Musashi's Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone)

bokken
that he had
carved out of an oar. Furthermore, Musashi knew that Kojirō’s sword
was a little longer than a normal 
katana
, so he spent the extra time
to carve a wooden weapon that was just a little bit longer than that,
giving him an additional advantage in reach.
By arriving late, showing contempt for the opponent and the moment
and then doubling down by not even having the dignity to use a real
sword for a life-or-death duel he rattled his adversary. Brilliant
strategy don’t you think? But, Musashi went even farther still… When
Kojirō drew his sword to get things started he threw his 
saya
(scabbard) aside in disgust, prompting Musashi to further unnerve
him by commenting something along the lines of, “If you have no
more use for your scabbard, you are already dead.”

---

Musashi had won even before the fight began because he had
stacked the deck in his favor so effectively. Not only did he use
psychological tricks, but he also wielded a longer weapon,
something which many overlook in his victory.
Remember the scene in the Bruce Lee movie 
Enter the Dragon
where he tricked an opponent onto a boat and then left him floating
without an oar? That was inspired by another of Musashi’s dirty
tricks. He may or may not have truly been the greatest swordsman of
his period, perhaps even of all time, but we know for certain that
Musashi was one of the most successful. An unconventional thinker,
he often fought with two swords instead of one, he made extensive
use of misdirection and psychological warfare, and nearly always
cheated in one way or another in order to win. In fact, he was
downright brilliant at his job, which like most warriors who live in
tumultuous times ultimately boils down to killing people efficiently.
Unlike others of his era, however, Musashi took the time to write
about what he had done, the things he had accomplished, and the
strategies that made him successful in his endeavors. That’s a vital
factor in what we know and think about him today. After all, he’s not
the only one who lived an amazing life during that time period, but he
is one of the few who documented his perspectives on what he had
seen and done for posterity.
The Book of Five Rings
, Musashi’s most famous writing, is a work
where life experience meets genius. One surefire way to know
whether or not you hold genius in your hands when you read it is to
have the work span your lifetime regarding its impact. If, for example,
you read the classic science-fiction book 
A Wrinkle in Time
by
Madeleine L’Engle as a child it’s magical. To re-read it later in life
brings back those magical feelings. That’s the mark of a truly well-
written book, but is it genius? No, not so much… Let’s contrast this
with Musashi’s work. To read 
The Book of Five Rings
in your youth
and then peruse it again in mid-life, the sensation is not a recounting
of emotion but rather a newer and deeper understanding of what has
been presented. This is what you’re looking for. In fact, 
The Book of

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Five Rings
is often placed alongside The 
Art of War
by Sun Tzu, 
On
War
by General Carl von Clausewitz, 
Infantry Attacks
by Field
Marshal Erwin Rommel, and 
Patterns of Conflict
by Colonel John
Boyd. Each of these works has materially influenced military
thinking, directly or indirectly influencing modern combat despite the
fact that they were written decades or even centuries ago.
In this sense, Musashi truly was a combative genius. Small wonder
that our patron sword saint crossed over to become an icon, a
legend... But what drove him? What brought him there?
While he never wrote a book that we know of, Musashi’s father
Munisai was a famous martial artist in his own right. His very name
means, “A man unequaled.” After defeating a famous swordsman of
the Yoshioka family in front of the