@Rycel2001

3 months ago

Miyamoto Musashi wasn't Japan's greatest duelist because of his superior physical ability or unmatched skill; it was because he was arguably the greatest troll of the Sengoku Jidai.
Musashi understood that duels, wars, or conflict of any kind is first won or lost within the minds of the combatants. Because of this, he would employ unconventional tactics, use bizzare weapons, or even disrespect or befuddle opponents with his behavior to throw them before and during battle.
One of his most famous duels was against Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryujima Island. Musashi played mind games with Kojiro, first designating the island as the battleground and allowing the fervor of locals to build a crowd eager to see the fight. Then, Musashi intentionally arrived 3 hours late for the duel, angering Kojiro. The final insult was Musashi's choice of weapon: rather than a proper sword, he carried a long wooden one he carved from the oar of his boat.
Kojiro felt disrespected as a samurai and humiliated by Musashi refusing to take their duel seriously in front of so many spectators. When the fight began, Kojiro, who normally favored a defensive style which utilized the superior length of the nodachi (longer than a normal katana), recklessly charged Musashi. Now facing little more than an impudent thug with a sharp stick rather than the imposing duelist of skill and repute, Musashi slayed Kojiro in short order, quickly leaving the island.
Miyamoto Musashi's lesson to history is that you don't need to be better than your opponent, you just have to make him fight worse than you do.

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