| I guess every kid, regardless of where they are | | | | many samurai used only their katanas, Musashi |
| from, at one time or another bangs a couple of | | | | pioneered two-sword combat by using his |
| sticks together and pretends he's a swordsman. | | | | wakizashi and katana together. |
| Back in my 'hood, I was always Zorro, my buddy | | | | Eventually he would be honored with the rank of |
| Scott was always Robin Hood, and my buddy | | | | Kensei or "Sword Saint" because so many |
| Larry was always Lancelot. Then Max showed up. | | | | believed his swordsmanship to be perfect. When |
| A Japanese boy by way of California, Max came | | | | he later penned his philosophy of combat in "The |
| out to play wielding 2 pieces cut from a | | | | Book of the Five Rings", he would attain literary |
| broomstick. We were amazed. After all, who the | | | | immortality as countless martial artists, scholars, |
| heck uses 2 swords? Zorro needs his free hand | | | | and executives would hang on his every word for |
| for his whip, Lancelot his shield, and Robin Hood his | | | | generations to come. |
| bow...this 2 sword thing was blasphemous! | | | | Musashi would eventually pass on his valuable |
| Even worse, Max began to call himself Musashi | | | | knowledge to his sons and students. A skilled |
| and insisted on wearing his bathrobe as we | | | | artist, poet, architect, and businessman, Musashi |
| trekked through the woods. | | | | felt every day was a day to learn, create, and |
| Now as a kid you just don't ask too many | | | | live to the fullest. And that was his strategy for a |
| questions or for explanations (from other kids at | | | | good life. |
| least). We liked Max, so we just accepted his | | | | Now what's pretty funny about Musashi (and why |
| "weirdness", and went on with our adventures as | | | | little Japanese boys love him), is that he was |
| usual. | | | | about as unconventional a Samurai as you could |
| Fast forward 15 years to when I made the | | | | get. |
| changeover from Korean Tae Kwon Do and | | | | The man rarely bathed, shaved, or washed his |
| Hapkido, to Japanese Karate, Judo, and Jujutsu. | | | | clothes. So good a swordsmen was he, that |
| And wouldn't you know it? That very first day, | | | | Musashi eventually completely stopped using a |
| Sensei began class with a quote from "The Book | | | | katana and would just use whatever was on hand |
| of Five Rings" - The premier text of Japanese | | | | to beat his opponents to death...a tree branch, a |
| philosophy on close-combat written by...Miyamoto | | | | rake, even a boat paddle. |
| Musashi! (I almost shit my pants as I quickly | | | | He would use other strange and "dishonorable" |
| pieced everything together) | | | | tactics as well...Showing up hours late to a dual to |
| Musashi was born in 1584 in the village of | | | | anger his prim and proper opponent...Showing up |
| Miyamoto in Southern Japan. His father Hirata | | | | an hour earlier, hiding in the bush, then jumping |
| Munisai was a renowned samurai and considered | | | | out and immediately killing the unsuspecting fool |
| by many to be the best swordsmen in Japan at | | | | who agreed to fight him...using horse stirrups as |
| the time. | | | | brass knuckles...and even attacking, running away, |
| Musashi started his warrior career early in life with | | | | attacking, running away, and attacking again! |
| a dual against a samurai named Arima Kihei. The | | | | Scholars still to this day debate on whether |
| samurai had posted an open challenge for any | | | | Musashi did all these "crazy" things to toy with his |
| takers and Musashi signed up to fight the warrior. | | | | opponents, test various strategy, and if these |
| Musashi's uncle, hearing that his 13 year old | | | | tactics were the very reason no one could beat |
| nephew had volunteered to fight to the death ran | | | | him not his swordplay. |
| to prevent the fight. Musashi did not want to back | | | | That's all well and good for the bookworms, but |
| down and entered the ring to fight Kihei armed | | | | as "men of action" similar to Musashi, we all know |
| only with a bokken - a wooden training sword. | | | | better - |
| When the bigger, older, and more experienced | | | | Just like many of the toughest and most |
| samurai charged, Musashi dodged, grabbed, and | | | | dangerous men of today and throughout history, |
| brutally threw the man to the ground and beat | | | | Musashi seemed to take himself none-to-seriously |
| him to death with his stick. | | | | while at home or at the dojo. |
| He would go on to win over 60 duals defeating or | | | | But when life and death were on the line, Musashi |
| killing all that came before him in combat | | | | simply believed that nothing should be left to |
| regardless of weapon. His challengers would use | | | | chance and you must do whatever needs to be |
| staffs, swords, and a variety of other weapons | | | | done to kill, or be killed yourself. |
| while he would use his katana or bokken. While | | | | |