A warrior who cannot defend himself is of little use, for he will serve his lord but once in battle before he falls and must be replaced. The Rokugani understanding of battle does not permit things such as parries and ripostes, but instead involves positioning one's blade and body so that the katana and armor deflect incoming blows.
Defense is an essential Skill necessary to adopt the Defense and Full Defense stances, both of which increases your Armor TN and make you more difficult to hit in a skirmish or a duel.
Source
Source Book
Trait(s)
Mastery Abilities
Rank 3 - The character may retain the result of a previous Defense / Reflexes roll rather than make a new roll if the Full Defense Stance is being maintained in subsequent rounds.
Rank 5 - The character's Armor TN is considered 3 higher in Defense and Full Defense Stances.
Rank 7 - One Simple Action may be taken while in the Full Defense Stance (no attacks may be made).
Skill Type
Sub-Types
None
Emphases
None