Who is a Samurai?
The term samurai was used to refer high ranking officials of the Japanese army in ancient times. The word samurai is actually a Chinese verb, which means to accompany or wait upon a person who belongs to the upper ranks of society. In Japanese, the word saburau is used to describe the above term. Ancient Japanese Samurai Swords The ancient samurai swords could be classified into three different categories or types, viz., the ‘katana’, the ‘wakizashi’ and the ‘tanto’. Earlier, the samurai swords had a straight blade and the curved sword was introduced only after the 8th century. Katana The katana has been used by samurais from historic times. The sword is known for its cutting abilities owing to the sharp edges. The blade length of the katana is 60 cm and the guard is either square-shaped or circular. A katana with a single edge and a curved blade is known as ‘sori’, while the ‘sugata’ is double-edged and takes many different forms. The ‘Muromachi Period’ (1392 – 1573) was the time when
