Miyamoto Musashi Popular Books

Miyamoto Musashi Biography & Facts

Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵, c. 1584 – 13 June 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 61 duels (next is 33 by Itō Ittōsai). Musashi is considered a Kensei, a sword-saint of Japan. He was the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryū, or Nito Ichi-ryū, style of swordsmanship, and in his final years authored The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書, Go Rin No Sho) and Dokkōdō (獨行道, The Path of Aloneness). Both documents were given to Terao Magonojō, the most important of Musashi's students, seven days before Musashi's death. The Book of Five Rings deals primarily with the character of his Niten Ichi-ryū school in a concrete sense, i.e., his own practical martial art and its generic significance; The Path of Aloneness, on the other hand, deals with the ideas that lie behind it, as well as his life's philosophy in a few short aphoristic sentences. The Miyamoto Musashi Budokan training center, located in Ōhara-chō (Mimasaka), Okayama prefecture, Japan was erected to honor his name and legend. Biography Birth The details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify. Musashi himself simply states in The Book of Five Rings that he was born in Harima Province. Niten Ki (an early biography of Musashi) supports the assertion that Musashi was born in 1584: "[He] was born in Banshū, in Tenshō 12 [1584], the Year of the Monkey." The historian Kamiko Tadashi, commenting on Musashi's text, notes: "Munisai was Musashi's father ... he lived in Miyamoto village, in the Yoshino district [of Mimasaka Province]. Musashi was most probably born here."Musashi gives his full name and title in The Book of Five Rings as Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu (新免武蔵守藤原玄信). His father, Shinmen Munisai (新免無二斎) was an accomplished martial artist and master of the sword and jutte (also jitte). Munisai, in turn, was the son of Hirata Shōgen (平田将監), a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, the lord of Takayama Castle in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province. Hirata was relied upon by Lord Shinmen and so was allowed to use the Shinmen name. As for "Musashi", Musashi no Kami was a court title, making him the nominal governor of Musashi Province. "Fujiwara" was the lineage from which Musashi claimed descent. Upbringing Musashi's eczema developed in his infancy, and this adversely affected his appearance. Another story claims that he never bathed himself because he did not want to be surprised unarmed. First duel I have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of the Shinto ryū, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept by the name of Tadashima Akiyama, who came from Tajima Province. At the age of twenty-one I went up to Kyōtō and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous schools, but I never lost.According to the introduction of The Book of Five Rings, Musashi states that his first successful duel was at the age of 13, against a samurai named Arima Kihei who fought using the Kashima Shintō-ryū style, founded by Tsukahara Bokuden (1489–1571). The main source of the duel is the Hyoho senshi denki ("Anecdotes about the Deceased Master"). Summarized, its account goes as follows: In 1596, Musashi was 13, and Arima Kihei, who was traveling to hone his art, posted a public challenge in Hirafuku-mura. Musashi wrote his name on the challenge. A messenger came to Dorin's temple, where Musashi was staying, to inform Musashi that his duel had been accepted by Kihei. Dorin, Musashi's uncle, was shocked by this, and tried to beg off the duel in Musashi's name, based on his nephew's age. Kihei was adamant that the only way his honour could be cleared was if Musashi apologized to him when the duel was scheduled. So when the time set for the duel arrived, Dorin began apologizing for Musashi, who merely charged at Kihei with a six-foot quarterstaff, shouting a challenge to Kihei. Kihei attacked with a wakizashi, but Musashi threw Kihei on the floor, and while Kihei tried to get up, Musashi struck Arima between the eyes and then beat him to death. Arima was said to have been arrogant, overly eager to battle, and not a terribly talented swordsman. Travels and duels In 1599, Musashi left his village, apparently at the age of 15 (according to the Tosakushi, "The Registry of the Sakushu Region", although the Tanji Hokin Hikki says he was 16 years old in 1599, which agrees time-wise with the age reported in Musashi's first duel). His family possessions such as furniture, weapons, genealogy, and other records were left with his sister and her husband, Hirao Yoemon. He spent his time traveling and engaging in duels. Duel with Sasaki Kojirō In 1611, Musashi began practicing zazen at the Myōshin-ji temple, where he met Nagaoka Sado, vassal to Hosokawa Tadaoki; Tadaoki was a powerful lord who had received the Kumamoto Domain in west-central Kyūshū after the Battle of Sekigahara. Munisai had moved to northern Kyūshū and became Tadaoki's teacher, leading to the possibility that Munisai introduced Musashi to Sasaki Kojirō, another guest of the Hosokawa clan at the time. Somehow, a duel was proposed between the two; in some versions, Nagaoka proposed the duel, in others, Kojirō proposed it out of rivalry or jealously. Tokitsu believes that the duel was politically motivated, as a matter of consolidating Tadaoki's control over his fief.The duel was scheduled for April 13, 1612, when Musashi was approximately 30 years old. The departure by boat for the duel was arranged for the Hour of the Dragon in the early morning (approximately 8:00 AM) to the island of Ganryūjima, a small isle between Honshū and Kyūshū. While Hosokawa officials banned spectators, the island was filled with them anyway. Kojirō was known for wielding an oversized nodachi (Japanese greatsword) called a "laundry-drying pole" for its length, as well as being titled "three-shaku silver blade" (「三尺の白刃」). Using this sword, Kojirō was said to be known for a swift two-stroke sword technique called tsubame gaeshi (not to confuse with the judo move of the same name, which received the name as an homage), and he bore the nickname "The Demon of the Western Provinces". Kojirō arrived at the appointed time, but was then left to wait for hours; Musashi had overslept. Kojirō sent out servants to retrieve Musashi, who ate a full breakfast, taking his time. In some variants of the tale, Musashi intentionally arrives late as a sign of disrespect. As he sailed over the Kanmon Straits, Musashi carved a crude oversized bokken from one of the ship's oars with his knife, making an improvised wooden sword, possibly to help wake himself up. Upon his arrival, an irritated Kojirō chided Musashi's lateness and.... Discover the Miyamoto Musashi popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Miyamoto Musashi books.

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  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto

    Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin no Sho or the book of five rings, is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, much like Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Chanakya's Arthashastra.Th...

  • SUMMARY - The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi synopsis, comments

    SUMMARY - The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

    Shortcut Edition

    Our summary is short, simple and pragmatic. It allows you to have the essential ideas of a big book in less than 30 minutes. By reading this summary, you will discover the precep...

  • Miyamoto Musashi - The Iconic Samurai, In a Fly synopsis, comments

    Miyamoto Musashi - The Iconic Samurai, In a Fly

    Carlee Orman

    Japanese martial arts is the envy of the world. Japan has proudly gifted the world with some of the best martial arts, is home to the most legendary swordsman of the world, Miyamot...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto & A to Z Classics

    Contains Active Table of Contents (HTML)  and include a bonus link to the free audio book.The Book of Five Rings ( 五輪書  Go Rin no Sho) is a text ...

  • Miyamoto Musashi synopsis, comments

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Kenji Tokitsu

    Miyamoto Musashi es la historia de un guerrero excepcional pero también la de las artes marciales, en una sociedad japonesa que estaba viviendo una nueva página de su historia. La ...

  • Child of Vengeance synopsis, comments

    Child of Vengeance

    David Kirk

    A bold and vivid historical epic of feudal Japan, based on the reallife exploits of the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto.Japan in the late 16th century was a land in turmoil. Lor...

  • The Life-Giving Sword synopsis, comments

    The Life-Giving Sword

    William Scott Wilson & Yagyu Munenori

    A reallife samurai’s Zen teachings on sword training as a spiritually transformative practiceessential reading for aspiring martial artists and strategic thinkers alike   The ...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto

    Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin no Sho or the book of five rings, is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, much like Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Chanakya's Arthashastra.Th...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto

    Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin no Sho or the book of five rings, is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, much like Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Chanakya's Arthashastra.Th...

  • El Libro de los Cinco Anillos synopsis, comments

    El Libro de los Cinco Anillos

    Miyamoto Musashi

    El Libro de los Cinco Anillos es uno de los textos más importantes sobre la lucha y la estrategia surgido de la cultura guerrera japonesa. Pretende explícitamente simbolizar proces...

  • The Unfettered Mind synopsis, comments

    The Unfettered Mind

    Takuan Soho & William Scott Wilson

    The classic samuraiera text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophywritten by the incomparable Zen master Takuan Soho Written by the seventeenthcentury Zen maste...

  • EL LIBRO DE LOS CINCO ANILLOS synopsis, comments

    EL LIBRO DE LOS CINCO ANILLOS

    Lao Tse

    Miyamoto Musashi, un legendario espadachín japonés, nació en 1584 en la provincia de Harima, en medio de un Japón marcado por guerras civiles. Criado por su padre samurái en el art...

  • Sword of Honor synopsis, comments

    Sword of Honor

    David Kirk

    IN THE EPIC HISTORICAL NOVEL SWORD OF HONOR, DAVID KIRK CONTINUES THE SAGA OF MUSASHI MIYAMOTO, THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN IN JAPANESE HISTORY, AS HE JOURNEYS TO THE ANCIENT CITY ...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto & Knowledge House

    The Book of Five Rings ( 五輪書  Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman&#...

  • The Lone Samurai synopsis, comments

    The Lone Samurai

    William Scott Wilson

    An expert on samurai history paints a vivid, multifaceted portrait of feudal Japan and Miyamoto Musashithe legendary swordsman who wrote the classic martial arts treatise, The Book...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Along with Sun Tzu's The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings is considered to be one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asia...

  • El libro de los cinco anillos synopsis, comments

    El libro de los cinco anillos

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Tratado de pensamiento estratégico y autodesarrollo, El libro de los cinco anillos es considerado el texto máximo del pensamiento samurái japonés.El libro de los cinco anillos, obr...

  • The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - Timeless Wisdom on Strategy, Martial Arts, and the Way of the Samurai for Modern Success synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi - Timeless Wisdom on Strategy, Martial Arts, and the Way of the Samurai for Modern Success

    Musashi Miyamoto & Bluefire Books

    Musashi, a classic text on martial arts, strategy, and the principles of success that have inspired generations of readers. This timeless guide offers valuable lessons on disciplin...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Miyamoto Musashi

    The Book of Five Rings  (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho)  By Miyamoto Musashi  The Book of Five Rings is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japan...

  • Miyamoto Musashi synopsis, comments

    Miyamoto Musashi

    William de Lange

    Dies ist der gelungene Versuch uns der historischen Person Miyamoto Musashi, Japans berühmtesten Schwertkämpfer, zu nähern. W. de Lange forschte in Japan in den unterschiedlichsten...

  • Musashi synopsis, comments

    Musashi

    Eiji Yoshikawa & Charles Terry

    The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman.Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured ...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    D. E. Tarver

    For centuries, The Book of Five Rings has been a resource for gaining insight into the mind of the warrior spirit. The famous Samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, originally wrote the work i...

  • Obras completas synopsis, comments

    Obras completas

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Uno de los rasgos más característicos de los samuráis era la serenidad con la que se enfrentaban a su adversario, que encaraban con una objetividad y una concentración absolutas. Y...

  • Miyamoto Musashi synopsis, comments

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Kenji Tokitsu & Sherab Ch÷dzin Kohn

    A comprehensive study of the life, philosophies, fighting strategies, and works of the legendary samurai warrior who wrote The Book of Five Rings Miyamoto Musashi, who lived i...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Miyamoto Musashi

    There are various Ways. There is the Way of salvation by the law of Buddha, the Way of Confucius governing the Way of learning, the Way of healing as a doctor, as a poet teaching t...

  • Miyamoto Musashi. La strategia del samurai synopsis, comments

    Miyamoto Musashi. La strategia del samurai

    Leo Gough

    Musashi è uno degli eroi del Giappone, un “santo della spada” che personifica il guerriero vincente, colui che ha assunto la piena padronanza del proprio corpo, della propria mente...

  • The Book of Five Rings synopsis, comments

    The Book of Five Rings

    Musashi Miyamoto

    Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin no Sho or the book of five rings, is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, much like Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Chanakya's Arthashastra.Th...