For hundreds of years they devoted their lives to the honour of serving their emperor.

The Samurai were the scourge of criminals and enemies, feared for their swordsmanship and courage. Now the noble arts of the Japanese warriors are being taught to bank managers, solicitors and even estate agents.

Brighton's first Samurai training centre is open for business. Up to 50 bedraggled professionals at a time are slipping off their Burton's suits and learning the Code of Bushido, the way of the warrior.

Stuart Allison, the owner of Samurai Arts Centre in North Road, said: "The teaching of the martial arts is becoming really popular here. The Samurai lived by a code of ethics.

"They were honourable and brave. It's good for people to tap into something that takes their mind off work for a bit. We're not just here to keep this idea of Japanese life as high-kicking violence, though. We want to give a true flavour of what the place is like and its cultural traditions."

The shop sells handmade swords worth up to £1,700 each. But in case anyone fears a series of ritual beheadings, the punishment once meted out to criminals and enemies of the emperor of Japan, Stuart is at pains to stress they are only ceremonial these days.

He teaches ninpo taejutsu, an unarmed version of the Samurai arts. The police have laid down strict guidelines on who can buy ornamental swords and all owners are placed on a register.

Stuart said: "You have to treat martial arts with the respect they deserve. It's all about how you go about life in general. It allows you to meditate. Japan is an amazing country. It's managed to retain its sense of cultural identity, while becoming a major world economy."

The shop, which has a doge, or training area, in the basement, sells ceremonial Japanese tea sets, healing lotions, good luck charms and chopsticks. Takako Higgs, born in Tokyo but now living in Hassocks, also puts on demonstrations of Japanese calligraphy, or shodo, at the centre.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.