Musashi's Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone)

bushido, and shogun. In fact, he is often called kensei, the “sword

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saint” of Japan. Musashi is, without doubt, a larger-than-life figure.
However, he was not just a mythic hero; he was a real person too…
In studying his writings it is important to remember that. Before he
became the symbol of a bygone era, arguably the greatest
swordsman who ever lived, Musashi was a real person, and an
imperfect one at that. His icon is an affair of the heart, but to
understand his reality requires an analysis of the mind. Who is to say
that we cannot hold a perspective about him that blends both heart
and mind?
Today we know that Miyamoto Musashi (1584 – 1645) was born
Shinmen Takezō. He grew up in the Harima Province of Japan and
slew his first opponent, Arima Kihei, in a duel he fought at the tender
age of thirteen. Over a lifetime of blood and strife he killed more than
sixty samurai warriors in fights or duals during the feudal period
where even a minor battle injury could lead to infection and death, a
miraculous feat. He was the founder of the unconventional Hyōhō
Niten Ichi-Ryu style of swordsmanship, which translates as “Two
Heavens as One,” or more simply “Two-Sword Style.” Like most
samurai, he was a highly trained martial artist, a veritable killing
machine, but he was also skilled in the peaceful arts as well, an
exceptional poet, calligrapher, and artist. Two years before he died,
Musashi retired to a life of seclusion in a cave where he codified his
winning strategy in Go Rin No Sho which, in English, means The
Book of Five Rings.
At an early age, Musashi exhibited the traits of a saint. Legends
state that when he was only eight years old he left home to learn
calligraphy, poetry, and other arts, leaving almost everything behind.
Impressive, right? Perhaps, but let’s try to separate the man from the
myth for a moment. In Japanese society tatemae (official
truth/outward story) often varies from honne (secret truth/inward
story). Was leaving home the first steps along a path toward
enlightenment in an ascetic lifestyle or simply a young man running
away from an abusive father?

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At the age of thirteen Musashi challenged a famous swordsman,
Arima Kihei, to a duel and defeated him using a stick in lieu of a
sword. Was this a heroic battle as it is customarily portrayed
(tatemae) or did Musashi through grit, determination, anger, and a
burning desire for glory ambush Kihei, knock him to the ground, and
savagely beat him to death (honne)? Clearly we cannot know with
certainty what actually occurred, yet we are hard pressed to think of
a less elegant or more brutal way to murder another human being
than to pummel them with a hunk of wood. Imagine a young man
standing over a hapless swordsman lying on the ground and
repeatedly slamming a bludgeon into his victim’s face until he stops
breathing. Then, he keeps pounding on the samurai’s bloody pulp of
a face to ensure that he is not just unconscious but, in fact, dead.
And then he walks away smiling afterward, knowing that his
reputation has been enhanced…
In 1612, Musashi fought another famous duel, this time with Sasaki
Kojirō.
[3]
 Musashi showed up three hours late. When he finally arrived, both
his adversary and the officials of the duel were irritated by his
tardiness. Rather than carrying a steel blade he was once again
armed with a wooden sword. This time it was a bokken that he had
carved out of an oar. Furthermore, Musashi knew that Kojirō’s sword
was a little longer than a normal katana, so he spent the extra time
to carve a wooden weapon that was just a little bit longer than that,
giving him an additional advantage in reach.
By arriving late, showing contempt for the opponent and the moment
and then doubling down by not even having the dignity to use a real
sword for a life-or-death duel he rattled his adversary. Brilliant
strategy don’t you think? But, Musashi went even farther still… When
Kojirō drew his sword to get things started he threw his saya
(scabbard) aside in disgust, prompting Musashi to further unnerve
him by commenting something along the lines of, “If you have no
more use for your scabbard, you are already dead.”

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Musashi had won even before the fight began because he had
stacked the deck in his favor so effectively. Not only did he use
psychological tricks, but he also wielded a longer weapon,
something which many overlook in his victory.
Remember the scene in the Bruce Lee movie Enter the Dragon
where he tricked an opponent onto a boat and then left him floating
without an oar? That was inspired by another of Musashi’s dirty
tricks. He may or may not have truly been the greatest swordsman of
his period, perhaps even of all time, but we know for certain that
Musashi was one of the most successful. An unconventional thinker,
he often fought with two swords instead of one, he made extensive
use of misdirection and psychological warfare, and nearly always
cheated in one way or another in order to win. In fact, he was
downright brilliant at his job, which like most warriors who live in
tumultuous times ultimately boils down to killing people efficiently.
Unlike others of his era, however, Musashi took the time to write
about what he had done, the things he had accomplished, and the
strategies that made him successful in his endeavors. That’s a vital
factor in what we know and think about him today. After all, he’s not
the only one who lived an amazing life during that time period, but he
is one of the few who documented his perspectives on what he had
seen and done for posterity.