Andrew Griffiths is an independent researcher who has been studying the past for over twenty years. He graduated with a History Degree in 2007, and the following year, he began a career as a freelance writer. In 2012, he launched historyoffighting.com, a website dedicated to teaching the history of martial arts, combat sports and military history. He has also authored a book called The Birth of the Samurai, which charts the development of the warrior elite in early Japanese society.