Library › 10. Philosophy › Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵, c. 1584–1645) was a Japanese swordsman, rōnin and founder of the Niten Ichi-ryū school (二天一流, “two heavens, one school”). He is best known for the Go Rin no Sho (五輪書, “Book of Five Rings”) and the Dokkōdō (獨行道, “The Way of Walking Alone”).
Life
His year and place of birth are uncertain: 1584 is given (1583 in other sources), along with the provinces of Harima or Mimasaka. His father was Shinmen Munisai, a samurai skilled in the sword and the jitte. According to his own account in the Go Rin no Sho, Musashi won his first duel at the age of 13 against Arima Kihei; at about 16 he left home and roamed as a fighter. In the following years he took part in military campaigns; whether he fought at the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) is disputed among researchers.
Legend: The most famous duel – against Sasaki Kojirō on Ganryū Island, traditionally dated 1612 – is shaped mainly by later accounts and novels. The story that Musashi deliberately arrived late and carved a wooden sword from an oar comes from later tradition. The figure of 60 duels is not documented either.
From 1633 Musashi lived with Hosokawa Tadatoshi in Kumamoto, entering his service in 1640. He was also active as a painter (ink painting) and calligrapher. In 1643 he withdrew to the Reigandō cave (霊巌洞), wrote the Go Rin no Sho and died on the 19th day of the 5th month of Shōhō 2 (13 June 1645). Whether he died in the cave or in Kumamoto is contradictory in the sources.
Go Rin no Sho (五輪書)
The work was written between 1643 and 1645 and is divided into five “books” following the Godai (see Five elements):
- Earth (地): introduction, basics of strategy, timing and rhythm.
- Water (水): posture, sword handling and the basics of Niten Ichi-ryū.
- Fire (火): combat, timing and the three kinds of taking the initiative (see Sen).
- Wind (風): critique of other schools.
- Void (空): short closing section on the unbound mind.
Typical is the sober tone: technique is only a means to an end, and a principle can only be grasped through practice, not through reading. Musashi accepts no religion or doctrine as the basis of his work.
Dokkōdō (獨行道)
The Dokkōdō consists of 21 terse precepts and, according to tradition, was written a week before his death and dedicated to his student Terao Magonojō. It emphasises sobriety, self-discipline and independence. Examples (from English translations): “Accept everything just the way it is”, “Do not regret what you have done”, “Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help” and “Never stray from the Way”.
Assessment
Musashi’s texts belong to the swordsmanship of the early 17th century and have no direct historical link to Okinawan karate. The impact of the Go Rin no Sho as a book of life and strategy rests largely on modern readings and translations. The translations differ considerably in places.
Connection to training
- A resolute yet calm attitude (“the same mind in combat as in everyday life”) as the yardstick for kumite and kata.
- Timing and rhythm (Fire Book) and the broad gaze (Water Book) as the basis of a sense of distance.
- Practice as a prerequisite for understanding: principles must be experienced in one’s own body.
Sources
- William de Lange: The Real Musashi. Origins of a Legend. Floating World Editions, Warren 2010, ISBN 978-1-891640-56-8.
- Uozumi Takashi: Miyamoto Musashi – „Heihō no michi“ o ikiru (宮本武蔵―「兵法の道」を生きる). Iwanami Shinsho, Tokio 2008, S. 31–32, ISBN 978-4-00-431167-6.
- Ōkura Ryūji: Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan, Tokio 2015, S. 34–37, ISBN 978-4-642-05272-6.
- G. Cameron Hurst III: Armed Martial Arts of Japan. Swordsmanship and Archery. Yale University Press, New Haven 1998, ISBN 978-0-300-04967-1.
- Miyamoto Musashi: The Book of Five Rings. Übersetzt von William Scott Wilson. Shambhala, Boston 2002.
- Miyamoto Musashi: The Complete Musashi. The Book of Five Rings and Other Works. Übersetzt von Alexander Bennett. Tuttle Publishing, Tokio 2018.
- William Scott Wilson: The Lone Samurai. The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. Kodansha International, Tokio 2004.
- Kenji Tokitsu: Miyamoto Musashi. His Life and Writings. Weatherhill, Boston 2004 (Neuausgabe 2006).