I remember clearly the day I first heard the name , it was my 13th birthday and my brother handed me a book called "The 5 rings"wrote by a man named Musashi Miyamoto, in Japanese its called "go rin no sho ".It was a book of kenjutsu and martial arts by the greatest swordsman of Japan ,famously known for a record of winning 60 duels and the only master of "Two heavens as one"technique i remember this passage from his bookI have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of the Shinto ryū, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept by the name of Akiyama, who came from Tajima Province. At the age of twenty-one I went up to Kyōtō and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous schools, but I never lost.
— Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho.......Throughout Japan you can find monuments of Miyamotos pilgrimage, from famous battles or shrines where he paid respect to the gods .....
....This picture is of the statues depicting Musashi in one of his most epic duels against the infamous Sasaki Kajiro on the island of Funajima .Musashi apparently knew of Kajiros advantage of his swords length that was merely longer than most traditional swords .Knowing this Musashi carved a boat oar just a little bit longer to have the advantage Kajiro was counting on ....
Ichijoji Sagarimatsu, location of the battle between Musashi and the Yoshioka school
This painting is an actual picture painted by Musashi in his later years when he wrote the the book of the 5 rings
"Seishin Chokudo" (earnest heart, straight way) monument dedicated to Miyamoto Musashi, located in Kokura. These characters were engraved by Musashi on his bokken. It stands on the place where Musashi is supposed to have lived, at the foot of the castle. The Hombu dojo of a main branch of Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū is in Kokura and demonstrates every year in front of this monument.
a self portrait 
The grave-marker of Miyamoto Musashi, in present-day Kumamoto Prefecture ........-MUSASHI MIYAMOTO.1584 – June 13, 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku......"Thing cab difficult at first....but everything is difficult at first." A quote from MUSASHI MIYAMOTO that I have used my entire life as a guide to see I can master and achieve anything.
My own personal blade that I respect and reminds me of one of the most legendary influential men I have had the blessing of learning and knowing about !......I also have personal photos of Japanese arms and armor from am exhibition in Cincinnati's art muesum 
