Miyamoto Musashi was a legendary Japanese swordsman born around 1584 in Harima Province. He engaged in over 60 duels without defeat, using bamboo swords to deadly effect. As a child, his father abandoned him and his mother passed away, leaving him in the care of his uncle. He attended a military arts school and claimed his first victory over an opponent at age 13. Later in life, he wrote The Book of Five Rings and died in 1645 at age 62 while maintaining a peculiar posture with weapons.
2. Childhood
They think he was born in 1584
Born in Harima Province
His birth name was really Shinmen
Takezo
He clamed to have defeated his first
opponent at age 13
3. Life
•In the 1600’s he got into a battle with
Yoshioka School
•Engaged in sixty duels without being
defeated once
•He used the Bamboo sword to deadly
effect
4. Family in Childhood
At age 7 his father abandoned him
or died
Mother passed away when he was a
kid
Put in the care of his uncle on his
mothers side
5. Education
Went to Shinto Ryu Military arts
school
At the age of thirteen he killed a
skilled swords man named Arima
Kigei
At the age of sixteen he defeated
Tadashima Akiyama
7. Life As He Knew It
Never bathed without a weapon
Never wanted to be seen without
clothes
Never changed his clothes
8. Survival
Terrible battle which resulted in
Ieyasu succeeding Hideyoshi as
Shogun of Japan
Musashi joined ranks of Ashikaga
army to defeat Ieyasu
Survived three days in which 70
people died
Also survived the hunting down and
massacre of a vanquished army
9. Yoshioka Affair
Began in 1605
Visited the temple of Hozoin
Had a contest with Oku Hozoin
Oku Hozoin was the Nichiren sect
pupil of the Zen priest Hoin Inei
Musashi defeated him not once but
twice
10. The End Of His Journey
Died May 19th
1645 at age 62
Wrote the story Go Rin No Sho a
couple weeks before his death
The book Go Rin No Sho was also
known as The Book Of Five Rings
He died with one knee vertically
raised, a sword in his left hand and
a cane in his right hand, died in that
posture
