In the modern world of the samurai, there aren't many figures as lauded, ambitious and experienced as Tetsuro Shimaguchi. Born in Saitama, just outside of Tokyo in 1970, Tetsuro is the type of man you can see was simply born to be a samurai.

Dedicated from a young age, at 28 years old, he formed Kyukazou Kamui, a samurai artist group that fuses the formal beauty and showmanship of martial arts into unforgettable performances. Tetsuro's performances are based on the original samurai method known as "kyodo" which blends history and spirituality into the practice.

It was around 20 years ago that Tetsuro founded his own samurai team; during that time, he discovered there wasn't much work going in Japan. So filled with nothing more than rudimentary English skills, plenty of samurai skills and even more ambition, Tetsuro and his crew headed off to America where they performed on the streets of L.A.

Tarantino asked Tetsuro to play the role of Miki in his at the time, upcoming film Kill Bill.

It was in America that samurai lover Quentin Tarantino stumbled upon Tetsuro, on the streets of Santa Monica. Floored by his talent and style, Tarantino asked Tetsuro to play the role of Miki in his at the time, upcoming film Kill Bill. "In some ways I guess it [the experience] was the American Dream," Tetsuro says.

"I was the first one to die [in the film]" he explains, "then I changed, wore my training gear and taught the others the samurai performance." Lucy Liu attributes Tetsuro's talent and guidance as the film's sword choreographer for helping her craft an unforgettable performance as O-Ren Ishii, a key member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and supreme leader of the Tokyo Yakuza in the blockbuster Kill Bill films. "The entire being of my character O-Ren [Ishii]" was "basically created" by Tetsuro, she says.

While the Kill Bill experience was surely a career highlight, Tetsuro isn't the type of guy to rest on his laurels. In 2005, he kicked off a U.S. tour which included appearances at the JF Kennedy Center. He also starred in theatrical performances at the Edinburgh Festival (2006, 2008), at the Italian National Pergola Theater and the Palazzo Vecchio (2010). Later he made a guest performance in France at the JAPAN EXPO (2011), and played Poland's BLUE NOTE Poznan (2013), as well as the Russian State Hermitage Museum (2015).

Besides touring the globe, he's also worked with artists of mediums and backgrounds, like performers in the world of kabuki, noh, taiko (Japanese drums). He's teamed up with musicians and collaborated with classical foreign arts like ballet troupes, orchestras, and within the realms of more contemporary music like rock and trance, and breakdance.

"I don't think the samurai's main purpose was to fight, I think they were cultural personalities"

"I don't think the samurai's main purpose was to fight, I think they were cultural personalities," says Tetsuro. "In other words, the way of the samurai is not a martial art, but also involves the mind, virtue, respect for each other, communication, interaction," and of course a rich dedication to traditional Japanese culture in all its forms.

For those who want to learn about the way of the samurai from one of the world's greatest living legends, a man who helped shape Hollywood, TAROjin Tetsuro can curate a kengido lesson and performance.

Tetsuro Shimaguchi bio

Hailing from Saitama, just outside Tokyo, Tetsuro Shimaguchi is the type of man you can see was simply born to be a samurai. At 28 years old, he formed Kyukazou Kamui, a samurai artist group that fuses the formal beauty and showmanship of martial arts into unforgettable performances. He later took his team to America, where they performed on the streets of L.A. It was here that he was discovered by Quentin Tarantino, who invited Tetsuro to work on the production of Kill Bill as the film's sword choreographer.

He's since toured the globe showcasing his skills on the stage and teaching audiences the way of the samurai. "The way of the samurai is not a martial art, but also involves the mind, virtue, respect for each other, communication, interaction," says Tetsuro. He's a man with great skill and rich dedication to traditional Japanese culture in all its forms.