In classic samurai films the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was always presented as rough but honourable. The real Musashi may have been considerably more complicated. If we look closely at some of the samurai’s most famous duels, we may find reason to question Musashi’s reputation as the ultimate “lone wolf”. Tune in and find out how pot-lid duels, swords carved from oars, and a Samurai/Ninja showdown all play a role in the story.

This is the Kusarigama. Shishido (who I think was a Ninja) used something like this

 

This is Miyamoto Musashi’s self-portrait

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.