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Musashi
His Most Famous Duels.
Miyamoto Musashi, as legend and history tells us, was perhaps the greatest
samurai who ever lived. His exploits have been subject of many movies, historical books and articles, and novels. There were
many samurai throughout history who were very noble and skilled and whose deeds were subject of legend but Musashi was special.
He was born in 1584, the son of a low-ranking samurai named Shinmen Munisai. His full given name was Shinmen Musashi
No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin. As an infant, Musashi contracted eczema caused by a congenital disease. The condition left scars
on his head which prevented Musashi as an adult from shaving his sakayaki. Musashi could not properly wear the Topknot that
would distinguish him as a Samurai. But this wasn't the most unique aspect of this impressive warrior. The average height
of the Japanese adult male at this time was well under 5 feet. Musashi was over 6 feet tall, a giant among men. He was also
very athletic, reputed to be able to jump over 5 and a half feet high. This skill would serve him well in battle.
The First Duel
Musashi was only 13 years old when he fought his first duel. He happened
upon a posted sign which read: Whoever wants to challenge me shall be accepted." It was signed "Arima Kibei. Musashi wrote
I will challenge you tomorrow and left his name and address. Kibei was not to be taken lightly. He was a famous warrior of
Shinto-Ryu Kenjutsu. He contacted Musashi that evening and the duel was set. Musashi arrived at the site the following morning
with his blade and in a short fierce battle, defeated Kibei. The legend of Musashi had begun.
The Mighty Bokken.
On April 14th 1612, Musashi dueled another famous samurai, Sasaki Ganryu
Kojiro. What was unique about this battle was Musashi's weapon. On the way to the island Musashi carved a long bokken from
a boats oar. Musashi knew Kojiros sword, knew that the blade was long. Musashi carved the bokken blade longer. He arrived
at the site of the duel late and Kojiro, infuriated at Musashi's cavalier attitude, struck. Musashi jumped over the samurai's
strike and came down on Kojiros head with his heavy wooden sword. It was over. Musashi left Kojiro dying on the sand.
Musashi in his time recorded over sixty duels and emerged undefeated
from them all. He wrote the now famous "Book of Five Rings", the product of 18 months of meditating in a cave on life and
strategy.
Perhaps what helped Musashi gain such success and fame in a hard,
cruel time was his intimate knowledge of his own sense of purpose and the extent and limits of his own skill. We
as warriors and students of life would do well to imbue our own lives with this determination and resolve to better
ourselves.
Musashi's grave. He died undefeated in 1641 at the age of 61, which was VERY old for this
time. He was buried, as he requested, in full samurai general's armor, standing up and guarding theTokaido road to Edo (Tokyo)
at the border of the Kumamoto prefecture.
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How to Not be Stupid
One of the recurring themes in our classroom is the subject
of stupidity. I talk a lot about it because, well, it appears that almost everyone on Earth will at some times in their lives
be victims of the consequences of stupidity. They will either do something stupid themselves or will be affected by someone
else doing something stupid. So, not only are stupid people at risk, but everyone around them are at risk as well. To make
matters worse, even the smartest people on the planet will, at some point, do something stupid. The newspaper, the evening
news, police reality and "caught on tape" TV shows and web sites such as www.darwinawards.com are filled to the brim with
tales of rampant stupidity and the people who are killed, injured, or imprisoned because of it. Now, why is this subject so
important to us as members of the Naga Ryu? Two reasons: The first is that stupid kills. Since one of our primary concerns
is defending ourselves and living safely, doing things to endanger ourselves run against our philosophy. The second reason
is that as real martial artists know, what we do is more mental than physical. The ratio is 70% mental to 30% physical. If
you are lacking in the mental and intellectual department, you see how that can affect your performance and potential.
So-
How do you not be stupid? Well, it's deceptively simple and it's a secret reserved just for you, the Naga Ryu student. Here
it is: Just don't do stupid things. I know, sometimes it's not very clear what's stupid and what isn't but that's why
you must develop and rely on your own intelligence. The smarter and wiser you are, the better equipped you are to deal with
these questions. If you aren't sure if what you're about to do is stupid, first think about the potential for harm to yourself
and others around you and weigh that. Second, ask someone who you are pretty sure is smarter about such things as you are.
You'll have about a 70% chance of success. The second thing you can do is, do something EVERY DAY to make yourself smarter.
Learn something new, read, take up a new hobby, go to educational places, memorize a new word each day, the list goes on and
on. If there's something you don't know about, find out. The more you do that, the safer and more capable you will be
as a warrior AND a human being.
Now, don't let our secret out to the general public. I want
you, the Naga Ryu student, to have a distinct advantage over the ordinary citizen. Besides, I have many friends in law
enforcement and rescue and I'd like for them to keep their jobs. Also, I really enjoy the Darwin Awards web site.
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The Samurai
Yesterday and Today
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From 1100 to 1600, Feudal Japan was under constant warfare. Powerful Uji (clans) and Buke (warrior families)
constantly competed for power and property. The warriors who served these feudal lords were the Samurai, the greatest fighters
the world has ever known. The Samurai were a professional warrior class and their history spanned the thousand years between
the 9th and 19th century. In that time they elevated the status of the warrior from a simple goon with a weapon to a highly
educated nobleman with unsurpassed skill and courage. The prevailing image we have of the typical Samurai is the Bushi (as
in Bushi-do). The Bushi were the higher ranking Samurai, the elite warrior noblemen. They were given priviledges not afforded
the Ashigaru, the foot soldiers. Above them both were the Meijin- the Master Samurai. What seperated the the Bushi from ordinary
soldiers was their code of personal behavior called Bushido (the way of the Samurai). The primary focus of Bushido is giri
(duty) as was self-control, commitment, and loyalty. It also emphasized constant learning and self-improvement. The Samurai
took whatever he could to improve himself- weapons, knowledge, technology, anything which would give him an edge. The Japanese
are known today- sometimes not without derision and always a little unfairly, as a "copycat" nation. Their talent for adopting
and improving comes straight from their Samurai roots. The Samurai was a well-rounded, well educated individual. They were
men of theater, poetry, and fine arts as well as incredibly well trained fighters. From this comes the phrase "Bunbu Ryodo",
or "The united ways of the pen and sword." By the way, as a writer AND martial artist, I can say that it is my opinion that
the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. But only on paper.
The Samurai constantly developed his skills and the guide to his betterment was Budo- The Warrior Way. To
pass on the Samurai "ways", Ryu (schools) were founded to train the Samurai. Knowledge was recorded and passed down by scrolls.
What is extremely important to note is the fact that these scrolls contained much more than technical information. The Meijin
passed along as much if not more insight on philosophy, behavior, and the psychology of war. This was very important for the
Samurai lived in a time of great conflict with constant betrayals and political drama. The Samurai were to be above all this.
When no one else was to be trusted and the rest of the world was engaged political back-stabbing and dealing in deception
and self-serving intrigue, the Samurai were unshakable men of honor and loyalty. Bushido- their code of conduct, and Budo-
the ways of war, gave the Samurai the spirit and skill to overcome any crisis and the courage and confidence to boldly walk
into any situation regardless of the danger or how much the odds were stacked against him. This resolve, this courage and
honor, carried over into the Samurai's daily life as it does for the Bushido practicioner today.
In 1603, Ieyasu Tokugawa, a very powerful general, became Shogun- the military ruler of all Japan. For the
next two and a half centuries the Tokugawa line ruled and peace prevailed throughout the land. The Samurai, noble men of skill
and learning, became administrators of their lord's estates. They were the best educated and most trustworthy people in all
Japan and their versatile array of talent and skill gave them considerable advantages in their non-military pursuits such
as business, education, politics, and civil service. Many Samurai chose not to settle into this new life. Old ways die hard
so many Samurai became Ronin, Samurai with no master. Ronin translated means "wave men", alluding to the fact that they drifted
about the land. Many searched for employment better suited to their warrior heritage such as bodyguard to wealthy nobles.
Some Ronin merely journeyed throughout Japan maintaining the Samurai Way, searching for adventure and dueling with other Ronin.
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In 1868 came the Meiji Restoration. The Emporer no longer ruled Japan as a spiritual figurehead and the Shogun
became absolute ruler. The Samurai class was abolished and laws were passed banning weapons- especially the trademark Samurai
sword. Peace was the priority, as was moving the former primitive feudal society into the industrial age. The Japanese rulers
realized that a century of feudal strife had put them far behind the more powerful nations in the west.
While the Samurai as a class oficially died out, the Samurai never could. The traditions of Bushido and the values and
attitudes of these great men remaines an essential part of Japanese life. Today, the best way to understand Japanese business
management is to understand Budo, the warrior way, and Bushido, the Samurai code.
You are Samurai As we have learned from the Samurai, to neglect
the mind and spirit in training is as foolhardy as attempting to learn to use the sword by reading about it in a book. The
warrior was trained completely- mind AND body so that there was never any hesitation when it came time to act. This is why
the "Way" will make you a force to be reckoned with. Like the ancient Samurai, we will focus our training on two areas. The
first is outer training- This is our technical skill, our skill with the sword as well as our unarmed combat ability. Our
balance and poise and the way we present ourselves. Others will see you and know, if only instinctively, that you know what
you are doing and you are not to be taken lightly. Every bit as important will be inner training- the training of the mind
and spirit. Learning is crucial, intellectual growth is vital. There is a phrase you will hear in any good martial arts dojo-
"Zen seven, Ken three." It is an old Samurai saying which means that the Zen- or the strength of your mind and spirit, is
70% of what you do. Your technical skill with the sword (Ken) or any weapon in your art or even in business, is only 30%.
Once you grasp this truth and take it to heart, you will begin those first steps to becoming the total warrior and you will
be imbued with the courage and confidence when faced with the most difficult of challenges or the most formidable of foes.
The Samurai knew this a thousand years ago as does the shrewdest businessmen today.
The noble Samurai hundreds of years ago were supremely confident, well educated, skilled men of
unshakable ethics and loyalty. They were men of honor and this served the well throughout their lives is peace as well as
war. That powerful spirit with which they were imbued can be yours and as it guided them through life, so can it guide you.
It is almost guaranteed that you will NEVER need to defend yourself with a sword, but an indominable spirit and a keen intellect
is something you can wield each and every day. The wisest of Samurai knew it then and we know it now- it is not one's outward
skill on the battlefield which will save one's life. It is the inward spirit that we wield in our daily battles whic dictate
victory or defeat- and life is indeed a series of battles big and small. How many times has fear kept you from being successful?
How many times have you have been crushed or crippled by your own insecurities or self-doubt? How many times have you made
dishonorable choices- and knew it- because you felt you weren't up to the challenge you were facing? The time has come to
put on the armor of your own self-worth and your own sense of dignity and, as the Samurai did hundreds of years ago, stand
by those principals and make those choices that make you a superior human.
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