Muso Gonnosuke
Encyclopedia
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
of the early 17th century and the traditional founder of the Koryu
Koryu
is a Japanese word that is used in association with the ancient Japanese martial arts. This word literally translates as "old school" or "traditional school"...
school of jojutsu known as Shintō Musō-ryū
Shinto Muso-ryu
, most commonly known by its practice of jōdō, is a traditional school of the Japanese martial art of jōjutsu, or the art of wielding the short staff . The technical purpose of the art is to learn how to defeat a swordsman in combat using the jō, with an emphasis on proper combative distance,...
(神道夢想流/神道無想流). He is perhaps most famous for his duels with the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi
, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age...
.
Traditional origin
Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi was born into a samurai family, and like many other famous samurai and martial art founders, claimed to trace their lineage to a family of the classical period of samurai. His family is supposedly descendant from Kiso Kanja No Taiyu Kakumei , a retainer of the famous samurai general Minamoto Yoshinaka. Gonnosukes original family name is said to have been Hirano and that he used his given name of Gonbei in his early days. Unlike his future counterpart, Miyamoto Musashi, Gonnosuke was not a roninRonin
A or rounin was a Bushi with no lord or master during the feudal period of Japan. A samurai became masterless from the death or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege....
(masterless samurai) through a defeat in battle such as is claimed with Musashi in the battle of Sekigahara, but had gone out on the road on a warrior pilgrimage to improve his skills in duels and by learning from different martial arts schools on the road. This was a common tradition called musha shugyō
Musha shugyo
is a samurai warrior's quest or pilgrimage. The concept is similar to Knight Errantry in feudal Europe. A warrior, called a shugyōsha, would wander the land practicing and honing his skills without the protection of his family or school. Possible activities include training with other schools,...
and many samurai wishing to develop their martial abilities undertook such travels frequently. Musashi had probably been a part of the losing side in the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
in 1600 and had since been a ronin and undertaking his own musha shugyō.
Early life on the road
The Shinto Musō-ryū densho lists several of Musō Gonnosuke's teachers in martial arts; one of whom, according to the Makabei family records, was Sakurai Osumi-no-Kami, a lieutenant of Makabei Hisamoto (nicknamed Oni Doumu), who was a student of the founder of Kasumi Shintō-ryū KenjutsuKasumi Shinto-ryu Kenjutsu
, or , is one of the names used to describe the collection of sword-versus-sword training-forms for the long and short sword found exclusively in the Japanese martial arts system Shintō Musō-ryū ....
. Gonnosuke received his other weapon training in the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu
is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of koryū bujutsu. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born 1387 in Iizasa village , who was living near Katori Shrine at the time...
, founded by Iizasa Choisai Ienao
Iizasa Ienao
was the founder of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū which is a traditional Japanese martial art. His Buddhist posthumous name is Taiganin-den-Taira-no-Ason-Iga-no-Kami-Raiodo-Hon-Daikoji....
, and also that he received training in either Kashima Shintō-ryū
Kashima Shinto-ryu
' is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period .Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on battlefield experience and revolve around finding weak points in the...
or Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu
, often referred to simply as Jikishinkage-ryū or Kashima Shinden, is a traditional school of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship...
depending on sources. In addition to learning the ken
Ken
Ken or KEN may refer to:*Ken meaning "prefecture" in Japanese - see Prefectures of Japan*Ken , 1964 Japanese film*Kèn from Vietnam*Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, Polish National Board of Education...
(sword), he learned to use the bo
Bo (weapon)
A bō or kon , is a long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan. Bō are typically around long and are now used in Japanese martial arts, in particular bōjutsu...
(long staff), naginata
Naginata
The naginata is one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class in feudal Japan, and naginata were also used by ashigaru and sōhei .-Description:A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved...
(pole weapon), yari
Yari
is the term for one of the traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear...
(spear) and various other weapons. Gonnosuke would eventually receive the rank of menkyo
Menkyo
is a Japanese term meaning "license". It refers to the permission of education system for practitioners of various Japanese arts and ways in order to maintain traditions within the ryū...
, a complete license with the authority to train and develop the art, from Katori Shintō-ryū.
Sometime after he finished his training in Katori Shintō-ryū, Gonnosuke went out on the road, traveling through Japan with a few followers as a wandering swordsman, always looking for an opponent to fight duels with and at the same time teaching swordsmanship to a selected few. It is claimed that he never lost a duel, defeating Japan's finest warriors and remained undefeated until he encountered the ronin Miyamoto Musashi.
His first duel with Miyamoto Musashi
The first of the two legendary duels between Musashi and Gonnosuke was supposed to have taken place between 1596-1614. Scholars argue as to when and where the actual duel took place, and indeed some argue if it even took place to begin with. The essence of the story, however, tells of how Gonnosuke, by now a very famous swordsman and arrogant in his (considerable) martial abilities, had one day encountered Musashi and had unceremoniously challenged him to a duel. Musashi accepted and Gonnosuke, brandishing his sword, immediately threw himself at Musashi who with ease avoided Gonnosuke's strike and proceeded to lock Gonnosuke's sword, using both his long and short sword, in an X-shaped block (jujidome).The Annals of the Niten (Niten ki), the traditional source of information for Miyamoto Musashi, tells this version of the first duel.
- "While Musashi was in Edo, a man named Musō Gonnosuke came, looking for a match. Gonnosuke was armed with a bokutō (wooden sword). At the moment, Musashi had a willow bow, but he immediately took up a stick to confront Gonnosuke. Without even a nod, Gonnosuke attacked. Musashi struck him down in one stroke. Thwarted, Gonnosuke quit."
Again, the details of exactly what happened in the duel is debated and still unclear. In the version found in the Kaijo monogatari, Gonnosuke and Musashi meets in Akashi
Akashi
-People:*Akashi Ken*Akashi Momoka*Akashi Morishige*Akashi Motojiro*Akashi Shiganosuke*Akashi Yasushi-Places:*Akashi, Hyōgo*Akashi Station - Japanese railroad station on the Sanyō Main Line*Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge*Akashi Castle*Akashi Domain-Other:...
instead of Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
, and the former is also brandishing a long four shaku staff instead of a wooden sword. It states that Gonnosuke had previously encountered Musashi's father, Shinmen Munisai, who was an expert of the jitte and had defeated him. Gonnosuke, in a condescending tone of voice, asked Musashi if he was as skilled as his father and if he used similar techniques. Musashi supposedly said: "If you have seen my father's technique you have seen mine", after which Gonnosuke attacked Musashi and was defeated.
The weapons used are also in debate. As mentioned above, some claim Gonnosuke was using a long staff (bo
Bo (weapon)
A bō or kon , is a long staff weapon used in Okinawa and feudal Japan. Bō are typically around long and are now used in Japanese martial arts, in particular bōjutsu...
) reinforced with metal rings. Other versions claim he used an exceptionally long wooden sword which was above the average length of a Japanese sword (over four shaku long), instead of the normal length bokuto of around 2 45 Shaku. Musashi's weapon of choice is also debated. One version say he was armed with only a half-finished bokuto, which Musashi was actually still carving as the duel began, and used it to overwhelm Gonnosuke without ever using the X-shaped block, instead hitting him lightly on the forehead as to demonstrate his superior stance in battle and emphasizing proper distance to an opponent, or Maai
Maai
, translating simply to "interval", is a Japanese martial arts term referring to the space between two opponents in combat; formally, the "engagement distance". It is a complex concept, incorporating not just the distance between opponents, but also the time it will take to cross the distance,...
.
In any case, the essential part of the story is that Gonnosuke was defeated with relative ease. Gonnosuke became disillusioned at this sudden defeat together with the fact that Musashi had let him live even though he had been at his mercy. He would withdraw to a Shinto monastery to contemplate his defeat.
Seclusion, Jojutsu and the second duel
Gonnosuke withdrew to a ShintoShinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrine at Mount Homan in Chikuzen
Chikuzen
Chikuzen may refer to:*Chikuzen Province, an old province of Japan*Chikuzen, Fukuoka, a present town in Japan...
province, (modern-day, Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
), where he would practice daily in perfecting his swordsmanship, praying and performing shinto purifying rituals for 37 days. It is also said, however, that he spent several years on the road studying other martial arts in various dojos until he ended up in the Shinto-shrine. After one of his regular (exhausting) training sessions he collapsed from fatigue and reputably had a vision of a divine being in the form of a child, saying to Gonnosuke: "know the solar plexus [of your opponent] with a round stick". In another version he had the vision in a dream late at night. He took it upon himself to create the jo deliberately longer than the average katana of the day, 128 cm as opposed to the swords total length of approx. 100 cm, and use that length to his advantage in a fight. Gonnosuke, drawing on his own considerable experience with the spear
SO
SO may refer to:* So , the romanisation of the Japanese kana そ and ソ* Superintending Officer in Construction* Somalia ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code** .so, the top-level Internet domain of Somalia* Somali language,...
, longstaff
Bo
-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
, naginata
Naginata
The naginata is one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades in the form of a pole weapon. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class in feudal Japan, and naginata were also used by ashigaru and sōhei .-Description:A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved...
and sword
Ken
Ken or KEN may refer to:*Ken meaning "prefecture" in Japanese - see Prefectures of Japan*Ken , 1964 Japanese film*Kèn from Vietnam*Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, Polish National Board of Education...
, also devised a set of five jo-techniques for use to counter and defeat a swordsman. Arguably he also developed techniques to specifically hinder Musashi's trade-mark x-block.
As the tradition goes, Gonnosuke, now armed with the jo, would again face Musashi in a duel and defeat him through the use of the superior length of the jo to keep Musashi's swords out of range of Gonnosuke and thus hinder him from using the X-shaped technique effectively. Gonnosuke had Musashi at his mercy but let him live as a way of returning the favour granted in the first duel.
The claim that Musashi was ever defeated by Gonnosuke is still a matter for debate and is generally treated very skeptically.
Another version of the story says that Musashi and Gonnosuke went in a deadlock, and the match ended in a draw, as no one could move without making an opening.
Later life and legacy
The story continues right after the second duel. Gonnosuke, spending several more years on the road, part of the time with his new friend Musashi as his second, eventually took up residence in FukuokaFukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
after being asked by the Kuroda clan to teach his jo-techniques to a selected few of their warriors. As the years progressed the original set of jo-techniques, by now expanded with new techniques since the days of Gonnosuke's duel with Musashi, became known as Shintō Musō-ryū. (or Shindō Musō-ryū)
The modern day Shintō Musō-ryū survived both the ending of active fighting in Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate and the American-imposed post-World War II ban on martial arts; it is now an international martial art.
The memory of Musō Gonnosuke is honored at a Shinto shrine raised by Shimizu Takaji, one of the most prominent Shintō Musō-ryū jōdōka until his death in 1978.
Sources for Musō Gonnosuke
The true origin of Gonnosuke is unknown; his traits and various exploits have, as with many martial artists and other famous samurai of the time, been exaggerated and/or constructed by later historians. A number of traditional founders of ryu, or school of martial art, have been credited with having divine inspirations or visions, or in some cases even being taught by mythical creatures. One example is the famous samurai Minamoto no YoshitsuneMinamoto no Yoshitsune
was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
who was supposedly taught by a Tengu
Tengu
are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami...
- magical creatures of Japanese mythology, some possessing vast knowledge of weapons and martial arts.
The earliest known source of the first duel is the Kaijo Monogatari. The entry in the Kaijo Monogatari was written in the 17th century but the exact year is debated. Author Kenji Tokitsu
Kenji Tokitsu
is a Japanese author and practitioner of Japanese martial arts. Dr. Tokitsu has also written a scholarly work about the legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto. He holds doctorates in sociology and in Japanese language and civilization.-Biography:...
dates the Kaijo to 1666, but author Wayne Muromoto give the date of 1629. Another source is the Honcho Bugei Shoden (or Honcho Bugei Koden) written in about 1716. The sources agree on the core of the story however; that Gonnosuke faced Musashi and was defeated, after which he retreated and formed his jo-techniques. The notion that Musashi was defeated in a rematch can be argued to have been a later construct by later pro-Gonnosuke historians, as there is no mentioning of a defeat in the sources regarding Musashi. The same could be said, however, for Musashi's followers who might have removed all mentioning of Musashi's defeat as a way to preserve his reputation. Another mentioning of the first duel is found in the Niten-Ki which was compiled by Musashi's followers years after his death. There is only one known source mentioning the rematch. It is a scroll now preserved in Tsukuba Shrine in Ibaraki prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, although doubts of its contents has been raised, partially because there are no other known corroborating sources to confirm it.
Musō Gonnosuke in fiction
A fictional version of Musō Gonnosuke and his duels with Musashi are featured in the Eiji Yoshikawa'sEiji Yoshikawa
was a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three...
novel Musashi (novel)
Musashi (novel)
is a Japanese novel written by Eiji Yoshikawa and serialized in 1935 in Asahi Shimbun.-Introduction:It is a fictionalized account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings and arguably the most renowned Japanese swordsman who ever lived.The novel has been translated into...
.
In the video game " Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance", it is stated that Master Bo' Rai Cho helped Gonnosuke develop the Jojutsu style after his loss to Musashi. Bo' Rai Cho had used the Jojutsu style in "Mortal Kombat: Deception", "Mortal Kombat: Armageddon", and " Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance". It is also stated that Gonnosuke lost in his first "Mortal Kombat" tournament, and that his soul was consumed by Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung is a boss and player character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. A powerful and deadly sorcerer and a primary antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung is a shapeshifter who absorbs the souls of those he slays in order to maintain his youth and power...
.
In the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
video game Samurai Warriors: Katana, Gonnosuke is portrayed as a bandit chief that often uses henchmen to impersonate him in order to stay alive. After defeating him, the player will later encounter Gonnosuke who has become a changed man, and they both decide to work together to defeat Miyamoto Musashi in a duel. Gonnosuke also helps the player defeat a group of pirates invading a small town and the player must also beat Gonnosuke as part of the first trial of the Bamboo Trial.
Musō Gonnosuke is also featured within the manga series known as Vagabond
Vagabond (manga)
is an ongoing manga by Takehiko Inoue, portraying a fictionalized account of Miyamoto Musashi's life, on a loose adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi....
, at which he declares himself to be the "Number One Martial Artist under Heaven" by means of the kanji written on his back (possibly punning his surname, as the kanji used are Tenka Musō). Gonnosuke later joins both Ino Tadaaki and Sasaki Kojiro in their journey of swordsmanship, vowing to become a master of the sword in accordance to the skill of his two pupils. In appearance, he wears face paint beneath his eyes and respectively wields a spear.
Footnotes
2. * This X-shaped block is called jūmonji (lit. cross) and is a fundamental technique of Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryū. When applying jūmonji, it is important to consider which of the two swords is atop the other. This will greatly influence what manner of countermove is appropriate.See also
- Seitei JōdōSeitei JodoZen Nihon Kendō Renmei Jōdō, or Seitei Jōdō in short, is a modern form of jōdō created by Japanese martial artist Shimizu Takaji and presented to the All Japan Kendo Federation in 1968.-Seitei Jodo:...
- Modern, compact version of SMR with 12 kata taught in the Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei.