Samurai - the word comes from the Japanese saburau, which translates to “those who serve closely with nobility.” The Japanese pronunciation evolved to suburai, and later samurai became the modern widespread nomenclature for the warrior class.

The original samurai can be traced back as far as the late 8th century Heian Period. During this time, samurai warriors serving as close military guard under the elite ruling class, including the Emperor, responsible for quelling rebellions and maintaining law and order. After working for the aristocracy for generations, the samurais began their ascent to power toward the end of the 12th century.

The year 1192 marked the beginning of the Kamakura Bakufu Shogunate when Yoritomo Minamoto led his clan of samurais to victory over the Taira family in the battle for political power in Japan. This new feudal system under samurai military rule proved to be quite efficient compared to previous reigns, and the samurai would remain an elevated and respected class of warriors until the 19th century.

Today, long after the decline of medieval samurais in Japan, there still exists a strong samurai culture across the world, honoring the discipline and virtues of the historic ruling military class.

In western culture as well as in Japan, the spirit of the samurai is kept alive through the teachings and practice of martial arts. Children and adults of all ages in America study martial arts as forms of recreation, athletics, self-discipline and self-defense. Karate and other ancient Japanese combat styles continue to embody the spirit of the samurai in the modern world.

Hollywood productions also make it possible for even those of us without our own martial arts practice to commemorate the ancient samurais. The 1940s sparked hugely popular samurai film movement that lasted several decades, and in many ways is still alive today. Japanese warriors remain a familiar pop culture symbol of strength of body and mind, still present in movies, television, anime, and video games today.

Still others among us choose to honor medieval samurai clans through live-action role play. Dressing in period garb and wielding a Japanese Katana is a sure way to keep history alive. Armory Replicas even has replica samurai swords as seen in the movies - Kill Bill, The Last Samurai, Sword of the Stranger, and many more!

If you are samurai enthusiast of any kind, Amory Replicas has what you need!