems that originated in Japan, which are either taught in America or are the foundation of American systems, their origins probably reach back to the start of the peaceful era of Japan’s history: the Edo Era, which began around 1603. This eventually transitioned into the peaceful era known as the Meiji restoration, which started in 1868. Most martial art systems studied today originated during the Meiji restoration. Martial arts born during this period were called budo (“martial way/path”), but are now called gendai budo (“modern martial way/path”). Because they were spawned during peace, these martial arts focused more on the inner aspects of the practitioner than they did on battlefield preparedness and application. Thus, these arts— though tested in competitions and in other fashions—were not necessarily tested on the battlefield. Some of the martial arts born during the Meiji Era include judo, kendo, iaido, aikido, and kempo.
Before this peaceful era, there was a definitive militaristic interest placed on martial systems. Because the periods before the Edo Era and Meiji Era were riddled with war, the emphasis on battlefield combat was of utmost importance. The period that spawned the creation of many of these battlefield systems was called the Sengoku Jidai (Period of the Warring States), which lasted approximately from the mid-1400s to 1573. These systems are known today as koryu bujutsu (old tradition martial techniques). However, during the Warring State Period they were simply called bujutsu (martial techniques).
For the samurai, fighting in close-quarters hand-to-hand combat was viewed as honorable, and sometimes even preferred, therefore, close-combat methods for the battlefield were given great emphasis. Understanding that close quarter fighting would occur while wearing armor, these systems would extensively cover fighting with weapons and grappling while wearing heavy body armor. These armed and unarmed combat methods of fighting while armored had many names, such as: Koshi no Mawari, Katchu Bujutsu, Yoroi Kumiuchi, Yotsugumi, and Kogusoku.
Protecting the Body
The samurai wore many different types of armor, depending on the time period and construction. However, two main styles primarily stood apart from the rest: the O-yoroi and the Domaru. The O-yoroi (“great/big armor”) was used primarily for mounted cavalry due to its weight. This armor was worn only by the upper class and higher-ranking samurai.
The Domaru (“around the body”) was lighter and, therefore, worn primarily by the infantry. When reading about these two styles of armor, one who has stepped foot on the modern day battlefield will be reminded of the difference between armor worn while mounted in the turret gunner’s seat and the armor worn by the dismounted service member. In Iraq, generally, the turret gunner had to wear more armor because of his greater risk of exposure. Snipers and improvised explosive devices (I.E.D.s) caused many casualties, due to the exposure of this position. The answer was to provide more personal armor for the turret gunner. Dismounted individuals, although more exposed, have to move on foot while carrying heavy equipment. Thus, they sometimes wore less armor to reduce or balance out the weight on their bodies and maintain some level of agility while conducting urban operations.
Armor Comparison
For its time, samurai armor was very advanced in its protective nature and design. As stated earlier, improvements were constantly being made as samurai returning from the battlefield provided information on changes that could enhance their armor’s effectiveness, as well as information gained from other cultures. Through similar trial and error, we are learning and improving our armor in the same way the samurai did so long ago. The armor worn by today’s U.S. military not only bears great resemblance in design and function to the samurai’s, but the weight of the armor is also similar. Samurai armor could weigh 60 pounds and up; the modern U.S. service member’s armor and full combat kit also starts at 60 pounds and proceeds upward. As a visual testament to this fact, I have provided a comparison of modern Army armor to samurai armor in function and design.
Kabuto (Samurai)
The kabuto was the helmet of the samurai. One of the names for the example shown here was suji-bachi kabuto (ribbed bowl helmet), which protected the samurai’s head from blunt trauma injuries, as well as helping to deflect projectiles and bladed weapons. Not shown here is the helmet’s U-shaped neck guard, or the shikoro, which was a series of scales that hung from the helmet’s rim.
Ballistic Helmet (Army)
The modern military ballistic helmet, also known as the “Mitch” helmet, weighs about 3.5 lbs and can protect the head from blunt trauma, fragmentation, etc.
Mempo (Samurai)
This facemask was used to protect the face and add to the fierceness of a samurai’s character. It was also called the men yori, which meaning “face armor.” It often came with a throat protector, sometimes referred to as the nodawa.
Rotational Maxillofacial Shield kit (Army)
This experimental facemask arrived in Iraq for testing by certain units some time in early to mid-2007. Its function was to provide protection from shrapnel and bullet fragmentation.
Nodawa (Samurai)
Hanging under, and most often attached to, the men yoroi (face armor) was a piece of armor that protected the neck and throat of a samurai. This protector, often called the nodawa, could also have been named eriwa or guruwa. Its primary function was to protect the neck from piercing and slashing during combat.
Throat Protector (Army)
This piece of protective gear is part of the Interceptor Body Armor (I.B.A.), and is used to protect the neck from small fragments and shrapnel from explosions or debris from bullets impacting surrounding objects. It can also offer some protection for the neck from weapons such as knives or empty-handed strikes.