Your problem is that the Samurai class is describing the feudal mounted warriors that dominated Japan until well the Edo period. The peace of the Edo period can be compared in some ways to the Italian Renaissance; increased trade and urbanization, greater focus on the arts, and the taming of the warrior class. As no one was going to war, no one had much use for armor; it became increasingly ceremonial. There were still conflicts, however, and the katana, previously a mounted weapon akin to the cavalry saber, became a dueling weapon. Sword schools arose quite similar in purpose to the fencing schools of Renaissance Italy.
Kurosawa's films almost entirely depict Edo period samurai. I can only think of two which don't: Throne of Blood and Ran. If you want to take influence from Kurosawa without changing the Samurai class, go with that.
If you want an Edo period swordsman, you might not want to go to the Samurai class at all. It seems easier to modify the Monk or Rogue for that.