The samurai were a specific class of person in feudal Japan. Outside of Japan, they have become a source of Bullshido myth and legend. Well-meaning people glorify the man-to-man combat skill and so-called "Bushido" code of the samurai, when these are not all they appear to be.

During the Edo Period of Japan, from 1603 to 1868, there was an unprecedented period of peace and urbanization in Japan. There was not much opportunity to practice the craft of warfare outside of simulated conditions, such as in a "Koryu" martial tradition, which often originated from traditions that preceded that period. During this time of unprecedented peace, even "Koryu" evolved into traditions that didn't always reflect the battlefield effectiveness of prior martial schools or even the original school as it evolved over time without a reality check on its contents.

Also, in studies, prior to the Edo period when conflict occurred in Japan, studies have found that the most common ways for soldiers to die on a battlefield in Japan was firstly, arrows. After that, it was spears. Following that, it was hand-thrown rocks. Yes, rocks! Swords were nowhere in the short-list of ways to die on the battlefield. A sword was more of an honorary sidearm and signifier of position. By the time you would need to use it on a battlefield, you were already in a lot of trouble, fighting man-to-man in a storm of arrows, spears, and yes, rocks. And don't forget cavalry! And then, at some point, guns happened. They ruined everything for anyone trying to get by with a sword. There was a brief moment in historical time when gun reloading was slow, so the bayonet became a useful addition, but that was about it.

Lastly, "bushido", the code of the samurai, was mostly made up out of whole cloth in an attempt to market Japanese culture to the West through a book "Bushido: The Soul of Japan" by Nitobe Inazo in the early 1900s. There was never such a uniform code that the samurai abided by, and certainly not one such as we know as "bushido". The idea, and the book, were largely mistruth. It preys upon our tendency to glorify "the other", the grass always looking greener on the other side.

Also, it is worth mentioning that grass-cutting exhibitions with Japanese swords are viewed as comical by real swordsman, as a Japanese sword is not meant to be used as a chopping weapon, but rather as a stabbing or slicing weapon. This is also because Japanese swords are famous for being prone to set bends due to the type of steel they used and style of construction, rather than the springy steel of European swords that could were far more resilient and often better quality swords. So if you tried to chop at something with a Japanese sword, it would bend into a non-swordly shape and that's the end of that sword's usefulness till it could be reshaped. So rather than grass-cutting competitions being a display of swordsman prowess, they are just a display of ignorance.

Japan has wonderful traditions. Japan has some wonderful martial schools, both "Koryu" and modern, that can teach effective ways to use a sword. Japan did have samurai, unlike ninjas. But almost none of these conform to the Western myth of the samurai we see in movies. Unfortunately, the myth of the samurai has become a tool of peddling Bullshido to people outside of Japan. This is not to imply that the samurai were really just rock-throwing savages, but rather than in the sincere attempt of the West to learn about Japanese culture, the myth of the samurai has gone a bit overboard to something that exemplifies: when the legend becomes fact, print the legend.