This is a special offer that has been many years in the making..
Several years ago, Ronin Katana added a traditionally hand carved bo-hi option to their Dotanuki blade line up with a tsuba that was famously designed by the legendary masterless Samurai, Miyamoto Musashi.
By itself, this was an impressive piece.
But only now, with the addition of the matching model 3 Wakizashi – has it become complete..
To celebrate this new design and ultimate tribute to the legendary Ronin warrior – from today until the 8th of August, you can buy both the model 12 Katana and the matching Wakizashi with a whopping $100 discount – AND get two free top quality silk bags (one for each sword) worth $40..
With super durable no-nonsense monotempered 1060 blades forged in the Dotanuki style, all iron fittings, silk ito and high quality, buffalo horn reinforced saya – this is the best and most affordable, Dojo quality Daisho set on the market and makes a fitting tribute to the practical philosophy of the Kensai Sword Saint himself.
Click here for more information
About Miyamoto Musashi
If you are a sword collector, you have almost certainly heard of him. In Japan, he is famous even to this day, and is considered by many to be the most skilled and successful Samurai Warrior that ever lived – the so called “Sword Saint” Miyamoto Musashi.
But how much do you REALLY know about him? Most famously, he is renowned for winning over 60 one on one duels and was claimed to have never been defeated, to have fought in battles and come away unscathed and to show a total disregard for the feudal order and society his was born in, taking no Lord, starting no family of his own and wandering from place to place driven by a burning desire to master his sword, and in its mastery, gain the keys to enlightenment and the understanding of all things..
But here are a few more interesting facts attributed to him:
- He rarely bathed, feeling that – as a wandering master-less Samurai with many enemies – it was too dangerous to let down his guard. As a result, he was said to have a particularly rough and wild appearance in a country where being spotlessly clean was the norm.
- Being of the philosophy that the sword was just a tool and one should not ever get too attached to any particular sword for its weight, cutting style, length, etc – he often found himself using a simple wooden bokken against swordmasters armed with the most expensive and exquisitely designed blades. And won every time..
- Musashi was often late to arrive for his duels, meeting them on his own schedule and greatly upsetting, and offputting, his opponents.
- After defeating all the famous Yoshioka Samurai after winning duel after duel, he famously faced off against the last of their line, surviving an ambush of musketeers, archers and warriors by retreating through the terrain, running backwards with both swords drawn and cutting down anyone who dared to come close. This was the first time he drew both swords and was said to have taken but a single cut to his forearm – leaving dozens of men dead and dying in his wake. Here he coined the phrase: “when you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry. It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon yet undrawn.”
- While official records suggest he was undefeated in over 60 duels, there is some evidence to suggest he may have lost just once.. His opponent, Muso Gonnosuke, who he had defeated and spared previously – trained for years with a twin stick fighting style he poineered to get his revenge, and is believed to have beaten Musashi and returned the favor of sparing his life. The weapons he developed were said to be the first “Jo” sticks..
- While first and foremost a warrior, Musashi espoused that the “way” was to be found in all things and once mastered, the mastery could be applied to any endeavor. As such, he was also an accomplished calligrapher, writer and painter – and without a teacher – was able to create works that are recognized as true masterpieces (pictured right).
- His famous work, Go Rin No Sho – a Book of Five Rings – was compiled in seclusion in a cave in the mountains and completed only a few months before his death at age 61 from what is believed to have been lung cancer. In it, he recorded his innermost thoughts on the nature of strategy, and his work is still read and its principles used both on the modern battlefield and the corporate boardroom.
All this just scratches the surface of a truly extraordinary man whose spirit was irrepressible!
His Fa
mous Tsuba..
Left is an image of the ACTUAL tsuba designed and hand made by the man himself..
While many who utilize this design in their swords market it as a “Double C Ring” – closer examination reveals instead it contains exactly 5 rings – and is a visual representation of his Go Rin philosophy.
See if you can trace the circles and find the hidden design.
Every lover of medieval swords should have one of these BEASTS in their collection..
And from now until the 10th of September, it has never been more affordable.
Click here to read a review on the SBG Sword Forum
Originally believed to have been a Japanese variant of the Chinese Guan Dao, there were two variants – the O-Naginata (like the Hanwei version) and the Ko-Naginata.
