“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.” (Miyamoto Musashi)

Samurai Sasaki Kojiro was growing increasingly impatient as he waited on the beach at Funa Island in Kokura. An undefeated master swordsman, he was tense, and his anger was getting the better of him. He was on the small island for a duel - a clash of steel between two swordsmen where a man’s life could end in seconds. The duel was the ultimate test of the swordsman, and Sasaki, one of the best in Japan, was known as “The Demon of the Western Provinces”. However, the Sasaki on the beach did not resemble the fierce warrior of his reputation as he paced back and forth, frustrated by the tardiness of his opponent: the enigmatic Miyamoto Musashi. 

Sasaki knew nothing about Musashi except that the mysterious swordsman was undefeated, because aside from that, little was known about Musashi’s style or lineage. Although Musashi did have a reputation for keeping a rather unkempt appearance and an unpredictable personality, the mysterious swordsman also was the subject of conflicting stories about his courage and prowess.

Though he was understandably confident, Sasaki did not underestimate his opponent, who finally arrived to the island on a small boat. Sasaki noticed something shocking: Musashi did not bring a sword. Instead Musashi, who appeared as if he had just rolled out of bed, brought a wooden oar carved into a makeshift sword as his dueling weapon. Sasaki was furious, and though he was beyond insulted, he drew his sword and prepared to fight to the death. The duel between the two masters thus began with one of them having no sword at all.

Little may have been known about Musashi at the time, but centuries later, he is the most infamous and renowned warrior in Japanese history. As a veteran of the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), Naiwa (1615), and the Shimabara Rebellion in Hizen (1637-1638), Musashi was a seasoned battlefield soldier, who went undefeated in over 60 duels, and authored an essential book on strategy Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings). He invented a swordsmanship style called "Hi-no-shita Kaizan Shimmei Miyamoto Musashi Masana-ryu" - a two-sword style that some historians think Musashi may have come up with after being influenced by the two-handed drumming of Japanese drummers. His style has continued to be an influence on the practice of kendo into the modern era.  

Adding to his legend was the fact that Musashi did not look like a typical samurai warrior. He was widely reported to have never bathed, never washed his hair, and did present himself like a man with a position in the ruling samurai class. This man, considered to be Japan’s finest swordsman, looked more like a wandering vagabond than an elegant, aristocratic warrior.

The typical samurai employed by daimyos were expected to be properly dressed and groomed, with clean clothes and neatly cut hair. Some samurai even applied rouge to their cheeks to appear healthy and ready to die for their lords. Musashi, on the other hand, seemed to have appeared out of thin air, claiming no famous teacher, school, or lineage. He also never entered long term service with a daimyo, married, or settled down (although he did serve a number of different prestigious clans). Instead, he wandered throughout the island of Japan as a free spirit, apparently valuing observation and intuition far above technique.