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Musashi was born in Miyamoto village of the Ohara town (Mimasaka province). His ancestors are related to the powerful Harima clan in island Kyushu. His grandfather, Hirada Shokan, is a retainer of Shinmen Iga (lord of Takeyama castle). He still married his lord's daughter. ?usashi's father, Shinmen Munisai, was also in the service of the Shinmen family, who had been controlling the Mimasaka county. Musashi's mother Omasa., died after giving birth to Musashi, and his step-mother Yoshiko raises him like her real son. His father, soon divorces with Yoshiko , and the young Musashi is raised in Harima by his step-mother and her parents. Musashi, soon pays visits to his father, who starts teaching him
the art of Sword and Jutte. The young Musashi has an early talent
for fencing, but the relationship with his father is not calm, because
Munisai is extremely harsh with him. When his step-mother died,
his uncle (on mother's side), a Buddhist priest, undertakes the
young Musashi. 1597 "Whoever wants to challenge me shall be accepted. - Arima Kihei" . Musashi accepts the challenge and replies: "I will challenge
you tomorrow", leaving his name and address. The same day Kibei
sets the time and the place of the duel. That year, Soghun Hideyoshi died, and Mitsunari Ishida succeeded his position ruling for Hideyoshi's son, Hideyori. Tokugawa Ieyasu forces Ishida in a battle at Sekigahara, where he battles against him and his ally-the Ashikaga Family-for three days, resulting in 70,000 warriors dead. Ieyasu wins the battle and massacres the survivors of the opposite side. Musashi who joined the Ashikaga army as foot soldier, survives
by crawling among corpses for days, hiding from Tokugawa's soldiers.
It is said, he survived by drinking water from muddy puddles. That
event changes his life for ever.
?yoto will be the scenery of his vendetta against the Yoshioka family. In Kyoto, the Yoshioka family was served the Ashikaga Yoshiaka Shogun as Martial Arts Instructors for generations. It is also said that Munisai-Musashi's father- had been invited by the Shogun Ashikaga in Kyoto and he had fought the Yoshiokas winning two out of three duels, a generation before. So, Seijiro, the head of the family, is the first who fights Musashi, in an isolated area outside the city. Seijiro draws his katana, Musashi is armed only with a 'bokken' (wooden sword), but his fierce attack makes Seijiro fall senseless on the ground. His retainers carry him home. Seijuro out of shame cuts off his topknot and it is said that he never taught swordsmanship again. Soon, his first brother Genzaemon, challenges Musashi. He accepts the duel but he is late for 2 hours. Someone is sent to find him. They find him asleep in an inn! Musashi, apologises to Genzaemon and tells the messager that he'll arive soon. Finally, Musashi, arrives for the duel after another couple of hours! The contest beggins, and Genzaemon is infurious. Musashi, with his wooden sword wins him easily, and Gonzaemon collapses unconsciousness. Later, he became priest giving up the Way of the sword. After that, Genzaemon’s younger brother, Denshichiro attempts to restore the family's honour. This contest takes place in Sanjusangendo Temple area, a very known archery contests place and home to the thousand statues of Kannon (goddess of mercy and compassion). As a military strategy, Musashi arrives again on the appointed day late. Unfortunately, at that time Musashi's attack with his wooden sword collpases Denshichiro dead on the ground . Seijiro's youngest son Hanshichiro (or Matashihiro) challenges Musashi, but his real plan was to ambush and kill Musashi with the help of the seniors of the Yoshioka family. Musashi, this time, arrives early to the duel site and is hidden. When Hanshichiro (in war armory) and the seniors arrive they expect Musashi to be late so they are not as alert as they should be. Musashi, suddently appears from the bushes, attacks them with two swords and kills some seniors and Matashishiro setting free his way to escape. He starts becomimg a legend, and it's the beginning of his researching journeys throughout Japan, known as the Musha-Shugyo ( warrior pilgrimage) years. "After that I went from province to province duelling with strategists of various schools, and not once failed to win even though I had as many as sixty encounters. This was between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine." (Musashi) During these years, he sometimes stays for short periods with persons with spreading reputation. In Hozoin Temple (1605), Musashi defeats twice (with wooden sword) the chief pupil of the Temple, and renowned spearman Oku Hozoin. Since then, Oku has defeated all the 'Ronin' who visit the Temple. Musashi, stays a while at the Temple learning fighting techniques with the Zen priest master Hoin Inei and enjoying philosphical talks with other priests. At that time, late 1605, in Edo (Akashi-Harima Province), a legendary meeting takes place with Muso Gonosuke (founder of the Jodo school). Gonosuke was a great undefeated warrior. Wayne Muromoto writes in an article about that duel inspired from the KAIJO MONOGATARI (1629): "...There was a heihosha (martial artist) named Miyamoto Musashi. He was engaged in duels from the age of 16 and was in about 60 matches. In the sixth month, in Akashi, Harima province, he met Muso Gonnosuke, who was a six foot tall strapping warrior. Gonnosuke was armed with an odachi (a long sword), a two layer overcoat with sleeves, and a haori with a large hi no maru (rising sun). On his lapels were written: 'The best martial artist in the land' (heiho tenka ichi), and 'Nihon Kaizan Muso Gonnosuke.' ...Gonnosuke was surrounded by about six deshi followers who accompanied him on a journey to Kyushu. He boasted to Musashi that no one was his equal. In his travels, he had apparently encountered Musashi's father, Shinmen Munisai, a master of the jutte (truncheon). 'I have seen your father's techniques, but I haven't seen yours,' he said, goading Musashi. (Shinmen) Miyamoto Genshin Musashi was irritated. He was in the middle of carving a willow branch and replied, 'If you saw my father's techniques, I am no different.' Gonnosuke pressed the issue, badgering Musashi to show his martial arts off for the benefit of Gonnosuke's students. 'My heiho is not for display,' Musashi snapped. 'No matter how you attack me, I'll stop it. That's all there is to my heiho. Do what you will, with any technique.' Gonnosuke pulled out a four-shaku (a shaku is roughly equivalent to an English foot) wooden sword from a brocade bag. (To draw a comparison, the usual practice sword is but a little longer than two shaku.) He attacked Musashi without any formalities. Musashi stood up from his crouch. With what seemed to be very little effort, he forced Gonnosuke back across the tatami mat room with his willow branch and, pressing him against a wall, struck him lightly between the eyebrows. " The legend says that Musashi himself considered this match a defeat because Gonosuke managed to touch him with his long wooden sword. There is another one version of that duel that appears in the HONCHO BUGEI SHODEN, and takes place in Edo. In reality, Musashi may beat Gonosuke using his nito juji dome technique ( an x-block) with two swords. With that technique Musashi trapped the opponent's weapon forcing him to either give up or retreat badly. In Iga province, Musashi meets a master of chain and sickle, Shisido Baiken. In the duel, Shishido attacks with a kusari-gama (short sickle attached to a chain). Musashi draws a 'shuriken' (dagger) and pierces his breast. Baiken's pupils attack Musashi but he frights them away. Passing through Izumo province, Musashi visites lord Matsudaira and asks permission to fight with his strongest Kendo expert. Permission is granted. The contest takes place in the lord's garden. Musashi uses again two wooden swords against a samurai who used an eight foot long hexagonal wooden pole. Musashi drives him up of the veranda steps, and hits him on both arms as he flinches away. The lord asks Musashi to fight him. Musashi accepts and leads the lord again on the steps and attacks him with the 'Fire and Stones Cut' technique, breaking lord's sword in two. The lord asks from Musashi to stay as his teacher, and he stays for a while. A few stories about a swordsman and excellent fighter of tessen (metalic fun) makes him believe that he is the man who killed his father. Musashi goes to Kokura and discovers he is the one. He applies for permission to fight him at Nadajima island. Ganruy attacks first, but he failed. Musashi's attackis instantaneous. He cut Ganryu's shoulder and chest. Musahi now feels that his mission is over. 1612 Sasaki Kojiro was one of the greatest fencer in his time, and the most famous in Sourthern Japan, not only for his fencing abilities, but also for his generous personality. At that time he was 40 years old and creator of a school of fencing. Due to an alternative interprentation Kojiro was Ganruy himself and founder of the Ganryu Ryu style of fencing. The next day the area around Funajima is full of boats with spectators coming to see the duel. Kojiro arrives in time at the place of the duel. He carries a fearsome and an extra long katana made by the famous swordsmith Nagamitsu ?f ?izen. Since Musashi is late, Sado sends his officials to him. They find him asleep. ?e gets up, drinks the water they had brought to him to wash with and goes to the boat. Through the distance to Funajima, he cuts a wooden sword from a spare oar. He finally arrives at Funajima, two hours late! With unkempt hair tied up in a towel, he leaps from the boat brandishing the long wooden oar and rushes through the waves up the beach towards Kojiro. As they face Kojiro draws his sword and throws, full of anger, his sheath on the ground. Musashi smiles and says: " Sasaki you have sealed your doom...What victor on earth would ever abandon his sheath to the sea?" Kojiro attacks and cuts the head band of Musashi's head. But Musashi's attack with his wodden oar is deadly for Kojiro. Musashi, bows to the officials, runs back to his boat and disappears. Musashi's delay for that duel, was a time-delay strategy. He knew that the people of Kojiro, would kill him after the duel. So, he knew that with his delay more and more spectators would arrive at the place of the duel. So, he could easily, after the duel dissapear in the crown. And that happened. After the duel against Kojiro, Musahi's musha-shugyo years end up . He dissapears in the mountains for three years, and all alone pursues the perfectionism through the Way of Kendo. 1615-1627 ?hat period beggins the war of Shogun Ieyasu against Osaka. He laid siege to Osaka castle where the supporters of the Ashikaga family were gathered in insurrection. Some believe that Musashi, joined the Tokugawa Ieyasu forces in both winter and summer campaigns, of the two wars. But, it is strange if Musashi chose to join an army that period of his life. Musashi, returns after those three years in home, in Kyoto with Iori, his adopted son, an 13 years old orphan who has found him in Dewa province. The swordsman was shocked when heard the young boy grinding -during the night -a knife in order to cut his killed father for buring him later in the cemetary. So, Musashi helped him to bury his father and then took him Iori with him. Musashi opens here his first Fencing school. It is said that he enters in the service of Ogasawara Tadanao, daimyo of Akashi, (Harima province). He starts Shodo (calligraphy), Cha-no-yu (the way of tea) and painting. When Musashi visits the Himeji province, four retainers of daimyo
Hemiji challenge him. Musashi defeat the first one, Miyake Gunbei.
Gubei runs out and his other followers admit their inferiority to
Musashi. The Hosokawa house had been entrusted with the command of the hot
seat of Higo province. Ogasawara Tadazane is the new lord Kumamoto
castle and of Binzen province. Iori finds employment under Tadazane. After that, Shogun Iemitsu desides to close the ports of Japan
to foreigns. A decision that has been kept over two hundred years... 1643 1645 He buried with his armour and six weapons in the village Tenagajuge (province Amata), in Honmyoji cemetery, as he wish. His bones is brought back to Miyamoto (Ohara) to be interned in near his parents' tomb. Hosokawa Morishige, daimyo of Kumamoto carved a memorial stone near the maiden hair tree in Ohara marking the place where Musashi was born. Behind the stone a short biography describes Musashi's childschool. Today in Miyamoto village the visitor could see the great House of Hirao, the house of Ogin (elder sister of Musashi) where she moved when she got married, the Aramaki (aka Sanomo) shrine, where it is said that Musashi observing drum movements inspired the creation of the two swords technique, also the contemporaney Musashi Dojo and Gorinbo Museam in memoriam of Musashi. On March 19th 1654, Iori completed the Musashi Yama, a monument
for his father memory on mount Tamuke. Musashi's appearance and personality since now remain legendary. It is said he was always unkempt and sudden and restrained on his emotions. Truth is that he possible had a skin complaint which was the reason that he could not have the traditional samurai topknot. Also, Musashi many times was forced to sleep in caves affraid of being killed by his enemies, spending long time away from people. We have keep in mind that Musashi used to cho?se to fight in the duels using wooden swords while his opponents get used to fight against him with real weapons. Despite the fact that he was the greater fencer, Musashi was one of the greatest painters and calligraphers of his time in Japan. It is said that his masterpieces of ink painting, probably more highly valued by the Japanese than the ink paintings of any other. His works include cormorants, herons, grass, dragons, Hotei (the Shinto god), Roganzu (birds with flowers) , Koubaihatozu (bird in a dead tree), Daruma (Bodhidharma, patriarch of Zen), a.?. ?n a private collection there is a small wood sculpture of the Buddhist diety Fudo Myoo. A sculpture of Kwannon has lost (?) recently. He has also written, except his 3 writtens: '19 Articles of Self-Discipline', '35 Articles on the Art of Swordmanship' and 'The Book Of Five Rings', some poems and songs, but none of these survive. It is also said that he was commissioned by the Shogun Iemitsu to paint the sunrise over Edo castle. Is is said, that his works of art, are very spiritual and first give off a feeling of warmth, which express deeply his soul and spirit.
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Shinmen
Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin