Samurai (侍or, more rarely, 士) was a term for the military nobility in ancient Japan. The word “samurai” is derived from the Japanese verb “samorau”, meaning “to serve”. Whilst there are many romanticised characterisations of samurai behaviour, studies of Kobudo and traditional Budo indicate that the samurai were as practical on the battlefield as any other warrior.
Most samurai (during the Edo period) were bound by a strict code of honor called Bushido (武士道,), and were expected to set an example for those below them. A notable part of the Bushido code is seppuku (切腹,), which allowed a disgraced samurai to regain his honor by passing into death, where samurai were still beholden to the rules of Bushido.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai
