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The Katana’s Predecessor: The Tachi

Riding with his cavalry contingent, Reo was a bit nervous. While he had been training as a Samurai for years, he had only recently been allotted a horse.  He heard some voices up ahead and saw three men running down a hill just ahead, their feet kicking up dirt into the dry air.  They were scouts, and from their rush seemed to have some important news...

 

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Female Samurai - The Onna Bugeisha

Tomoe Gozen, first captain and wife of Minamoto no Yoshinaka, surveyed the field where the final battle was sure to soon take place.  A warrior first and foremost, she was dressed in full armor and carrying an oversized sword as well as a bow. As first captain, it was her job to lead the soldiers into the part of the battle where the fighting was thickest and ensure the victory...
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The Meaning of Bushido - The 47 Rōnin

The night has arrived. We have armed ourselves with swords and bows.  We will split into two groups. One, led by Ōishi will attack the front gate, the other, led by his eldest son will attack the back.  When we succeed in killing Kira, a whistle will sound. We begin at the sound of a drum…
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The Ninja vs The Samurai

Mitsuharu of the Fūma ninja clan crouched under the window, listening with keen ears for any sounds inside.  His coloured, cloak, so obvious in the day, now hid him better than black ever could. Hearing nothing but the quiet muffled sounds of people going about their nightly business, he quickly glanced left and right down the alley, then stood up and entered through the window.  This deep into the castle, no one expected intruders, so the windows and doors were usually left unlocked...
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The Soul of a Sword - From Iron to Steel

Johnny looked down and pursed his lips as he mulled over everything he had just seen.  Then he looked up as a thought came to him. “You did a great job explaining the types of swords, and even the progression of materials in the earliest blades.  But I noticed that while most of the swords here are made from steel, you barely mentioned the progression of materials from iron to steel.”

The shopkeeper brightened.  “That’s because the use of steel in a sword was a complex, though interesting historical development...

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