Bushi vs. Samurai: What's the Difference?

The title of "Bushi" was assigned to warriors born to established military clans of Japan. These were families of considerable wealth and a respected fighting tradition. These families would support the warriors and provide them with weapons and training.


The Bushi were ranked accordint to a scale which took into account

1. The family's standing



2. The fighter's ability



3. The warrior's military accomplishments

Rank also pertained to the Bushi's relation to the Shogun, the top Bushi. Samurai were simply Bushi of a high class and rank.