@PenileAugmentation I think he means fight with no concern for your own safety or your enemy's but that's a really dangerous mentality that shouldn't be encouraged
@@teslawolverine7009 The easiest way I can think to explain it is that combat is about pure action, especially dueling in the samurai style, the fights would be very quick, and every micro-second is potentially important. In this scenario, any thoughts or doubts will impede the flow of your action. Gunk it up, add resistance. The point is more to not cling to life than to desire death, but it's still paradoxical, that the more you embrace death the less likely it will be that you encounter during the duel. We all encounter it eventually. Its inevitability is the only certainty. The point, not to have attachments in living and not fear death. It worked for Musashi and he lived through it. And yeah, it will not work for anyone. But once understood. I like the meaning behind it.
I'd love a video about this for the Three Unifier of Japan Nobunaga especially, that man was so out of this earth it's one of those times where reality is better than fiction i swear.
There is a manga called VAGABOND that tells the fantastical tale of Miyamoto Musashi. That is how I really became interested in learning about his history. I highly recommend it!
@@jessedirazonian9742 actually the author released the final chapter, i think as a mean to say "now stop bothering me with this, i said i won't do this anymore". The final chapter covered Musashi last week before he passed away after he wrote Books of 5 rings
In Pokemon (Japanese original version), Team Rocket's Jessie and James' names are "Musashi" and "Kojiro", likely taken from the epic battle between them.
I also heard, that he surprised attacked his first opponent and that he repeated that tactic later on. Seems fitting also with the content of the "Five Rings", that prioritises winning over all. What I find mostly fascinating in this book is how he talks about the importance of 'rhythm' - as it is translated to German - that everyone has as certain rhythm, that you should bring your enemies out of theirs and prevent them from disturbing yours. I think that's what makes it so famous in the west too, since you can apply that to all kinds of modern non-martial situations.
So, I'm a huge fan of Mushashi and the five rings has definitely shaped my martial philosophy. However, I'm always surprised when people view him as this really honorable samurai/ronin character. Very early on into researching him, it was clear that this is a guy that went against a lot of ideas of honor in a duel. A lot of his philosophy on fighting was all about taking every advantage you can and focus on attacking your opponents weaknesses. And that type of thinking is very pragmatic. It's not about honor, it's about winning. And I thought this was known generally, but I guess not haha.
When someone "problematic" is too famous and beloved for you to simply erase from history, you whitewash their story to fit under your moral guidelines and then feed that to the public.
I agree. He was the living embodiment of the quote "Fight smarter", I respect his use of strategy and gaining advantage one can when faced with life or death.
I wholly accepted the one where Musashi's tales weren't beautified while giving a sense of clarity and logic behind them. I've read Musashi killed his adoptive father to prove to himself his own strength. He was able to think of surviving instead of dying with honor thus some of his duels are where he intentionally shows up late or some he intentionally shows disrespect, he lets his opponent get impatient and angry for being late on an "honorable life and death duel" and only shows up once his opponent has completely lost composure, an unfocused warrior no different from a dead one. This is the most notable for his duel with Sasaki Kojiro where Musashi woke up late for the duel but took his time eating breakfast, the wooden sword he carved out of oar was longer than Kojiro's long sword which he was famous for thus removing his main advantage over Musashi. The thing about him not taking baths is also a form of tactic to distract his opponent because of his bad smell. I love Musashi's way of thinking on this and even took to heart one of his sayings "Respect the Gods but dont rely on them"
This is my favorite of his: "There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself."
From Eiji Yoshikawa's book, Musashi never or rarely took a bath because it makes him too comfortable and it would loosen his instinct and awareness of any sudden attact.
@@hafnican, he also was famously ambushed while taking a bath, where he barely escaped with his life. So that may also be a reason why he stopped taking baths.
I feel this quote answers the "two swords" statement “You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.” It would negate this to assume Musashi only fought with 2 swords.
It's well known musashi used both a carved wooden oar, a bokken, and a single katana in battle in addition to his 2 sword style. But it's unlikely he used other weapons. Remember he also says "do not practice with weapons beyond what is useful" meaning that straying away from his main strengths was not something he would be necessarily be practicing.
In high school I read the book of 5 rings and my mom saw it on my bedroom counter one day and sat me down and I thought she was gonna give me the “birds and the bees” speech but instead she asked me if I was joining a cult because she thought the title of the book sounded “cultish” hahaha
Reading the book of five rings has greatly improved my understanding of Japanese swordsmanship, but it has also enhanced how I practice Chinese swordsmanship. A true masterpiece for sword geeks around the world! Thank you for another insightful video Shogo-san!
From my perspective, Musashi Miyamoto is the first unorthodox swordsman. He didn't fight for honour, but he fought for survival. In a time when most swordsmen held their honour and dignity above everything else, he fought to win and for his life. He never fought fairly, he used tactics and strategy to win. He mixed many techniques and he simply discarded what was useless and kept what was useful. If you ask me, He's the true progenitor of MMA, not Bruce Lee.
Pretty bad take here. MMA isnt like weapon fighting at all. And you're really gonna say he was the FIRST unorthodox swordsman? Like that never happened in history before.
@@tbhUSuckOo With that kind of reasoning, cave man are the progenitor of MMA. After all they reject fight sabertooth cats with their fist and use spears.
Miyamoto Musashi is one of my favorite historical figures. I knew before he was kind of a shady character who was not above using "dirty" tactics in battle/duels but that was the best way to win. I also love the Niten Ichi style.
What I am curious about is how exactly was Musashi like in society when not fighting. What was his demeanor? How did he treat others such as those of lower class? I know that exploits are what people like to study about historical individuals but I like to get an idea of what the person was like overall.
@@cadethumann8605 well he lived a lot as a hermit and roughed it in the wilderness for long periods of time(usually to hide out from enemies hunting him down.) So I imagine his social skills weren't all that great.
@@vicount3944 Assuming you're telling the truth, that is a pity. He still is an interesting figure for being the famous archetype warrior wanderer seeking challenges (in fiction, I can see him as an anti-hero) as well as his fighting philosophy, but it does sound pitiful that he didn't fully have a balanced mindset.
Its interesting that Japan, a country that values tradition and collectivism so much, ended up making a hero out of Musashi, who comes off as someone who disregards tradition and carves his own path, as evidenced by the fact that he authored his own sword style.
*Here's a lesser known fact* Miyamoto Musashi fought and won 60 duels, without losing a single time. But he did possibly fight to a draw once. And it was to Musō Gonnosuke (wielding the Jō)...although this "draw", could have actually been a loss. There's varying accounts as you'd expect. But the truth usually lies in the context.
The only source of information for Musashi having lost a duel to Muso is the school Muso founded. Doesn't mean Muso's students are lying but being able to say it was their teacher and style that beat Musashi is a *huge* motivation for bias that needs to be questioned.
A painting of Miyamoto Musashi hangs on my wall. He was a great swordsman, but not a perfect human being. He was as ruthless as he was skillful. That allowed him to be so successful in his battles and duels. A fun read on Musashi is Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.
We had a saying when I was in the army. "If you ever find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck." Gaining and pressing the advantage is the heart of Nito-ryu.
Yes, kojiro was hit with a blunt weapon, leaving him with very bad head injurys, slowly dieing in pain, so to end his life, musashi students ended his life swiftly so he didn't suffer a dishonourable death. How this was done exactly may still be a mystery.... Regardless of how, this is a very excellent video and very exciting topic. Thank you shugo 🙏👌
I think that Musashi's blow did kill him but maybe his students thought that he was still alive so they verified it by idk cutting his head off, but i am very sure that his students weren't even there and he did kill him with the wooden oar
I doubt the assassination story on practical grounds. In America we have some folk wisdom: "Three men can keep a secret if two of them are dead." If Musashi's apprentices killed Kojiro, one or more would have let it slip and it would be attested in some source. Musashi seems enough of a strategist to know that winning really isn't everything; not for sentimental reasons, but that a strategist must plan for the consequences of his battles, not simply the battle by itself. It would do no good to win by dishonorable means if every hand turns against him after the 'victory.' Whatever steps he took, he could not be sure of keeping such a thing private. Assassination is one of those things that is easy to imagine and write into novels, but very hard to do in practice.
I was first recommended his book by Harry Dach (Iaido - Go-Dan Master)...pre-internet. I went to a bookstore to find a copy and could not find it in the martial arts section. I asked the worker there if they had one and he said they did...IT WAS IN THE BUSINESS SECTION. This struck me as why Japanese business men were so successful and tenacious...they adapted Musashi's madsets and passion and focus.
3 MOST UNIQUE INFORMATION I FOUND IN MY STUDIES OF MUSASHI 1- He was the first to use a fist when fighting, it was considered disrespectful to use a closed hand to strike an opponent with a hand and hold the Katana only with one hand. 2-He was the first to run with one hand on the sword, prior it was considered disrespectful to hold the katana with one hand. 3-He used two swords at the same time and prior to MUSASHI it was considered disrespectful to use two swords simultaneously. 4- He hated formality in sword duels. 5- He was disrespecting his opponents to use a wooden sword to kill the last 10 opponents. 6- it was said that he hated saburu rituals and believed that those old swordsmen were antiquated and wanted to prove that formality and tradition is worthless in sword fighting.
The best Translation is William Scott Wilson's. Can't wait to meet him someday soon. On the topic of Musashi, he was a real figure but alot of the events in his life have no evidence to prove it. So most of his life is myth or should be taken as such. But he was famous and a successful swordsman. Worthy of being a Kensei, "Sword saint".
I heard 4 of those "book of five rings" gets tv show adaptation, where a young monk mastered all four elements and bring balance to the world, that shows miyamoto is also a good storywriter
the story i always find the most intriguing about his legend is that eventually he stops using real swords and switches to just sticks. It gives the sense that he became so expert at killing that he felt the need to handicap himself to keep things a little fair.
The greatest reason I enjoy the story of Miyamoto Musasshi is the fact that not one of his duels did he make the challenge, he was always challenged. This to me is the very spirit of Bushido.
IIRC he challanged people up til he was 30yo, after that he stoped and startet looking back at his life and acceptet a duel now and then, but never seeking them out as he did in his younger years
His first duel was in response to a publicly posted letter addressed "to whom it may concern". Musashi wasn't named, it was an open invitation for any swordsman. That Musashi chose to sign his own name on a public announcement is tantamount to him looking for a fight.
I've got an issue of his book in my language that also came with a tome of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu book within. It turned out to be very helpful in understanding of Japanese martial arts becuase both works complement each other well. Yagyu Munenori introduces the concept of "no mind" in his book which is a more elaborate description of what Musashi adresses in his fifth scroll. Then there is Takuan Soho's writings to Yagyu where he teaches those principles to the samurai in the first place. I find these monumental books a must reads to whomever wishes to acomplish great thongs on the way of martial arts.
Miyamoto regardless of his reputation he has carved his name into history like many other heroes in history like Leonidas, Alexander the great, ragnar lothbrok, Julius Caesar, and boedica the warrior queen. All warriors with legendary stories to tell some may say these warrior's reputations are exaggerated but regardless they are forever remembered.
Musashi's story and also his approach to warfare seems very similar to Shaka Zulu. They both rejected the honorable and traditional war tactics of their respective regions and instead adopted styles that favored a victorious outcome regardless of the means by which they achieved it. Warriors like this are always legends.
I was very taken by Musashi when I was younger, I would call him an anti-dogmatic didactic when it came to his training philosophy. I needed the guidance at the time and I hope I am continuing in practice. It's interesting how thinkers pondering military strategy inform different cultures, I am thinking of John Boyd, Marcus Aurelius', and Sun Tzu here, they seem to distill conflict into aphorisms that become thumb nails of society.
From what I understand, there's almost no direct sources of his life, aside from the book written by himself, and even in the book he only spares like 3 lines to speak about his life, saying that he killed a man at 13. There are accounts of his life but those were written a century later. We have his paintings and other works that tell us that he was indeed a great artist. But for example it is assumed that he took part in the the battles of the period in the Toyotomi side because he was born in the West, but there's zero details about it. It seems to me that Musashi's was someone's perfect blank slate to project the values they wanted
He is the greatest swordsman in recorded history and in turn possibly the greatest warrior of all time. He's a man who died of old age meditating after a life of violence. He died invincible under the sun. Undefeated.
There were Hosakawa representatives on the island witnessing the duel. All accounts say Musashi won the duel and left. Only the Numata Kaki (family history of the Numata clan) suggest Musashi's deshi finished off Kojiro and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Additionally, Musashi wasn’t at Sekigahara. He was fighting with his father in a number of sieges against castles in Kyushu at the time. There is no mention of Musashi being at Sekigahara prior to Yoshikawa Eiji’s serialisation in the Asashi Shimbun in 1929. Much like the manga Vagabond, it was added for dramatic effect.
Musashi refers to his own style as the two-sword school (Ichi Ryu Ni To). I 100% agree that his teachings and philosophy emphasize effectiveness over "style", but I don't believe it's accurate to say that Musashi's core style is not the use of two blades at the same time.
I remember i spent 3 YEARS trying to find his book because i wanted to understand how much karate founders took from samurai and swords masters. I never found my answers
Musashi teachings are amazing. I'm glad having the chance to training his ryuha, listening and experiencing the sword in the way he saw it, or at least in the closest way possible, considering the centuries apart.
My education in regards to the last fight, was that he showed up to it late intentionally to enrage the opponent and he splashed sake all over himself to smell worse than he already did so that he would appear partially drunk and enraged the opponent more as he had not taken the fight seriously. This led to overreactions of the opponents swings.
Wow this warrior always captured my imagination, thank you for the video! By the way, I recently read Bushido by Nitobe Inazo, and currently I'm reading Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo; Book of Five Rings comes next, looking forward to it. :)
There is a book telling the story after his dueling age The myth "he never took bath" is challenged since he has accepted as guess by samurai. It is unlikely a samurai will accept unclean guy into his property Musashi involved in some Christian rebellion due to his student (Iori?) The student was employed by the daimyo and tasked to quelled the rebellion finally, the student seppuku due to the daimyo die. The culture at that time was vassals need to follow the daimyo to death The book actually argued that Musashi achieved mastery after his dueling time His philosophy is mostly about how to win in any kind of situation involving psychological warfare, pragmatic, technological advance, strategy, preparation his 2 swords take, it is still a weapon. Don't let it be useless. Don't die and let it just sheathed he encourage to follow the trend of weapon so probably, his followers should go for firearm now
Good question. Author Anthony Cummins suggest that the school of two swords is a mistranslation. Instead, considering the two swords symbolised the samurai warrior, the correct title should instead be "the foremost school of swordsmanship". I think this reflects musashi's writing much better personally
The Island story I heard was that he used the oar to smack him over the head as his opponent was getting out of the boat, and left him for dead on the Island with huge gash.
If the stories are indeed true, he is really one of the larger than life figures in history. I mean even if some of his stories were just stories, he had the skills to survive so many duels and deadly situations where he could have died rather easily. Might be a stupid couple of questions, but did he fight his duels etc. with his sword out (kenjutsu) or drew the sword like in Iaido? And in actual battles featuring armies, do you know what weapons he used in battle, did he use his sword there too?
I also read VAGABOND and consider it one of the greatest pieces of art ever made. I love the story and how it is told, and I was impressed by the many lessons Musashi learned throughout his journey. I think my favorite moment was when he noticed he could escape the spiral of violence (not too sure how it is translated, I read it in German) and fight in a almost peaceful way! He changed so much since his beginnings as a boy full of bloodlust and the way his character is drawn transports this inner development masterfully. Unfortunately, no new book has been published in German in years and I would love to know his (drawn) story until the very end.
Musashi's greatest skill may well have been self-promotion. The subsequent "history" illustrates beautifully the Liberty Valance Axiom, "when fact becomes legend, print the legend."
I was able to spend some hours with Niten's best paintings when they were in San Francisco with the Hosokawa family exhibition. Also the oldest manuscript of Gorin. Could compare them with a tsuba I have, probably by him. I also have a example of powerful calligraphy sealed Miyamoto and Musashi that was probably by him. Most interesting.
Eiji Yoshikawa's novel 'Musashi' is a must read on the subject. It is so good. The 'Vagabond' manga is based off of it. I can't count how may times I read that novel.
Thank you. Amazing! I saw a movie about Miyamoto Musashi, where he was a mercenary in one of the battles. I know a girl from the Musashi clan. It's nice to know the history of famous samurai if my girlfriend is from the clans of two famous Japanese samurai.
One thing I am curious about is how he behaved in society. What was he like towards commoners, for instance? Was he ruthless towards them or did he leave them alone (perhaps being easy-going)? What was he like towards those of different classes like daimyo? I am curious of Musashi's non-fighting life.
The statement of 'won over 60 duels' is from the Kokura Hibun, written after his death. It is over his whole life and includes friend shiai in his later years. The important thing about the Ganryu Jima is that it was the last fatal duel he fought, It is when he realised the value of life.
I think one of the most impressive parts, is the fact he was largely self taught. He may have had instruction in his youth, but then he retired into the wilderness and polished his style. When you call him a Ronin, he truly was a wandering swordsman. A true kensei
My brother and dad visited his tomb on Kagoshima. I personally look up to Miamoto Musasi. I have just finished writing a scientific research paper about the samurai culture of the 16th century. I know most of Musashi's works were created in the 17th but he is also widely known for fighting in the battle of Sagikahara at the age of 16. Thank you so much for this video.
I study Roman swordfighting and bayonet fighting (go U.S. Marines!) and I've had a consideration for some time now that part of Musashi's success might be from employing the, "left handed" technique which the Romans used to great success in their wars-- by wielding the, "defensive sword" (shield) with the dominant hand one can utilize a technique where the opponent's sword can be easily cleared (by stuffing the opponent's sword) and, "sticking; pointing" (Pointe) the opponent with one's left hand sword. This would work especially well against single sworded Samurai. To quote Napolean: "Pointe! Pointe! Pointe!"
Historical accounts indicate that whenever Musashi faced a single skilled swordsman he only wielded one sword. Two sword technique was reserved for fending off multiple opponents.
He wrote about the tactics involved when it comes to showing up late for a duel. He wrote it was advantageous because of the mental state of his opponent. Waiting for a fight mentally ready and then relaxing after you think it is not going to happen.
It is also a common understanding that Musashi was over six feet in height which would have made him a virtual giant at a time when the average Japanese man was little more than five feet tall. I find victories by such an individual to be less impressive.
I like your videos; they’re well produced, informative, and I appreciate your calm demeanor, but I personally think the conclusion sections at the end are unnecessary and simply repeat what you’ve already explained. The videos would be more concise without them.
Thank you for posting this information. You do such a great job every time. Here is some food for thought, First, Musashi’s adopted son was one of the main suppliers of information about him, cause there wasn’t a whole lot of info about him , therefore that info that he supplied may have been biased. Secondly, there were a lot of skilled swords men in Japan at that time but they were not well known cause they were not good at promoting themselves. It was rumored that Musashi wore a blue cape and rode a white horse and always was followed by his entourage. So his appearance was bold. Thirdly, did he only select people that he could beat? Cause there were other people in the same area that he could have faught. Also we have seen the Gracie family do the very same thing when they went around to Karate dojos and challenged the head instructor, the Gracies knowing that they had no grappling skills. The Karate guy thought he was going to have a Karate match as usual but was takin to the ground and choked out.They did this too promote themselves, not because they were so great.Lastly, about the bathing part. After having lived and traveling to many areas of Japan my self, I have witnessed that Japanese people are the cleanest people in the world not only that, but there are so many hot springs everywhere it would be impossible to not find yourself in one. So I can’t believe that part! Anyway just some food for thought
After studying go rin no sho as well as the art of war most of my life ive utilised these strategies both on the street, in the ring, as a coach and for every day life. I've been very successful because of them. What I love about the books most of all is everytime I read them I learn something new....fantastic video, thank you😊👍
Translate to Arabic please I do a subscribe but am weakly in English language so please can you translate your videos to Arabic also? I love your channel and I love Japan but I don't understand everything ....please translate to Arabic if you can ,please☺🌷🌷
We can deduce that he was a great warrior, and genius tactician, but somewhat bewildered. Also apparently you could smell him from a mile, but you couldn't complain to him about it...for obvious reasons :D.
I got curious about Musashi after finding out the Musashi found in Brave Fencer Musashi and Musashi Samurai Legend, on PS1 and PS2, is based on a real guy.
I've often heard one point of contention with Musashi in particular is that there is 0 evidence to suggest that shishido baiken challenged Musashi to a duel, or even existed in the first place. Many believe this to be an exaggeration to show that his swordsmamship could beat a skilled kusarigama wielder. I've heard many theories of his life, including the name takezo (famously used in the samurai Musashi trilogy, which you can find on HBO max) and how he and his friend went to war in the battle of sekigahara and after a time got separated. This story is also told in vagabond, which I assume the artist took queues from the samurai trilogy in that regard. Didn't know bout the lynching thing. That did shock me.
In Fate Grand Order, in our original timeline Musashi is the one of true history but there was one from a doomed timeline was female and that she didn't get to be as famous but travels from parallel worlds to challenge many master fighters like a trans dimensional Ronin of the Original Musashi in Japan. Also about the Musashi stories being overly fabricated, to quote Gandalf "the best stories deserve embellishments"
My 3 top books growing up: The Bible Tao te Ching The Book of 5 Rings.. I discovered Musashi in Ronin Blade, ps1❤...it started me on a journey i am still on, and gets better as i get wiser
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"The key to winning every battle, is to fight as if you're already dead" -Miyamoto Musashi.
My favorite quote from him.
Not sure what that means
@PenileAugmentation The quote was fight "like you're dead", not like you're dying
@PenileAugmentation I think he means fight with no concern for your own safety or your enemy's but that's a really dangerous mentality that shouldn't be encouraged
@@teslawolverine7009 The easiest way I can think to explain it is that combat is about pure action, especially dueling in the samurai style, the fights would be very quick, and every micro-second is potentially important. In this scenario, any thoughts or doubts will impede the flow of your action. Gunk it up, add resistance. The point is more to not cling to life than to desire death, but it's still paradoxical, that the more you embrace death the less likely it will be that you encounter during the duel. We all encounter it eventually. Its inevitability is the only certainty. The point, not to have attachments in living and not fear death.
It worked for Musashi and he lived through it. And yeah, it will not work for anyone. But once understood. I like the meaning behind it.
@@2551987ezio It makes much more sense now that you've explained it
You are a magnificent story teller and teacher. I love the channel.
I'd love a video about this for the Three Unifier of Japan
Nobunaga especially, that man was so out of this earth it's one of those times where reality is better than fiction i swear.
Shogo-san, please talk about Zatoichi/ The Blind Swordman....
Arigato gozaimasu....
"It would seem difficult at first, but everything is always difficult at first." - Miyamoto Musashi
Bloody Brilliant.
There is a manga called VAGABOND that tells the fantastical tale of Miyamoto Musashi. That is how I really became interested in learning about his history. I highly recommend it!
Too bad the author refused to finish the story, at least we still know the result of the final duel
Yep 100% recommended even tho the ending isn’t there n the artwork gawdamn
@@jessedirazonian9742 actually the author released the final chapter, i think as a mean to say "now stop bothering me with this, i said i won't do this anymore". The final chapter covered Musashi last week before he passed away after he wrote Books of 5 rings
That's probably why Shogo mentions it in the video.
@@jaketheasianguy3307 what?
Are you serious? And here I'm waiting since God Knows when for the chapters to be made by Takehiko Inoue....
After his dead, Sasaki Kojiro fought against Poseidon to protect mankind.
Anime reference lol
REGEND
And lu bu fought thor as well
and slayed dragons in france
I thought he stayed in Japan guarding a temple gate which led to him having a duel with King Arthur
In Pokemon (Japanese original version), Team Rocket's Jessie and James' names are "Musashi" and "Kojiro", likely taken from the epic battle between them.
That, and Aerial Ace in Japanese is one of the many references to Kojirou's famous technique, Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return).
This is an amazing fact!
I only knew about Musashi and Kojiro because of the anime Record of Ragnarok
I’m not sure, but I always assumed the US names Jesse and James were a reference to the late 19th century outlaw Jesse James
Another thing, Musashi and Kojiro in Fate mirrored the Pokemon version where their hair colors are the same and Musashi is a female
I also heard, that he surprised attacked his first opponent and that he repeated that tactic later on. Seems fitting also with the content of the "Five Rings", that prioritises winning over all. What I find mostly fascinating in this book is how he talks about the importance of 'rhythm' - as it is translated to German - that everyone has as certain rhythm, that you should bring your enemies out of theirs and prevent them from disturbing yours. I think that's what makes it so famous in the west too, since you can apply that to all kinds of modern non-martial situations.
The rhythm thing is soo true in everything in life.
100 percent! You want to always have people play into your gameplan vs theirs. All about controlling the situation
That's straight up how a person is supposed to play chess.
Yeah there was the story where he disrespected a swordsman and whacked him with a sharpened oar.
While everyone was playing for honor, musashi was playing sekiro
So, I'm a huge fan of Mushashi and the five rings has definitely shaped my martial philosophy.
However, I'm always surprised when people view him as this really honorable samurai/ronin character.
Very early on into researching him, it was clear that this is a guy that went against a lot of ideas of honor in a duel.
A lot of his philosophy on fighting was all about taking every advantage you can and focus on attacking your opponents weaknesses.
And that type of thinking is very pragmatic. It's not about honor, it's about winning.
And I thought this was known generally, but I guess not haha.
When someone "problematic" is too famous and beloved for you to simply erase from history, you whitewash their story to fit under your moral guidelines and then feed that to the public.
I agree. He was the living embodiment of the quote "Fight smarter", I respect his use of strategy and gaining advantage one can when faced with life or death.
Musashi saw it as a contest, if you aren't ready when I've told you I'm going to kill you, maybe you need to listen.
“You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain” -Miyamoto Musashi
I wholly accepted the one where Musashi's tales weren't beautified while giving a sense of clarity and logic behind them.
I've read Musashi killed his adoptive father to prove to himself his own strength.
He was able to think of surviving instead of dying with honor thus some of his duels are where he intentionally shows up late or some he intentionally shows disrespect, he lets his opponent get impatient and angry for being late on an "honorable life and death duel" and only shows up once his opponent has completely lost composure, an unfocused warrior no different from a dead one. This is the most notable for his duel with Sasaki Kojiro where Musashi woke up late for the duel but took his time eating breakfast, the wooden sword he carved out of oar was longer than Kojiro's long sword which he was famous for thus removing his main advantage over Musashi.
The thing about him not taking baths is also a form of tactic to distract his opponent because of his bad smell.
I love Musashi's way of thinking on this and even took to heart one of his sayings "Respect the Gods but dont rely on them"
This is my favorite of his:
"There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself."
From Eiji Yoshikawa's book, Musashi never or rarely took a bath because it makes him too comfortable and it would loosen his instinct and awareness of any sudden attact.
@@hafnican, he also was famously ambushed while taking a bath, where he barely escaped with his life. So that may also be a reason why he stopped taking baths.
ty for reminding this quote
I see people of culture here
Great to meet you
I read, "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa and loved it.
This is tied with “The Count of Monte Cristo” as my favorite book of all time. I just started “Taiko” (the book about Hideyoshi)
@@tlidd Taiko also was incredible and excellent pairing with
The Count!
@@tlidd
Taiko is a really good read.
So good.
Taiko was also great
I feel this quote answers the "two swords" statement
“You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.”
It would negate this to assume Musashi only fought with 2 swords.
Three-sword style!!?!
It's well known musashi used both a carved wooden oar, a bokken, and a single katana in battle in addition to his 2 sword style. But it's unlikely he used other weapons. Remember he also says "do not practice with weapons beyond what is useful" meaning that straying away from his main strengths was not something he would be necessarily be practicing.
You would be incorrect
In high school I read the book of 5 rings and my mom saw it on my bedroom counter one day and sat me down and I thought she was gonna give me the “birds and the bees” speech but instead she asked me if I was joining a cult because she thought the title of the book sounded “cultish” hahaha
Reading the book of five rings has greatly improved my understanding of Japanese swordsmanship, but it has also enhanced how I practice Chinese swordsmanship. A true masterpiece for sword geeks around the world! Thank you for another insightful video Shogo-san!
It helped me with my baguazhang as well. It's beneficial to all martial practices! A true masterpiece, indeed.
“Think lightly of yourself, but deeply of the world” - Musashi
From my perspective, Musashi Miyamoto is the first unorthodox swordsman. He didn't fight for honour, but he fought for survival. In a time when most swordsmen held their honour and dignity above everything else, he fought to win and for his life. He never fought fairly, he used tactics and strategy to win. He mixed many techniques and he simply discarded what was useless and kept what was useful. If you ask me, He's the true progenitor of MMA, not Bruce Lee.
With that kind of reasoning, Sun tzu is the true pioneer of mma
Pretty bad take here. MMA isnt like weapon fighting at all. And you're really gonna say he was the FIRST unorthodox swordsman? Like that never happened in history before.
@@tbhUSuckOo With that kind of reasoning, cave man are the progenitor of MMA. After all they reject fight sabertooth cats with their fist and use spears.
If course I've heard the name Miyamoto. He invented Zelda.
And Mario!
And helped kick start Nintendo as a videogame company.
Shigeru!
Miyamoto Musashi is one of my favorite historical figures. I knew before he was kind of a shady character who was not above using "dirty" tactics in battle/duels but that was the best way to win. I also love the Niten Ichi style.
What I am curious about is how exactly was Musashi like in society when not fighting. What was his demeanor? How did he treat others such as those of lower class?
I know that exploits are what people like to study about historical individuals but I like to get an idea of what the person was like overall.
@@cadethumann8605 well he lived a lot as a hermit and roughed it in the wilderness for long periods of time(usually to hide out from enemies hunting him down.) So I imagine his social skills weren't all that great.
@@cadethumann8605 he treated those of the lower classes like dirt. His book gives you a good idea of his personality, and boy is he full of himself.
@@vicount3944 Assuming you're telling the truth, that is a pity. He still is an interesting figure for being the famous archetype warrior wanderer seeking challenges (in fiction, I can see him as an anti-hero) as well as his fighting philosophy, but it does sound pitiful that he didn't fully have a balanced mindset.
@@cadethumann8605 I mean, that was normal for the time. So it's not really a "flaw", so to say.
Its interesting that Japan, a country that values tradition and collectivism so much, ended up making a hero out of Musashi, who comes off as someone who disregards tradition and carves his own path, as evidenced by the fact that he authored his own sword style.
*Here's a lesser known fact*
Miyamoto Musashi fought and won 60 duels, without losing a single time. But he did possibly fight to a draw once. And it was to Musō Gonnosuke (wielding the Jō)...although this "draw", could have actually been a loss.
There's varying accounts as you'd expect. But the truth usually lies in the context.
The only source of information for Musashi having lost a duel to Muso is the school Muso founded. Doesn't mean Muso's students are lying but being able to say it was their teacher and style that beat Musashi is a *huge* motivation for bias that needs to be questioned.
A painting of Miyamoto Musashi hangs on my wall. He was a great swordsman, but not a perfect human being. He was as ruthless as he was skillful. That allowed him to be so successful in his battles and duels. A fun read on Musashi is Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.
We had a saying when I was in the army. "If you ever find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck." Gaining and pressing the advantage is the heart of Nito-ryu.
Me too! I also have the movie trilogy on DVD starring Toshiro Mifune.
Love being able to learn about Japanese culture and History, thanks Shogo!
Yes, kojiro was hit with a blunt weapon, leaving him with very bad head injurys, slowly dieing in pain, so to end his life, musashi students ended his life swiftly so he didn't suffer a dishonourable death. How this was done exactly may still be a mystery.... Regardless of how, this is a very excellent video and very exciting topic. Thank you shugo 🙏👌
I think that Musashi's blow did kill him but maybe his students thought that he was still alive so they verified it by idk cutting his head off, but i am very sure that his students weren't even there and he did kill him with the wooden oar
I loved it every time you said he's name 🤣 just sound funny when you go full japanese efter speaking English
I doubt the assassination story on practical grounds. In America we have some folk wisdom: "Three men can keep a secret if two of them are dead." If Musashi's apprentices killed Kojiro, one or more would have let it slip and it would be attested in some source. Musashi seems enough of a strategist to know that winning really isn't everything; not for sentimental reasons, but that a strategist must plan for the consequences of his battles, not simply the battle by itself. It would do no good to win by dishonorable means if every hand turns against him after the 'victory.' Whatever steps he took, he could not be sure of keeping such a thing private. Assassination is one of those things that is easy to imagine and write into novels, but very hard to do in practice.
I was first recommended his book by Harry Dach (Iaido - Go-Dan Master)...pre-internet. I went to a bookstore to find a copy and could not find it in the martial arts section. I asked the worker there if they had one and he said they did...IT WAS IN THE BUSINESS SECTION. This struck me as why Japanese business men were so successful and tenacious...they adapted Musashi's madsets and passion and focus.
3 MOST UNIQUE INFORMATION I FOUND IN MY STUDIES OF MUSASHI
1- He was the first to use a fist when fighting, it was considered disrespectful to use a closed hand to strike an opponent with a hand and hold the Katana only with one hand.
2-He was the first to run with one hand on the sword, prior it was considered disrespectful to hold the katana with one hand.
3-He used two swords at the same time and prior to MUSASHI it was considered disrespectful to use two swords simultaneously.
4- He hated formality in sword duels.
5- He was disrespecting his opponents to use a wooden sword to kill the last 10 opponents.
6- it was said that he hated saburu rituals and believed that those old swordsmen were antiquated and wanted to prove that formality and tradition is worthless in sword fighting.
The best Translation is William Scott Wilson's. Can't wait to meet him someday soon.
On the topic of Musashi, he was a real figure but alot of the events in his life have no evidence to prove it. So most of his life is myth or should be taken as such. But he was famous and a successful swordsman. Worthy of being a Kensei, "Sword saint".
Read WIlliam De Lange's history and translations if you are further interested.
@@roninmusashi I love your user name
This guy is a good teacher,easy to listen to.
He's corgel and charismatic. It would be an honor to train with him.
I’d love to hear you talk about the Nodachi, especially the 12 foot long Nodachi made by Norimitsu Osafune
Maybe he didn't take baths in order to develop a foul smell that would distract his opponents in combat 😏
I heard 4 of those "book of five rings" gets tv show adaptation, where a young monk mastered all four elements and bring balance to the world, that shows miyamoto is also a good storywriter
Avatar??
@@janeygenraam7923 Haha pretty much that's what I thought when I read it, Avatar didn't have the Void though.
haha
@@sketch-R it did have Energy Bending as a máster technique tho, maybe they decided to settle on that instead of the Void :D
the story i always find the most intriguing about his legend is that eventually he stops using real swords and switches to just sticks. It gives the sense that he became so expert at killing that he felt the need to handicap himself to keep things a little fair.
The greatest reason I enjoy the story of Miyamoto Musasshi is the fact that not one of his duels did he make the challenge, he was always challenged. This to me is the very spirit of Bushido.
IIRC he challanged people up til he was 30yo, after that he stoped and startet looking back at his life and acceptet a duel now and then, but never seeking them out as he did in his younger years
His first duel was in response to a publicly posted letter addressed "to whom it may concern". Musashi wasn't named, it was an open invitation for any swordsman. That Musashi chose to sign his own name on a public announcement is tantamount to him looking for a fight.
I've got an issue of his book in my language that also came with a tome of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu book within. It turned out to be very helpful in understanding of Japanese martial arts becuase both works complement each other well. Yagyu Munenori introduces the concept of "no mind" in his book which is a more elaborate description of what Musashi adresses in his fifth scroll. Then there is Takuan Soho's writings to Yagyu where he teaches those principles to the samurai in the first place. I find these monumental books a must reads to whomever wishes to acomplish great thongs on the way of martial arts.
Munenori's writings were really interesting.
@@vicount3944 I suggest reading The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho. You'll find much more interesting stuff to ponder on.
@@Mr440c Thanks. I'll look them up.
Those 3 books should be in the library of everyone interested in martial arts and Japanese history and culture.
Miyamoto regardless of his reputation he has carved his name into history like many other heroes in history like Leonidas, Alexander the great, ragnar lothbrok, Julius Caesar, and boedica the warrior queen. All warriors with legendary stories to tell some may say these warrior's reputations are exaggerated but regardless they are forever remembered.
Musashi's story and also his approach to warfare seems very similar to Shaka Zulu. They both rejected the honorable and traditional war tactics of their respective regions and instead adopted styles that favored a victorious outcome regardless of the means by which they achieved it.
Warriors like this are always legends.
I was very taken by Musashi when I was younger, I would call him an anti-dogmatic didactic when it came to his training philosophy. I needed the guidance at the time and I hope I am continuing in practice. It's interesting how thinkers pondering military strategy inform different cultures, I am thinking of John Boyd, Marcus Aurelius', and Sun Tzu here, they seem to distill conflict into aphorisms that become thumb nails of society.
From what I understand, there's almost no direct sources of his life, aside from the book written by himself, and even in the book he only spares like 3 lines to speak about his life, saying that he killed a man at 13. There are accounts of his life but those were written a century later. We have his paintings and other works that tell us that he was indeed a great artist.
But for example it is assumed that he took part in the the battles of the period in the Toyotomi side because he was born in the West, but there's zero details about it.
It seems to me that Musashi's was someone's perfect blank slate to project the values they wanted
He is the greatest swordsman in recorded history and in turn possibly the greatest warrior of all time. He's a man who died of old age meditating after a life of violence. He died invincible under the sun. Undefeated.
Awesome, thanks for sharing brother ❤
There were Hosakawa representatives on the island witnessing the duel.
All accounts say Musashi won the duel and left. Only the Numata Kaki (family history of the Numata clan) suggest Musashi's deshi finished off Kojiro and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Additionally, Musashi wasn’t at Sekigahara. He was fighting with his father in a number of sieges against castles in Kyushu at the time.
There is no mention of Musashi being at Sekigahara prior to Yoshikawa Eiji’s serialisation in the Asashi Shimbun in 1929. Much like the manga Vagabond, it was added for dramatic effect.
Musashi refers to his own style as the two-sword school (Ichi Ryu Ni To). I 100% agree that his teachings and philosophy emphasize effectiveness over "style", but I don't believe it's accurate to say that Musashi's core style is not the use of two blades at the same time.
Domo arigatou gozaimasu.
BTW...
Ganbate kudasai.
Today is May 11th 2022 and you already have 1.14M subscribers.
I remember i spent 3 YEARS trying to find his book because i wanted to understand how much karate founders took from samurai and swords masters. I never found my answers
3 years and u could find the book? Try a book store!!
@@thinkingagain5966 i tried but it seems like here in italy almost no ones read japanese or generally speaking books wrote by asian autors
@@luciagianquitto4010 so italy not Asian friendly eh? lol you can listen to musashi's book by searching here on youtube. Highly recommended
@@thinkingagain5966 actually they sell asian writers books only in small indipendent bookstores. I just need the time to visit them
I'm sure you can find it online, in japanese, english or italian...
Where my Baki fans at if ykyk
Musashi teachings are amazing. I'm glad having the chance to training his ryuha, listening and experiencing the sword in the way he saw it, or at least in the closest way possible, considering the centuries apart.
My education in regards to the last fight, was that he showed up to it late intentionally to enrage the opponent and he splashed sake all over himself to smell worse than he already did so that he would appear partially drunk and enraged the opponent more as he had not taken the fight seriously. This led to overreactions of the opponents swings.
Since video games are mentioned I always had fun playing Brave fencer Musashi on Nintendo 64, no historical accuracy just a puzzle game ✌️
I've always found it hard to believe that Musashi killed the guy by hitting him one time in the chest with an oar.
Wow this warrior always captured my imagination, thank you for the video! By the way, I recently read Bushido by Nitobe Inazo, and currently I'm reading Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo; Book of Five Rings comes next, looking forward to it. :)
There is a book telling the story after his dueling age
The myth "he never took bath" is challenged since he has accepted as guess by samurai. It is unlikely a samurai will accept unclean guy into his property
Musashi involved in some Christian rebellion due to his student (Iori?)
The student was employed by the daimyo and tasked to quelled the rebellion
finally, the student seppuku due to the daimyo die. The culture at that time was vassals need to follow the daimyo to death
The book actually argued that Musashi achieved mastery after his dueling time
His philosophy is mostly about how to win in any kind of situation
involving psychological warfare, pragmatic, technological advance, strategy, preparation
his 2 swords take, it is still a weapon. Don't let it be useless. Don't die and let it just sheathed
he encourage to follow the trend of weapon so probably, his followers should go for firearm now
I watched twilight samurai because ur other video. Very captivating movie!! ☺️
I read on a book that he created a dual sword school, apparently one of the most difficult styles to master.
Was it true ?
No. There are older styles that teach dual wielding. He might perhaps have improved the concept, but he didn't create it.
Good question. Author Anthony Cummins suggest that the school of two swords is a mistranslation. Instead, considering the two swords symbolised the samurai warrior, the correct title should instead be "the foremost school of swordsmanship". I think this reflects musashi's writing much better personally
Yes he did create his own school which has survived and still going now - it is called Niten Ichi Ryu
@@zenneko641 : ah, yes, I misread! He did indeed create that school! My mistake.
@@emilfriisruud9199 Antony Cummins makes up a lot of stuff indeed. That's what he does.
There are two among Miyamotos that defines Japanese culture: Musashi, and Shigeru
I dunno guys.. Miyamoto Musashi was doing pretty well in BAKI..
The Island story I heard was that he used the oar to smack him over the head as his opponent was getting out of the boat, and left him for dead on the Island with huge gash.
If the stories are indeed true, he is really one of the larger than life figures in history. I mean even if some of his stories were just stories, he had the skills to survive so many duels and deadly situations where he could have died rather easily. Might be a stupid couple of questions, but did he fight his duels etc. with his sword out (kenjutsu) or drew the sword like in Iaido? And in actual battles featuring armies, do you know what weapons he used in battle, did he use his sword there too?
I also read VAGABOND and consider it one of the greatest pieces of art ever made. I love the story and how it is told, and I was impressed by the many lessons Musashi learned throughout his journey. I think my favorite moment was when he noticed he could escape the spiral of violence (not too sure how it is translated, I read it in German) and fight in a almost peaceful way! He changed so much since his beginnings as a boy full of bloodlust and the way his character is drawn transports this inner development masterfully.
Unfortunately, no new book has been published in German in years and I would love to know his (drawn) story until the very end.
Some of the quotes from The Book of Five Rings seem to take inspiration from The Art of War.
Musashi's greatest skill may well have been self-promotion. The subsequent "history" illustrates beautifully the Liberty Valance Axiom, "when fact becomes legend, print the legend."
I know him from playing samurai warriors 😅 Yukimura Sanada tadakstu Honda and keiji maeda as well
I was able to spend some hours with Niten's best paintings when they were in San Francisco with the Hosokawa family exhibition. Also the oldest manuscript of Gorin. Could compare them with a tsuba I have, probably by him. I also have a example of powerful calligraphy sealed Miyamoto and Musashi that was probably by him. Most interesting.
Eiji Yoshikawa's novel 'Musashi' is a must read on the subject. It is so good. The 'Vagabond' manga is based off of it. I can't count how may times I read that novel.
Thank you. Amazing! I saw a movie about Miyamoto Musashi, where he was a mercenary in one of the battles.
I know a girl from the Musashi clan. It's nice to know the history of famous samurai if my girlfriend is from the clans of two famous Japanese samurai.
So that's the secret of Musashi winning so many duels: The enemies always got caught by his terrible smell and could not concentrate properly!!
He didn't like baths? Unfathomably based.
One thing I am curious about is how he behaved in society. What was he like towards commoners, for instance? Was he ruthless towards them or did he leave them alone (perhaps being easy-going)? What was he like towards those of different classes like daimyo? I am curious of Musashi's non-fighting life.
The statement of 'won over 60 duels' is from the Kokura Hibun, written after his death. It is over his whole life and includes friend shiai in his later years. The important thing about the Ganryu Jima is that it was the last fatal duel he fought, It is when he realised the value of life.
I think one of the most impressive parts, is the fact he was largely self taught. He may have had instruction in his youth, but then he retired into the wilderness and polished his style. When you call him a Ronin, he truly was a wandering swordsman. A true kensei
Musashi is my favorite historical figure!
I love how Shogo-san brings both perspectives of any story he tells.
my motivation
My brother and dad visited his tomb on Kagoshima. I personally look up to Miamoto Musasi. I have just finished writing a scientific research paper about the samurai culture of the 16th century. I know most of Musashi's works were created in the 17th but he is also widely known for fighting in the battle of Sagikahara at the age of 16. Thank you so much for this video.
Musashi was the Floyd Mayweather of his day. Pragmatic, chose his fights for when they were most beneficial to him, etc.
Literally lmao
Except Mayweather is all for money, not fighting to the death, nor a War Veteran, not even wanderer who often sleep outdoors close to nature.
Don't compare a legend with trash.
@@PrinceAkaiVtuber Did you watch the video? Musashi wasn't that bad.
I study Roman swordfighting and bayonet fighting (go U.S. Marines!) and I've had a consideration for some time now that part of Musashi's success might be from employing the, "left handed" technique which the Romans used to great success in their wars-- by wielding the, "defensive sword" (shield) with the dominant hand one can utilize a technique where the opponent's sword can be easily cleared (by stuffing the opponent's sword) and, "sticking; pointing" (Pointe) the opponent with one's left hand sword. This would work especially well against single sworded Samurai.
To quote Napolean: "Pointe! Pointe! Pointe!"
Historical accounts indicate that whenever Musashi faced a single skilled swordsman he only wielded one sword. Two sword technique was reserved for fending off multiple opponents.
He wrote about the tactics involved when it comes to showing up late for a duel. He wrote it was advantageous because of the mental state of his opponent. Waiting for a fight mentally ready and then relaxing after you think it is not going to happen.
Could you do sasaki kojiro next?
1:41 I think the more correct conjugation is "The content of my videos IS based (...)".
It is also a common understanding that Musashi was over six feet in height which would have made him a virtual giant at a time when the average Japanese man was little more than five feet tall. I find victories by such an individual to be less impressive.
I like your videos; they’re well produced, informative, and I appreciate your calm demeanor, but I personally think the conclusion sections at the end are unnecessary and simply repeat what you’ve already explained. The videos would be more concise without them.
The book of Eiji Yoshikawa is one of my favorite books of all time. Musashi definitely is so impressive. I really recommended it!
I need to re-read vagabond again. It was great. Maybe this time I'll finish the manga. 🤔👍
That’s impossible since my guy said he’d never touch it again 😭
Thank you for posting this information. You do such a great job every time. Here is some food for thought, First, Musashi’s adopted son was one of the main suppliers of information about him, cause there wasn’t a whole lot of info about him , therefore that info that he supplied may have been biased. Secondly, there were a lot of skilled swords men in Japan at that time but they were not well known cause they were not good at promoting themselves. It was rumored that Musashi wore a blue cape and rode a white horse and always was followed by his entourage. So his appearance was bold. Thirdly, did he only select people that he could beat? Cause there were other people in the same area that he could have faught. Also we have seen the Gracie family do the very same thing when they went around to Karate dojos and challenged the head instructor, the Gracies knowing that they had no grappling skills. The Karate guy thought he was going to have a Karate match as usual but was takin to the ground and choked out.They did this too promote themselves, not because they were so great.Lastly, about the bathing part. After having lived and traveling to many areas of Japan my self, I have witnessed that Japanese people are the cleanest people in the world not only that, but there are so many hot springs everywhere it would be impossible to not find yourself in one.
So I can’t believe that part! Anyway just some food for thought
After studying go rin no sho as well as the art of war most of my life ive utilised these strategies both on the street, in the ring, as a coach and for every day life. I've been very successful because of them. What I love about the books most of all is everytime I read them I learn something new....fantastic video, thank you😊👍
Translate to Arabic please I do a subscribe but am weakly in English language so please can you translate your videos to Arabic also?
I love your channel and I love Japan but I don't understand everything ....please translate to Arabic if you can ,please☺🌷🌷
Hi Shogo, I quite like your videos. I find them interesting and informative. Could you please make a video on Sasaki Kojiro next ?
I heard Musashi invented the two sword style swordsmenship, but that could be fictional.
We can deduce that he was a great warrior, and genius tactician, but somewhat bewildered.
Also apparently you could smell him from a mile, but you couldn't complain to him about it...for obvious reasons :D.
Seems like half time time you watch or play something involving the samurai or ninja, you either hear the name Miyamoto Musashi or Yagyu Jubei
One of the theories of why he never took a shower, is because he didn’t want to be prone to assassination.
All he did was assissinate any chance he had of getting some 🐱
Vagabond reference huh
I got curious about Musashi after finding out the Musashi found in Brave Fencer Musashi and Musashi Samurai Legend, on PS1 and PS2, is based on a real guy.
I've often heard one point of contention with Musashi in particular is that there is 0 evidence to suggest that shishido baiken challenged Musashi to a duel, or even existed in the first place. Many believe this to be an exaggeration to show that his swordsmamship could beat a skilled kusarigama wielder.
I've heard many theories of his life, including the name takezo (famously used in the samurai Musashi trilogy, which you can find on HBO max) and how he and his friend went to war in the battle of sekigahara and after a time got separated. This story is also told in vagabond, which I assume the artist took queues from the samurai trilogy in that regard.
Didn't know bout the lynching thing. That did shock me.
In Fate Grand Order, in our original timeline Musashi is the one of true history but there was one from a doomed timeline was female and that she didn't get to be as famous but travels from parallel worlds to challenge many master fighters like a trans dimensional Ronin of the Original Musashi in Japan.
Also about the Musashi stories being overly fabricated, to quote Gandalf "the best stories deserve embellishments"
My 3 top books growing up:
The Bible
Tao te Ching
The Book of 5 Rings..
I discovered Musashi in Ronin Blade, ps1❤...it started me on a journey i am still on, and gets better as i get wiser
8:51 sounds like opm 🤔