Mentor of the week — Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi
Swordsman, philosopher, writer, artist
This Week’s School of Combat Art’s mentor is Miyamoto Musashi. The most famed and influential swordsman in all of Japanese history. A true master of various arts, but his first and foremost being combat. What can we learn from Miyamoto Musashi? He grew up towards the end of feudalistic Japan in a world where you were either a lowly merchant, a middle class farmer, an upperclassmen samurai, warlord, or emperor.
Born into the Shinmen clan under his father Muni who was also a fearsome warrior that lead his clan into many successful historical battles and retired at old age from warfare in a world where even most adept warriors died young. His mother, Omasa died giving birth to Miyamoto. Muni raised Miyamoto until he was 7 years old teaching him Jiu-jitsu, swordsmanship, and Jitta. Musashi often argued with his father and was disowned by him at 7 year old because of it. Miyamoto was taken in by his Uncle Dorin who had been a warrior prior but renounced that for becoming a Buddhist monk. There Miyamoto learned new arts beyond combat like writing, painting, philosophy, and meditation. His passion stayed focused on martial arts where he would practice alone for hours in the woods daily. Fueled by his fathers teachings, the anger of resentment, the philosophy of Buddhism, and the shame of being ronin (having no samurai master,) he became molded into one of history’s most badass motherfuckers ever.
His first duel was at age 13 when a Samurai from a nearby village posted a request to duel in his uncle’s village. Miyamoto wrote his name on the challenge. At the day of the duel his uncle Dorin pled with the samurai to spare his young naïve nephew. Miyamoto came charging in with a staff, knocking the samurai down and bludgeoning him to death. Miyamoto went on to win over 60 more duels to the death in his life but he spared some of those people. He also continued to paint, write, philosophize, and develop his own new unique techniques for combat that influenced Japan for the rest of Samurai history. Miyamoto begun practicing alone in the woods with two double swords at the same time, something unheard of in those days. He would strategize against his opponents, with each one growing more formidable and renowned for their swordsmanship. Miyamoto Musashi would learn of their styles and craft his combat around out strategizing theirs.
His second duel followed after he left his uncles village, found his father again and served in war under him with the Yoshitaka campaigns. Amidst serving he wanted to prove himself as a master swordsman. So he traveled to Kyoto and made an open challenge at the most prestigious sword school in Japan, the Yoshioka clan. His challenge accepted by their top swordsman, Seijuro. Miyamoto rushed Seijuro and fell him, but spared his life. The second best swordsman there was Densichiro, Seijuro’s brother who was outraged by Miyamoto rushing into the duel catching his brother off-guard. So Miyamoto was then challenged to his third duel. Densichiro rushed Miyamoto this time but was disarmed then beaten to death, killed by his own weapon. This enraged the Yoshioka clan who then plotted to kill Miyamoto. Over 100 clan members tried to ambush him in the woods. Miyamoto instantly killed Matashichoro, Denisichoro’s son, who was leading the ambush. The clan stiffened by this allowed Miyamoto to escape. He became known as the one who brought down the most prestigious swordsman clan in Japan. While this should have solidified him as a master swordsman. He went on to duel over 60 more times and had bested everyone who stepped to him.
Miyamoto like his father Muni, retired in old age. Against the odds in a world where even great warriors died young. Miyamoto went on to paint, write, strategize, teach, and leave the world with lessons hundreds of years later we can still learn from today. He wrote The Book of Five Rings which still sells today. Some of his quotes still stand in time like
-”Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.”
-”Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”
-”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.”
His art flowed from him. He believed that to be good at combat you had to be good at strategy and learn from various arts instead of just combat. The Renaissance man of feudalistic Japan would encourage us to follow the path of the warrior, but not just the warrior. Also the path of the writer, the painter, the philosopher, the strategist, and others that may shed new perspectives.
