Samurai were elite warriors in Japan between the 1200s and early 1700s. 5th-century Japan saw conflicts with Korea and China, but Japan had a very inexperienced army, with a clumsy Calvary and poor infantrymen (Blumberg 1). The reason was that horses were seen as a burden and were never bred to be strong, fast, and large for war purposes (Blumberg 2). In the 6th and 9th centuries, a series of rebellions began in Japan by the Emishi people of the northern islands; these farmers were very well trained in mounted archery. The agile Emishi would easily defeat the Japanese runners (Blumberg 2). But during the war against the Emishi, Japan learned to breed fighting horses, adapted new fighting methods, and developed new weapons. They replaced the slow, straight sword with two faster, lighter curved blades. For the next 350 years, the infantry was replaced with horse archers and we begin to see the form of the 13th century samurai (Blumberg 3). The Bushido Code, the code followed by all samurai, helped shape medieval Japan. The warrior class and ruling class from the 13th to 17th centuries were known as samurai (Clark 1). Samurai were skilled in archery, swordsmanship, horseback riding, and martial arts: the ability to kill with their bare hands (Clark 2). The two swords used by the samurai were the katana, a medium-sized curved blade used for two-handed combat, and the wakizashi, a small-bladed dagger or weapon for thrusting (Blumberg 7). Samurai also specialized in mounted archery. They had a medium-sized, very flexible bow, which made it easier to shoot arrows from a horse. With newly trained and bred Japanese horses, along with samurai discipline, it made for a non… middle of paper… enemy infantrymen were close, the samurai dismounted and used their swords (Blumberg 9). This would change in the 15th century, when the Chinese began using an early version of the musket. The Japanese then had to change their fighting techniques to use spears so they wouldn't have to dismount their horses. This was useful, as they could charge without stopping, giving them more time between Chinese shots (Blumberg 12). The Bushido code has existed since the 13th century and is the way of the samurai. The samurai were a powerful ruling and warrior class in medieval Japan. Samurai were powerful warriors with great respect and ethics for their country. They had an impact on modern Japan by instilling the high ethical and moral standards still recognized today, and is the reason why Japan is one of the friendliest countries in the world.