The samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi is the archetypal lone-wolf warrior. Legend has it that in course of his life he fought over sixty duels and never once lost. His psychological strategies and unique two sworded fighting style made him one of the most famous martial artists in Japan’s history. However, many of Musashi’s most celebrated exploits have been distorted by centuries of myth-making. What should we believe about the famously scruffy swordsman? Tune in and find out how flabbergasted monks, Harry Potter, and Samurai Forest Gump all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

Lange, William De. Miyamoto Musashi: a Life in Arms: a Biography of Japan’s Greatest Swordsman. Floating World Editions, 2014.

Man, John. Samurai: the Last Warrior: a History. William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2014.

Miyamoto, Musashi, et al. The Book of Five Rings. Barnes & Noble, 1997.

Tachibana, Minehira, and William De Lange. The Real Musashi: Origins of a Legend: the Bushū Denraiki. Floating World Editions, 2010.

Tokitsu, Kenji, and Chödzin Sherab. Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Weatherhill, 2005.

Wilson, William Scott. The Lone Samurai: the Life of Miyamoto Musashi. Shambhala, 2013.