Honour, fearlessness, calm, decisive action, strategic thinking, and martial prowess have been the hallmarks of the Japanese samurai culture through the ages. The ethos of the samurai is known as bushido, or the way of the warrior-knight. Here is an insider's view of the samurai's moral and psychological development; the ethical standards they strive to uphold; their training in both martial arts and strategy; and, the enormous role that the traditions of Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have had in influencing their noble ideals.