22nd February 2005, 9:08 PM
Sure, OB1, the Samurai ruled Japan for a long time. But during the Tokugawa Shogunate most Samurai weren't particularly good swordsmen... after all, there weren't really any battles of note. Most 'Samurai' during that period were administrators, nobles, etc. who were of a high enough class to be allowed to carry a sword... but were most of them actually great warriors? Nah. Maybe a few, but most just had the sword as a symbol of their authority... like being a knight in Europe, even if you're landless the fact you're a Samurai means you're better than some people. :)