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The Book of Five Rings
The Book of Five Rings
By Miyamoto Musashi
With Biography
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Biography
(taken from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi)
Much of Miyamoto Musashi's past is shrouded in mystery, legends and fiction. His place
and date of birth are in doubt but three places lay claim to this. Apparently he was born
into a samurai family in the village of Miyamoto in the province of Mimasaka. His full
name was Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara no Genshin. This means, "Member of
Shinmen family, the family name Musashi, clan Fujiwara, adulthood name Genshin". His
childhood name is either Takezō or Bennosuke. The name Musashi is taken from
Musashibō Benkei, the warrior monk who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune and known as
the great warrior who used 9 weapons.
Reputedly Musashi's mother died in childbirth and either his stepmother Toshiko raised
him — even after his father Shinmen Munisai divorced her — or his mother's brother, a
priest, raised him. He met his father occasionally and they may have sparred together. By
the time Musashi was nine, his father was either dead or had totally abandoned the boy.
When he took his new name for adulthood, Musashi selected the name of his birthplace,
Miyamoto.
It is said that Musashi contracted eczema in his infancy, which influenced his appearance.
Another story claims that he never took a bath, because he did not want to be surprised
unarmed. These details are likely later embellishments.
Even in his time stories spread like cowboy comics. Pictures of him show no signs of
ailments. Also he would be unlikely to be received as guest by such famous houses as
Honda, Ogasawara and Hosokawa if this were the case (Scott Wilson 2004).
According to the introduction of his The Book of Five Rings, where he states some
autobiographical details, he had his first successful duel by the age of thirteen. His first
opponent was an accomplished samurai, Arima Kihei from Kashima, who fought using
Shintō-ryu style.
According to tradition he fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in the troops loyal to
Toyotomi Hideyori as a mercenary. He does not mention this in The Book of Five Rings.
Though he had some success in this battle, the Toyotomi side lost and he had barely
survived escaping this battle.
After the war was over he left for Edo. According to his adopted son Iori, in 1604
Musashi fought a victorious duel against master swordsman Yoshioka Seijuro using only
a bokken, a wooden sword. Reputedly he had a grudge against Yoshioka family for how
they had treated his father. This duel was not supposed to take the loser's life and thus
Musashi left without taking Yoshioka's life. It is said that Seijuro never held a sword
afterward as his pride had been shattered. After he had defeated the father, he killed both
boys in duels — though the latter one was more of an ambush. Yoshioka family records
however claim that Musashi had been hit in the head by Seijuro and lost. In the
subsequent battle, Musashi fled the scene. Most duel records from these times praised
their wins but rarely mentioned their losses so it is impossible to know what exactly
happened. Yet the fact that they had written records at all is an indication that they were
survivors of duels.
Books even conflict as to what weapons were used. (See Scott Wilson 2004 - Tokitsu
2004)
From 1605 to 1612 he traveled extensively all over Japan in Musha-Shugyo, a warrior
pilgrimage during which he honed his skills with duels. He was said to have used bokuto
in actual duels. Most of duels from these times did not try to take opponent's life and
unless both agreed, wooden swords were used. He is also said to have fought over 60
duels and was never defeated. Japanese historians seem to believe that he could not have
won all of them alone, without some assistance from his students.
In April 14, 1612 he had his most famous duel with Sasaki Kojiro who was using a
nodachi, a long two-handed sword. Musashi came late and unkempt — possibly to
unnerve his opponent — and killed him with a bokken that he had made from an oar to be
longer than the nodachi. After this fight, Musashi fought fully armed opponents mainly
using only wooden sticks as his own weapons.
He briefly established a fencing school that same year.
In 1614 - 1615 he reputedly joined the troops of Tokugawa Ieyasu when he had besieged
Osaka Castle of the Toyotomi family. Other accounts claim he actually served in the
defending side, but many historians disagree with them. In 1615 he entered the service of
Ogasawara Tadanao in Harima province as a construction supervisor. During his service
he adopted a boy called Iori and originated the Enmei Ryu school of kenjutsu.
In 1627 he began to travel again. In 1634 he settled in Kokura with his stepson Iori. Later
they apparently entered the service of daimyo Ogasawara Tadazane when he fought in
the Shimabara Rebellion. Iori served with excellence in putting down this rebellion and
would gradually rise to the rank of karo, a position equal to a minister. Musashi, however
was injured by a thrown rock while scouting in the front line.
Six years later Musashi moved to service of Hosokawa Tadatoshi, daimyo of Kumamoto
Castle to train and paint. In 1643 he retired to a cave named Reigandō as a hermit to write
The Book of Five Rings. He finished it a couple of weeks before his death around June
13, 1645.
After his death, various legends began to appear. Most talk about his feats in kenjutsu and
other martial arts. Others tell that he killed giant lizards in Echizen. He gained the stature
of Kensei, a "sword saint" and various tales connect him with other contemporary martial
artists.
Musashi perfected the two-sword kenjutsu technique he called niten'ichi ( 二天一 , "two
heavens as one") or nitōichi ( 二刀一 , "two swords as one"). In this technique, the
swordsman uses both katana and wakizashi at the same time. It is said the two-handed
movements of temple drummers inspired him.
In actual fact Nito Seiho bears no resemblance whatsoever with drumming. Jitte
techniques taught by his father use a long sword in the right and jitte in the left. In his
time a long sword in the left hand was referred to as gyaku nito . Musashi was also an
expert in throwing weapons. He frequently threw his shortsword. In fact before the Meiji
era multi faceted skills were a necessity. A Kongen Buddhist Sutra refers to the two
heavens as the two guardians of Buddha (see Hayakutake-Watkin:
( http://www.hyoho.com )).
Musashi was a loner. He spent many years studying Buddhism and swordsmanship. He
was an accomplished artist, sculptor, and calligrapher. Records also show that he had
architectural skills. Also, he had a rather no-nonsense approach to fighting; with no
additional frills or aesthetic considerations. This was probably due to his real-life combat
experience.
Especially in his later life Musashi also followed the more artistic side of bushido. He
made various Zen brush paintings and calligraphy and sculpted wood and metal. Even in
the Book of Five Rings he emphasizes that samurai should understand other professions
as well.

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