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Shibata Katsuie and the Siege of ChōkōjiDuring the desperate siege of Chōkōji Castle in 1570, Shibata Katsuie made a bold decision that would cement his legacy. With water supplies cut off and no chance of surrender, he shattered the last jars of water and declared that, like the water returning to the earth, he and his men would face...
Words of the Samurai - Episode 9This episode highlights the jisei of Ishikawa Goemon – a declaration made before his death. Known as a thief, a ninja, and an enemy of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Goemon was executed with his family. His last words express an eternal truth: even if the beach sand runs out, thieves will still exist.
The Words of the Samurai – Episode 5In this fifth chapter, we delve into the shadows of betrayal with Akechi Mitsuhide and the enigmatic figure of Mori Ranmaru. What if a whispered interpretation of a dream triggered Japan’s most infamous coup? Strategy, pride, and fate converge in a story written with steel and silence.
Hayashizaki Jinsuke: The Founder of Iai and the Legacy of the BattōHayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto Shigenobu is remembered as the man who gave form and philosophy to the art of drawing the sword—iaido. Trained in the shadow of personal tragedy and guided by divine vision, he transformed instinctive survival techniques into a disciplined martial path. His use of a...
The Last Teachings of the Heihō Sanjūgokajō: Musashi’s Final 13 ArticlesIn this final part of our series on Musashi’s Thirty-Five Articles on Strategy, we explore the last teachings of the sword saint—insights that blur the line between combat technique and spiritual clarity. Musashi closes not with answers, but with a mysterious phrase: “Ten Thousand Miles, One...
Continuing Musashi’s Path: The Next 13 Articles of Strategic Wisdom
Welcome Back: The Next 13 Articles of Musashi’s Strategy
Welcome back to the second part of our three-part series on Miyamoto Musashi’s Heihō Sanjūgokajō (Thirty-Five Articles on Strategy). In the previous article, we explored the historical background of this lesser-known work and examined the...
A Three-Part Exploration of Miyamoto Musashi’s 35 Articles of StrategyBefore The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi composed a lesser-known but equally profound work: the Heihō Sanjūgokajō, or Thirty-Five Articles of Strategy. In this first part of our series, we uncover the historical context of this text and present the first 9 teachings—concise yet powerful...