Japanese samurai swords are best known for their legendary beauty, efficiency, and craftsmanship. The famed swordsman greatly influenced the rich Japanese culture made in instrument of their contributions.
Miyamoto Musashi is one of the famous Japanese swordsmen to ever unsheathe a blade. His fine works were popular for their size, strength, and artistic elegance.
Let’s explore the four areas where the legend of Miyamoto Musashi’s samurai swords can be seen and felt:
Beauty and craftsmanship
Musashi’s sword look finely crafted but can deliver deadly strikes as well. The swords have slick curvature and a modest grip. The crafter took great time and care with his techniques thus the weaponry created should be respected. All Japanese samurai swords remain to be equally famous but what sets Musashi’s sword apart is the legend their creator carved with his 60 plus successful duels.
Warfare
Miyamoto Musashi was said to have fought his first duel at a young age of 13 years old. It is believed that he struck down a brash, arrogant opponent that day before continuing a life of warfare and bloodshed. His life of warfare was tempered only by his great respect for knowledge, technique, strategy, and culture. His long sword technique is one of his most famous, for it teaches through the use of the Daito (or long sword) and Wakizashi (known for shorter blade length), how to defend oneself through fluid motion and calm control.
Religion
The knowledge about Musashi’s religious beliefs originates from his “Book of Five Rings,” a treatise on his travels, experience, and philosophies. He doesn’t appear to disrespect any religion, but has mentioned that man should not depend on gods for deliverance in times of war. In a sense, man is to forge his own path and not rely on the providence of supreme beings to find favor in the eyes of nature and the world at large. “…these things [religious teachings] are not to be found in the Way of the Warrior,” he writes.
Literature
His famous “Book of Five Rings” remains one of the greatest texts ever written on the craft of swordsmanship. Musashi’s influence on literature and popular culture does not end there. Since his birth and death, he has been the subject of many different films, TV shows, books, and traditions. It indirectly shows that his mark is felt even further in the different works pertaining to the Samurai, which have come and gone over the years.
A man’s life cannot be separated from the legend of his Samurai Swords. The swords greatly define Musashi that also defined the entire world of Japanese Samurai Swords, which continues to capture our attentions and imaginations even today, through people in every culture.