Warriors: Samurai Showdown - Full Episode (S1, E6) | History

Video Statistics and Information

Video
Captions Word Cloud
Reddit Comments
Captions
[gunshots] >> Schappert: HEY! JAPAN, 17TH CENTURY, HOME TO ONE OF THE MOST ELITE AND FEARED WARRIOR CULTURES EVER, SAMURAI. >> YAH! >> Schappert: THE LEGENDARY SAMURAI LIVED BY A STRICT CODE OF HONOR, THE CODE OF BUSHIDO. AND THERE ARE LESSONS IN THIS CODE THAT GUIDE US TODAY. COMING HERE HAS REAL MEANING FOR ME. IN SPECIAL FORCES, WE THINK OF OURSELVES AS MODERN-DAY SAMURAI. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ABOUT TO MEET PEOPLE THAT WE EMULATE AS SOLDIERS. MY NAME IS TERRY SCHAPPERT. I'M A GREEN BERET SENT ON COMBAT AND TRAINING MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD. I'M PART OF A LONG LINE OF UNIQUE WARRIORS TESTED IN BATTLE. AND THE ONLY WAY TO REVEAL THEIR WEAPONS AND TACTICS IS TO EXPERIENCE THEM MYSELF. I'M ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SAMURAI WARRIOR. FOR 700 YEARS, PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS KNOWN AS SAMURAI DEFENDED JAPAN'S WARLORDS. THE JAPANESE VERSION OF MEDIEVAL KNIGHTS, THEY WERE MASTERS OF MANY WEAPONS, THE MARTIAL ARTS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE. AND NO OTHER WEAPON IS MORE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAMURAI THAN THE KATANA, THE JAPANESE SWORD. AND THIS SWORD WAS MORE THAN JUST A WEAPON TO THE SAMURAI. IT WAS CONSIDERED THE SOUL OF THE WARRIOR AND A SYMBOL OF THEIR HONOR. SO, MR. UTA, CAN YOU SHOW ME THE PROPER WAY TO GRIP THE WEAPON AND HOW TO USE IT? OH, SO JUST LIKE THAT? ALMOST LIKE A GOLF GRIP, ACTUALLY. SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY SUBTLE THING RIGHT THERE, WHAT WE GOT GOING ON. SUCH A SUBTLE THING AS A GRIP YOU WOULD THINK-- IN THE OLD WESTERN STYLE OF FENCING, WE'D GRIP THE SWORD JUST LIKE THIS, STRAIGHT UP UNDERNEATH THE POMMEL, AND WE'RE GOING FOR SPEED. WHAT THESE GUYS ARE DOING, IF YOU LOOK, IS THEY KIND OF ROTATE OVER. AND AS THEY'RE CUTTING, THE CUT STARTS FROM THE END AND DRAWS BACK ACROSS. IT'S A REALLY SUBTLE THING. AND IT MADE THESE GUYS REALLY DEADLY. IN FACT, ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT THE KATANA IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHER WESTERN SWORDS I'VE EVER USED. A TRUE KATANA MEASURES ABOUT 42 INCHES IN LENGTH. A SLIGHT CURVE IN THE BLADE MAKES IT IDEAL FOR CUTTING AND SLASHING, RATHER THAN STABBING. THE HILT, OR HANDLE, IS USUALLY WRAPPED IN STINGRAY SKIN AND BOUND WITH SILK OR LEATHER SO THAT THE SAMURAI WON'T LOSE HIS GRIP. CAN YOU SHOW ME, FULL ON, HOW YOU MOVE INTO THE CUTS AND DO THOSE? OH, I SEE. SO WE WANT TO CUT WITH THIS SECTION RIGHT HERE. OKAY. RIGHT. SO YOU'RE LEADING WITH THE BLADE. THE TOP FIVE INCHES OF HIS BLADE ARE RAZOR SHARP. AND ALL MOVEMENT WITH THE SWORD IS DESIGNED TO OPTIMIZE THAT PORTION OF THE BLADE. THE GOAL: TO FATALLY CUT OR EVEN DECAPITATE YOUR OPPONENT. COME FORWARD. ATTACK. CUT. WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS: IN THE SPACE OF A COUPLE SECONDS, YOU'VE DONE THREE ATTACKS; ONE ON THE DRAW, A THRUST, THEN AN UPWARD CUT. AND IF YOU GET YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS ONE, THEY EVEN HAVE A MOVE FOR WIPING THE BLOOD OFF THE BLADE. FROM HERE, YOU HANG BACK, FLICK IT OFF, AGAIN, ALWAYS WATCHING THE OPPONENT FOR ANYTHING ELSE, AND GOING BACK AGAIN. THE KATANA IS SO CENTRAL TO JAPANESE CULTURE, IT'S SAID THAT THE JAPANESE ISLANDS THEMSELVES WERE FORMED BY OCEAN SALTS DRIPPING FROM THE BLADE OF A SWORD. AH. FOR THE SAMURAI WARRIOR, THE SWORD WAS MUCH MORE THAN A WEAPON. IT WAS A SYMBOL OF HONOR, COURAGE, LOYALTY, AND THE WARRIOR'S COMMITMENT TO BUSHIDO, THE CODE OF THE SAMURAI. BUSHIDO WAS A CODE OF HONOR SIMILAR TO THE MEDIEVAL KNIGHT'S CODE OF CHIVALRY. MR. MATSUMOTO, WE HEAR AND WE TALK ABOUT THE CODE OF BUSHIDO, BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IT? I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT THESE GUYS WERE REALLY, IN A WAY, VERY FREE. I MEAN, THEY WERE FREE OF THE FEAR OF DYING, FREE OF THE FEAR OF FAILURE, FREE OF ALL BAD THINGS THAT WOULD SLOW YOU DOWN. IF THEY WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT THAT, THEY WOULD PROBABLY BE ABLE TO DO SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS IN BATTLE. THE CODE OF BUSHIDO BOUND THE SAMURAI WARRIOR TO FIGHT FOR HIS MASTER. AND THE WARRIOR PROVED HIS DEVOTION TO THE CODE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. 1584: JAPAN IS IN THE MIDST OF 700 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR. POWER IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING BETWEEN THE EMPEROR IN KYOTO AND RIVAL WARLORDS IN REMOTE REGIONS OF JAPAN. IT IS IN THIS STATE OF CONSTANT WARFARE THAT A LEADER EMERGES, A SAMURAI, WHO, FOR ME, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, MIYAMOTO MUSASHI. LIKE ALL WARRIORS, MUSASHI WOULD'VE BEEN EXPECTED TO ADHERE TO THE SAMURAI CODE. BEFORE HIS LIFE IS THROUGH, MUSASHI WOULD FOREVER CHANGE THE SAMURAI CULTURE AND LIVE BY THEIR CODE IN THIS OWN WAY. MUSASHI WOULD FIRST HAVE TO MASTER NOT JUST THE SWORD BUT ALL THE WEAPONS IT TOOK TO BE A SAMURAI. THIS IS THE OGASAWARA SCHOOL OF EQUINE ARCHERY. AND IT IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD WHERE WE CAN STILL WITNESS YABUSAME, THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE SAMURAI WARRIOR. YABUSAME RIDERS MUST ACCURATELY FIRE A BOW AT A SERIES OF TARGETS WHILE BALANCING IN THE STIRRUPS OF A HORSE THAT'S GALLOPING AS FAST AS 25 MILES PER HOUR. IMPRESSIVE. BEING A GOOD ARCHER WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR A WARRIOR IN THE EARLY SAMURAI PERIOD. AND THAT MEANT MASTERING A BOW THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT TO FIRE THAN ANY BOW I'VE EVER HANDLED BEFORE, BOTH BECAUSE OF ITS SHEER SIZE AND ITS ASYMMETRICAL GRIP. THE JAPANESE LONGBOW CAN STAND A FULL SEVEN TO EIGHT FEET IN LENGTH. THE SHAFT IS MADE OF WOOD LAMINATED BETWEEN TWO STRIPS OF BAMBOO, WHICH GIVES THE BOW GREATER FLEXIBILITY. AND THE HANDGRIP IS ONLY 1/3 OF THE WAY UP THE SHAFT SO THE BOW CAN BE FIRED FROM HORSEBACK. KIYOMOTO OGASAWARA IS A DIRECT DESCENDANT OF ONE OF THE ORIGINAL YABUSAME MASTERS FROM EIGHT CENTURIES AGO. SENSEI, WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THIS TRADITION? >> [speaking Japanese] >> IT IS A RITUAL THAT STARTED OVER 800 YEARS AGO. AND I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE THIS TRADITION BECAUSE IT'S STILL VERY MUCH THE HEART AND SPIRIT OF BEING JAPANESE. >> Schappert: SO I'VE SEEN HOW THESE GUYS RIDE. BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO SEE HOW THEY TRAIN. AND TO DO THIS, I'M WEARING TRADITIONAL TRAINING CLOTHES THAT A SAMURAI WARRIOR WOULD'VE WORN BACK IN THE DAY. THERE'S TWO REASONS FOR THIS: ONE, GIVES YOU GREAT RANGE OF MOVEMENT, AND TWO, MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT FOCUSES YOUR MIND FOR THE TASK AT HAND, TRAINING FOR WAR. NOW, RIGHT NOW, MR. TAKAHASHI'S TEACHING ME HOW TO DO THIS. AND I'M REALLY BAD AT IT, 'CAUSE IT'S VERY, VERY-- >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert: VERY, VERY STRICT FORM AND A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING IT. PULL BACK. NOW, I ACTUALLY WAS JUST A LITTLE BIT SHORT OF THE TARGET. BUT THIS IS A REALLY DIFFERENT WAY OF SHOOTING A BOW THAN ANYTHING I'VE EVER DONE, LIKE WITH THE ENGLISH LONGBOWS; WAY DIFFERENT. VERY RITUALIZED, VERY STYLIZED. BUT IF YOU SEE MR. TAKAHASHI SHOOT, REALLY, REALLY PRETTY DARN EFFECTIVE. ALL RIGHT, CAN WE DO ANOTHER ONE? >> NO, NO, NO, NO. >> Schappert: NO, NO, NO, NO. BUT EVIDENTLY, THIS IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN I THOUGHT, BECAUSE MR. TAKAHASHI PROMPTLY TELLS ME I AM DOING IT ALL WRONG. I TRY TO SMOOTH THINGS OUT THROUGH MY TRANSLATOR, MIKE. SO, MIKE, IF YOU COULD APOLOGIZE TO MR. TAKAHASHI FOR ME BEING SO BAD AT THIS. >> [speaking Japanese] >> NO PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY HARD FOR BEGINNERS. >> Schappert: IT IS HARD FOR-- THAT MAKES ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT NOT REALLY. OKAY, SO HERE WE GO. THE ARROW COMES OUT, AND WE'VE GOT IT LIKE THIS. OKAY. >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert: ALMOST EVERYTHING ABOUT FIRING THIS BOW IS DIFFERENT THAN WESTERN BOWS. AND FOR ME, IT'S HARD TO FIGHT MY INSTINCTS AND TRAINING. THIS IS STILL ANCHORED ON MY LEG TO GET ME SOME-- REMEMBER RIGHT NOW, I'M RIDING ON A HORSE, SO YOU HAVE TO PICTURE THIS. AGAIN, A LITTLE MORE FINESSE THAN I'M USED TO HERE. THESE FINGERS GO UNDER. AND RIGHT AT THE END, I LIFT MY FINGER OFF THE ARROW. I ACTUALLY SHOT BETTER THAT TIME THAN I DID TRYING TO DO THE WAY I THOUGHT. THAT WAS AWESOME. <i>ARIGATO.</i> AS PART OF THE TRAINING, ALL YOUNG SAMURAI WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO MASTER WEAPONS LIKE THE BOW AND THE SWORD. BUT WHAT AMAZES ME IS THAT THIS ONE SAMURAI, MIYAMOTO MUSASHI, WOULD DARE TO CHANGE THE WARRIOR CULTURE. 1596: AT AGE 13, MUSASHI FIGHTS HIS FIRST DUEL. HIS OPPONENT: AN ESTABLISHED SWORD MASTER. THE TWO EXCHANGE BLOWS UNTIL MUSASHI PICKS UP HIS OPPONENT, HURLS HIM TO THE GROUND, AND BEATS HIM TO DEATH WITH HIS WEAPON. MUSASHI LATER WRITES THAT HE WON THE DUEL BECAUSE HE GAVE NO THOUGHT TO HIS OWN LIFE. HE SIMPLY WALKED IN AND STRUCK. THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, MUSASHI WOULD PROVE TIME AND AGAIN THAT HIS GREATEST WEAPON IS HIS MIND. AND HIS SKILLS ARE ABOUT TO BE TESTED IN A BATTLE THAT WILL FOREVER CHANGE HIS FUTURE AND THAT OF JAPAN. >> Schappert: NO WEAPON IS MORE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAMURAI WARRIORS THAN THE SWORD. BUT BY THE MIDDLE OF THE 16TH CENTURY, A TRUE SAMURAI ALSO HAD TO BE A MASTER OF THIS. [gunshots] MATCHLOCK GUNS WERE INTRODUCED BY THE PORTUGUESE IN THE 1540s AND QUICKLY ADOPTED BY THE SAMURAI ARMIES. >> [yelling in Japanese] >> Schappert: THE GUNS HAVE A KILLING RANGE OF 55 YARDS, NEARLY TWICE THAT OF THE BOW. THE MATCHLOCK GETS ITS NAME FROM ITS LONG-BURNING FUSE. THE FUSE IS PLACED IN A BRASS SERPENTINE MOUNTED TO THE SIDE OF THE GUNSTOCK. WHEN THE TRIGGER IS PULLED, THE SERPENTINE IS RELEASED, DROPPING THE FUSE INTO A PRIMING PAN FULL OF GUNPOWDER. [gunshots] >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert: SO THIS IS SIMILAR TO ANY OTHER FRONT-END MUZZLE-LOADING GUN THAT WE STILL PRACTICE WITH IN THE UNITED STATES. AND YOU TAP DOWN THE GUN POWDER. AND YOU'VE ALSO, AT THIS POINT NOW, TAPPED DOWN THE LOAD, WHICH HAS A LITTLE BULLET IN IT. >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert: OKAY. THIS FUSE, WHICH, BY THE WAY, STAYS LIT THE WHOLE TIME, SO YOU REALLY GOT TO BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND KNOW THAT THIS THING IS STILL BURNING. OKAY? SO I'VE NOTICED WHAT HE DOES. HE'S LOADED THE FUSE INTO THE FUSE HOLDER, WHICH HAS BEEN COCKED BACK. NOW THE GUN'S READY TO GO. THE FIRE IS READY TO TOUCH THE GUN POWDER. BRING IT UP. AND ON THE--AND THE JAPANESE COMMAND TO FIRE IS? >> [yells in Japanese] [gunshot] >> Schappert: A SKILLED GUNMAN CAN LOAD AND FIRE HIS WEAPON IN ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND GET OFF FOUR SHOTS IN ABOUT A MINUTE. [gunshots] EARLY GUNS WERE NOT AS ACCURATE AS THE BOW, BUT THEY WERE MORE POWERFUL AND REQUIRED LESS TRAINING. [gunshots] THESE EARLY GUNS WERE EFFECTIVE WEAPONS. BUT IMAGINE TRYING TO RELOAD ONE OF THESE IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE WHILE A LINE OF GUYS IS SHOOTING BACK AT YOU. [gunshots] AND THAT'S WHERE THE SAMURAI MIND REALLY COMES INTO PLAY AND THE WAY THEY PREPARE THEMSELVES TO FACE ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH ON THE BATTLEFIELD. [gunshots] >> [yelling in Japanese] >> Schappert: NOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS A TRADITIONAL PRAYER RITUAL USED BY THE SAMURAI WARRIORS BEFORE GOING INTO COMBAT. SAMURAI WARRIORS WERE PAID BY THE WARLORDS WITH RICE. AND THEY BELIEVED THAT BY MAKING AN OFFERING OF SAKE AND RICE TO THEIR GODS, THEY WOULD BE GRANTED COURAGE IN THE UPCOMING FIGHT. >> OH! >> Schappert: THE RITUAL ENDS WITH A BATTLE CRY THAT SIGNIFIES THE SAMURAI IS READY TO ACCEPT HIS FATE AND EVEN HIS OWN DEATH. BUT PERHAPS NOTHING SYMBOLIZES THE SAMURAI'S WILLINGNESS TO FIGHT MORE THAN WHAT THEY WORE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. SAMURAI ARMOR IS CALLED<i> TATE NASHI,</i> WHICH MEANS "ARMOR THAT NEEDS NO SHIELD." THE PROTECTIVE LAYER IS A FLEXIBLE MESH OF TINY METAL OR WOODEN SCALES THAT ARE LACED TOGETHER WITH SILK. THE SCALES OVERLAP LIKE THE SCALES OF A SNAKE, GIVING A DOUBLE LAYER OF PROTECTION AND A SURPRISING DEGREE OF MOBILITY. SO NOW WE'RE IN A FULL SUIT OF SAMURAI ARMOR, MITHE HELMET. AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, IT FEELS PRETTY COOL. THIS TOOK A WHILE TO PUT ON, THOUGH. THERE'S A LOT OF CRISSCROSSING STRAPS AND A LOT OF SMALL PIECES. BUT ONCE IT'S ON, I FEEL VERY MOBILE. EVERYTHING'S EASY TO DO; KNEELING, GETTING BACK UP, DRAWING A SWORD. DEFINITELY, YOU COULD TAKE SOME HITS. YOU CAN SEE HERE IT'S GOT LAMINATE. SO IT COULD TAKE THE HITS HERE. ALSO GOT CHAIN MAIL ON MY SHINS. YOU COULD FIGHT WITH THIS. >> YAH! >> Schappert: AH! OH! I COULD TELL YOU, THIS IS REALLY FAST, BUT THE ARMOR MOVES WELL. IT'S ARTICULATED SO I CAN GO BACK AND FORTH. BUT YOU HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY 'CAUSE THIS IS A RAZOR COMING TO TAKE YOUR LIFE. AH! BUT THE SAMURAI ARMOR WASN'T JUST FOR PROTECTION. THE DETAILS REVEAL SOMETHING BIGGER. THE SAMURAI PERSONALIZE THEIR HELMETS WITH ORNAMENTATION DESIGNED TO INTIMIDATE THE ENEMY. THE BRIGHT COLORS WERE BELIEVED TO INSPIRE HEROIC DEEDS IN BATTLE. AND EVERY FOOT SOLDIER WORE A SASHIMO, OR A FLAG ON HIS BACK, SO HE COULD EASILY BE IDENTIFIED IN BATTLE. THE IDEA WAS TO INVITE THE ENEMY TO ATTACK. THIS IS A KEY INSIGHT INTO THE CODE OF BUSHIDO. THE ARMY ISN'T JUST TO PROTECT LIFE. IT'S INVITATION TO DEATH ITSELF. IN A WAY, GOING INTO BATTLE, THEY SORT OF THOUGHT OF THEMSELVES AS ALREADY BEING DEAD. RIGHT. YOU CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR THESE GUYS TO NOT ONLY FIGHT BRAVELY, BUT TO HAVE HONOR IN DEATH. NOTHING WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE SAMURAI WARRIOR THAN FIGHTING AND DYING WITH HONOR. SUMMER, 1600. RIVAL SAMURAI ARMIES, ONE FROM THE EAST AND ONE FROM THE WEST, ARRIVE AT A CRITICAL CROSSROADS CALLED SEKIGAHARA. MIYAMOTO MUSASHI, NOW 17 YEARS OLD, COMES UPON THE TWO GREAT ARMIES AND SEES HIS CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF IN BATTLE. HE HONORS HIS FAMILY'S ALLEGIANCE AND JOINS THE ARMY OF THE WEST, A DECISION THAT WOULD FOREVER DEFINE MUSASHI'S PLACE IN SAMURAI SOCIETY. AS A NEW RECRUIT, MUSASHI WOULD'VE FOUGHT IN THE FRONT LINES OF THE SAMURAI ARMY. >> [yelling in Japanese] >> Schappert: AND HE LIKELY WOULD'VE GONE INTO BATTLE ARMED WITH THIS, A SPEAR. THE JAPANESE SPEAR IS CALLED A YARI. IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM EUROPEAN SPEARS. MADE OF HARDWOOD, THEY VARY IN LENGTH, WITH THE LONGEST REACHING OVER 20 FEET. AT ONE END IS AN IRON POMMEL, WHICH ACTS AS A COUNTERWEIGHT BUT WAS ALSO USED AS A POUNDING WEAPON IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT. AT THE OTHER END WAS AN INCREDIBLY SHARP BLADE MADE FROM THE SAME HIGH-QUALITY STEEL AS THE SAMURAI SWORD. THE BLADE IS FLAT. AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO PIERCE THE SPACES BETWEEN THE PLATES OF THE SAMURAI ARMOR. SO NOW MR. UTA IS GOING TO SHOW ME SOME TECHNIQUES THESE GUYS ACTUALLY USED WITH THESE WEAPONS. OKAY. SO THE FIRST... WE CIRCLE, COME IN, AND KICK AND WITHDRAW, AGAIN, USING BODY MECHANICS. AND HERE, WHAT HE DID, HE EXTENDED AND REACHED ALL THE WAY ACROSS LIKE THIS. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS DECEPTIVELY GETTING RANGE ON THE GUY TO GET HIM. OKAY, WHAT'S NEXT? AGAIN, PRETTY SIMPLE MOVE. YOU'RE HERE. YOU LIFT UP. YOU OPEN THE GUY UP, AND THEN YOU COME THROUGH AND YOU ATTACK WITH THE END OF THE SPEAR. LET'S GO AGAIN. CIRCLE, UP, KICK, EXTEND. PERFECT. BODY MECHANICS, SKILL, TRAINING, AND FEROCITY. THESE GUYS WERE UNSTOPPABLE IN BATTLE. THE BATTLEFIELD SKILLS OF THE SAMURAI WARRIOR WOULD BE PUT TO THE TEST, BECAUSE TWO OF HISTORY'S GREATEST SAMURAI ARMIES ARE ABOUT TO COLLIDE. OCTOBER 21, 1600: SAMURAI ARMIES OF THE EAST AND WEST WILL MEET AT THE BATTLE OF SEKIGAHARA. MUSASHI FIGHTS FOR THE WEST AND DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF WITH GREAT HONOR IN COMBAT. BUT THE WEST IS DEFEATED IN ONE OF THE MOST DECISIVE BATTLES IN JAPANESE HISTORY. 700 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR ARE OVER. JAPAN IS FINALLY AT PEACE. BUT FOR THE SAMURAI WARRIOR, IT'S THE END OF AN ERA. NO LONGER WILL THEY FIGHT IN PITCHED BATTLES. THE SAMURAI WARRIOR CULTURE IS ABOUT TO UNDERGO A DRASTIC CHANGE. AT THE HEART OF THAT CHANGE WILL BE MUSASHI. HE'S ABOUT TO SET OUT ON A JOURNEY ACROSS JAPAN, A JOURNEY THAT WILL CHALLENGE THE CODE AND THE MINDSET OF THE SAMURAI WARRIOR. SO THE SAMURAI CULTURE HAS CHANGED FROM ONE OF BATTLEFIELD WARRIOR TO LONE SWORDSMAN. MUSASHI AND HIS SAMURAI HAVE NO WAR TO FIGHT IN. SO THEY ROAM THE COUNTRYSIDE CHALLENGING EACH OTHER TO DUELS. FOR MANY, THE WEAPON OF CHOICE WAS THE SWORD. >> [grunting] >> Schappert: I HAVE THE HONOR OF LEARNING FROM ONE OF THE GREATEST SWORDSMEN ALIVE TODAY, KIYOSHI YOSHIMOCHI. HE HAS A DIRECT LINK TO THE TEACHINGS OF MUSASHI. HE'S SO REVERED IN JAPANESE SOCIETY THAT HE'S ALWAYS ADDRESSED AS "SENSEI," THE JAPANESE WORD FOR "TEACHER" AND A HIGH FORM OF RESPECT. AND IN HIS HANDS, WE CAN SEE JUST HOW LETHAL THE JAPANESE KATANA CAN BE BY TESTING THE BLADE AGAINST A BUNDLE OF RICE STRAW. >> [speaking Japanese] >> THE EDGING IS CALLED MURKY WATER. >> Schappert: IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE MUCH, BUT THESE BUNDLES ARE SOAKED IN WATER UNTIL THEY TAKE ON THE DENSITY OF A LIVING HUMAN BODY, THE TRUE TEST OF THE JAPANESE KATANA. >> WHEN A BUSHI, OR A WARRIOR, ORDERED A KATANA FROM A SMITH, THEY'D WANT TO TEST THE BLADE, THE CUTTING QUALITY OF THE BLADE, AFTER IT'D BEEN COMPLETED. AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS, THEY WOULD TEST THE BLADE ON CONDEMNED OR ALREADY DEAD PRISONERS. >> Schappert: WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD OF THE SAMURAI WARRIOR. EVEN WITH A BLADE AS SHARP AS A KATANA, IT TAKES INCREDIBLE SKILL TO CUT THROUGH A TARGET THIS DENSE AND WITH NO WASTED MOVEMENT. THE SWORDSMAN MUST HIT THE TARGET STRAIGHT ON TO GET A CLEAN CUT. I'M LOOKING AT THIS HERE, AND THIS IS CUT COMPLETELY CLEANLY THROUGH. IMAGINE THIS BEING TISSUE, MUSCLE, BONE, BLOOD, CUTTING RIGHT THROUGH IT LIKE A SCALPEL. VERY SERIOUS. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE POWER COMES FROM THE HIPS AND THROUGH THE PINKY FINGER INTO THE SWORD. >> [speaking Japanese] >> SO AS WE CUT, AS WE GO INTO THE CUT, WE DROP OUR HIPS DOWN. >> Schappert: BUT YOU'RE REALLY SINKING YOUR HIPS INTO IT. >> YOU'RE SINKING YOUR HIPS INTO IT, EXACTLY. >> Schappert: YEAH, OKAY, GOOD. >> NOT STINKING YOUR BACKSIDE OUT. >> Schappert: NO, NO GOOD. NO GOOD. AM I GETTING IT? >> YOU ARE. >> Schappert: HERE GOES. <i>ARIGATO GOZAIMASU.</i> THIS IS A TRUE HONOR FOR ME, TO BE OFFERED NOT ONLY MASTER YOSHIMOCHI'S GUIDANCE BUT ALSO THE USE OF HIS PERSONAL WEAPON IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF RESPECT FOR A SAMURAI WARRIOR. TELL SENSEI I'LL TRY TO MAKE SURE I GET EVERYTHING RIGHT. >> [speaking Japanese] SO, SENSEI, I WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT DOING THIS. WAS IT AN OKAY CUT FOR A FIRST TIME? >> [speaking Japanese] >> FANTASTIC. BEAUTIFUL CUTTING. >> Schappert: PLEASE TELL SENSEI THE ONLY REASON I COULD'VE DONE IT IS THAT I WAS LEARNING FROM A TRUE MASTER. >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert:<i> ARIGATO GOZAIMASU,</i> MASTER SENSEI. >><i> ARIGATO GOZAIMASU.</i> >> Schappert: FELT GREAT. VERY SERIOUS FEELING. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, A LOT OF BODY MECHANICS, A LOT OF MENTAL THINGS TO KEEP IN. BUT THE MAIN THING IS-- AND IT'S TAKEN YEARS, YEARS, A LIFETIME TO BE THE LEVEL THAT SENSEI IS. BUT THIS IS A PERFECT MELDING OF MIND AND WEAPON ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THAT WAS REALLY GREAT. I'M REALLY LUCKY TO GET A CHANCE TO DO THIS. VERY FEW PEOPLE EVER GET A CHANCE TO...<i> ARIGATO GOZAIMASU.</i> SKILLS WITH THE SWORD WERE BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT TO THE SAMURAI WARRIORS BECAUSE THEY WERE ENTERING A NEW PHASE, THE PHASE OF THE RONIN. WHAT IS A RONIN? SO A ROAMING WARRIOR-- >> ROAMING AROUND. NO MASTER. >> Schappert: THESE GUYS, DID THEY SEEK EACH OTHER OUT TO CHALLENGE EACH OTHER? IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? WELL, THAT'S-- I MEAN, IN A WAY-- BUT THAT'S THE THING. WHEN YOU HAVE A WARRIOR CULTURE AND YOU TAKE AWAY THE WAR, YOU STILL HAVE THE URGE TO FIGHT AND THE NEED TO FIGHT. SO THESE GUYS HAVE TO FIGHT SOMEBODY. >> UH-HUH. >> Schappert: HARA. SO THE SAMURAI WERE BECOMING WANDERING SWORDSMEN. I'VE SEEN HOW THEY USED AND TRAINED WITH A KATANA. TO REALLY APPRECIATE THE POWER OF THE SAMURAI SWORD, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S MADE. MR. MATSUDA IS A MODERN-DAY SWORD MAKER THAT STILL MAKES THE JAPANESE KATANA THE TRADITIONAL WAY. THE SECRET: A PRECISE BLENDING OF STRENGTH AND SHARPNESS. THE STRENGTH COMES FROM AN INNER CORE OF SOFT, LOW-CARBON STEEL. THIS FLEXIBLE INNER CORE ACTS LIKE A SHOCK ABSORBER THAT PREVENTS BREAKAGE. THE SWORD'S SHARPNESS COMES FROM AN OUTER LAYER OF HARDER, HIGH-CARBON STEEL THAT CAN HOLD AN EDGE THAT'S RAZOR SHARP. FIRST, THE HIGH-CARBON STEEL IS HEATED, WHICH IS TRICKY, BECAUSE THE METAL HAS TO BE BROUGHT TO JUST THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE. THEN IT'S FOLDED. THIS MIXES THE STEEL AND DISTRIBUTES THE CARBON. BUT AT ANY POINT, THE STEEL COULD BREAK. UNBELIEVABLE. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BREAK, AND IT DIDN'T. AMAZING. HE ALMOST CUT THAT BLOCK IN HALF, JUST ENOUGH SPACE, BENT IT BACK, AND FOLDED IT OVER. HE'S GOING TO DO THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, MAYBE 10, 15 MORE. IT DEPENDS ON THE SMITH. ONCE HE'S HAPPY WITH THE CONSISTENCY OF THE STEEL, HE THEN CREATES A U-SHAPED ENVELOPE. INSIDE THIS OUTER ENVELOPE, HE WILL LAYER IN THE LOWER-CARBON FLEXIBLE INNER CORE. THEN HE SPENDS MONTHS SHAPING, QUENCHING, AND POLISHING THE SWORD. A SINGLE KATANA TAKES 8 TO 12 MONTHS TO COMPLETE. THIS IS WHAT REALLY DELINEATED SAMURAI WARRIORS FROM ANY OTHER THAT HAVE EVER WALKED ON PLANET EARTH. MUSASHI MOST CERTAINLY FOUGHT AND WON DUELS WITH A KATANA LIKE THIS. BUT LITTLE ELSE IS TRADITIONAL ABOUT MUSASHI. HE'S KNOWN FOR HIS UNRULY APPEARANCE AND TATTERED CLOTHING. HE PLEDGES NO ALLEGIANCE TO ANY RULING MASTER OR FAMILY. AND HE IS STARTING TO DEVELOP A FIGHTING STYLE OF HIS OWN. TO LEARN MUSASHI'S TECHNIQUES, I MUST CONTINUE MY TRAINING WITH YOSHIMOCHI SENSEI. HE IS THE WORLD'S LEADING MASTER OF<i> NITEN ICHI-RYU,</i> THE FIGHTING SCHOOL FOUNDED BY MUSASHI OVER 400 YEARS AGO. I'VE STUDIED FIGHTING TECHNIQUES FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. BUT TO LEARN FROM A MASTER IS AN HONOR. LIKE ALL JAPANESE FIGHTING SCHOOLS, MUSASHI'S TEACHINGS RELY ON A KATA, WHICH ARE A SERIES OF PREDETERMINED MOVES, ATTACKS, AND DEFENSES. THE KATA ARE PRACTICED TODAY AS THEY WERE BY MUSASHI WITH BOKKEN, OR WOODEN SWORDS. >> THE HEIGHT OF THE TIP OF THE BLADE SHOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME HEIGHT AS YOUR THROAT. >> Schappert: EACH KATA IS CAREFULLY CHOREOGRAPHED TO TEACH A CENTRAL PRINCIPLE. THIS ONE, THE FIRST KATA, TEACHES HOW TO GO FOR AN OPPONENT'S THROAT. >> [speaking Japanese] >> THE POINT IS, YOU'RE BOTH GOING INTO EACH OTHER, FOCUSING ON EACH OTHER'S CENTER. OKAY, BUT AS SOON AS UCHI, THE OTHER SIDE, MAKES AN ATTACK, THAT'S WHEN YOU MOVE OFF THE CENTER. >> Schappert: THE OFFLINE. >> YEAH, BUT YOU'RE MOVING YOUR BODY OFF-CENTER. YOU'RE STILL MAINTAINING THE CENTER FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE, MAKING HIS CUT INEFFECTIVE. >> Schappert: HIS CUT'S GOING TO MISS YOU. EVEN WITH MY FORMAL MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING, THIS IS HARD... BECAUSE MUSASHI'S TEACHINGS NOT ONLY REQUIRE EXACT POSITIONING AND MOVEMENT. YOU MUST ALSO HOLD A PROPER GAZE, OR PLACEMENT OF THE EYES. IT TEACHES MENTAL STRENGTH AND CONCENTRATION. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER WITH PRECISE TIMING. WOW. THERE'S A LOT TO FOCUS ON AND A LOT TO THINK ABOUT. AND EVEN AT THAT LAST MOMENT, I KNOW WE'RE USING WOODEN TRAINING SWORDS, YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THE POWER OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. THIS IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE THAT USE IN ANY KIND OF FIGHTING, WHETHER IT'S KARATE, JUDO, OR FIGHTING IN IRAQ. WE WANT TO CONTROL OURSELVES, CONTROL OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND NOT GIVE ANYTHING AWAY UNTIL THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND SO THAT YOU ACTUALLY ASSURE VICTORY. GREAT FEELING. DURING THIS RONIN PERIOD OF WANDERING SAMURAI, MUSASHI WAS PERFECTING HIS DUELING SKILLS AND HIS USE OF NEW WEAPONS. 1604: MUSASHI FIGHTS SEVERAL DUELS AGAINST SWORD MASTERS FROM FIGHTING SCHOOLS ACROSS JAPAN. HE WILL GAIN THE COMPETITIVE EDGE NOT WITH A SWORD BUT WITH HIS MIND. MUSASHI ARRIVES LATE FOR THE FIRST TWO DUELS. IT'S A TACTIC DESIGNED TO FRUSTRATE HIS OPPONENTS. THE STRATEGY WORKS. AND MUSASHI WINS THE FIRST TWO DUELS. STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL ARE OUTRAGED AND PLAN TO AMBUSH MUSASHI AT THE NEXT DUEL. BUT THIS TIME, MUSASHI ARRIVES EARLY AND CATCHES THE AMBUSHERS BY SURPRISE. MUSASHI CUTS DOWN SEVERAL OF THE ATTACKERS WITH HIS SWORD AND ESCAPES YET AGAIN. MUSASHI HAS DEVELOPED A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE BEST, IF NOT THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL, DUELERS. BUT IF MUSASHI IS TO CHANGE THE SAMURAI CULTURE FOR GOOD, HE WILL HAVE TO SHARPEN HIS SKILLS AND HIS MIND EVEN MORE AND ADAPT TO NEW WEAPONS AND NEW TACTICS. DURING THIS TIME, MUSASHI FIGHTS OVER 60 DUELS AND NEVER LOSES. THE KEY TO HIS SUCCESS: CONSTANTLY ADAPTING TO HIS OPPONENTS. BUT MUSASHI'S OPPONENTS WERE ADAPTING AS WELL. THIS IS THE JO, A SIMPLE WOODEN STAFF ABOUT FOUR FEET LONG. BY 1608, A NEW FIGHTING SCHOOL ADOPTED THIS AS ITS PRIMARY WEAPON AND AS AN ALTERNATE TO THE SWORD IN A DUEL. THIS IS A WEAPON MUSASHI WOULD HAVE TO DEFEAT. THE JO IS AS SIMPLE A WEAPON AS YOU CAN GET, BASICALLY, JUST A PIECE OF WOOD. BUT THAT SIMPLICITY ALSO MAKES IT INCREDIBLY VERSATILE. IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROLLING DISTANCE AND BEING ABLE TO ATTACK YOUR ENEMY WHILE STAYING SAFELY OUT OF THE REACH OF HIS SWORD. AND A TRUE MASTER CAN USE THAT ADVANTAGE TO DISARM AN OPPONENT AND MOVE IN FOR THE KILL. THIS IS SUCH A PRIVILEGE. GUYS IN SPECIAL FORCES LIVE TO SEE THIS. THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION OF SKILL AND SPEED THAT WE ASPIRE TO. SO NOW YOSHIDA SENSEI IS ABOUT TO SHOW ME SOME WAYS THAT THE JO CAN DEFEAT THE SWORD. AY! I'M IN. RIGHT AWAY, HE HITS MY WRIST. NERVE STRIKE. I TRY TO GET AWAY. BOOM, RIGHT ON TOP. HE HAS NOW REALLY DISABLED BOTH MY HANDS WITH AN ACCURATE STRIKE RIGHT ON THAT RADIAL NERVE. I'M TRYING TO GET AWAY... OH. THAT WOODEN STRIKE RIGHT THERE TO THE THROAT IN THAT LITTLE CONCENTRATED AREA WILL CRUSH YOUR WINDPIPE AND KILL YOU. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, I THEN GET A GROIN STRIKE, AND I'M TAKEN TO THE GROUND. >> [speaking Japanese] >> Schappert: AND RIGHT NOW... RIGHT NOW, HE'S EXPLAINING ZANCHIN, WHICH IS A MINDSET THAT ALL WARRIORS TRAIN. AND WHAT THAT IS IS THAT THE FIGHT IS NEVER OVER. EVEN THOUGH I LOOK LIKE I'M DEFEATED AND I MAY BE, HE'S STILL IN THE FIGHT READY TO ATTACK AND KILL AT ANY MOMENT'S NOTICE. THIS IS WHAT SAMURAI WERE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT. IT'S AMAZING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET PAST THE JO WITH A SWORD. BUT YOSHIDA SENSEI HAS STUDIED AND TRAINED WITH THIS WEAPON FOR ALMOST HIS ENTIRE LIFE. IT'S LIKE I ALWAYS SAY, A TRUE WARRIOR IS NOT DEFINED BY HIS WEAPON BUT BY HIS SKILLS AND MINDSET. MUSASHI NEVER LOST A FIGHT. BUT HE DID FIGHT TO ONE DRAW, AND IT WAS AGAINST THAT WEAPON. SO THE SAMURAI WARRIORS WERE CONSTANTLY MODIFYING THEIR SKILLS AND THEIR WEAPONS. AND THE JO WAS NOT THE ONLY NEW WEAPON MUSASHI WOULD FACE. THIS IS THE KUSARIGAMA, A SICKLE ON A CHAIN. IT'S BELIEVED THE KUSARIGAMA WAS ORIGINALLY AN AGRICULTURAL TOOL. BUT IN THE HANDS OF THE SAMURAI WARRIOR, IT'S AN INCREDIBLY DEADLY WEAPON. THE KUSARIGAMA IS MADE UP OF THREE BASIC PARTS: THE MOST IMPORTANT, THE CHAIN, WHICH VARIED IN LENGTH DEPENDING ON THE WARRIOR. ON ONE END OF THE CHAIN WAS A WEIGHT, WHICH ALLOWED FOR MORE EFFECTIVE THROWING. AND ON THE OTHER END, DOUBLE-EDGED SICKLE MADE OF IRON OR STEEL AND HONED TO A RAZOR-SHARP POINT. HOW LONG'S THAT CHAIN, SENSEI? A WEIGHT AT THE END OF THE CHAIN TO GIVE IT SOME HEFT WHEN YOU'RE SWINGING IT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS TO USE A KUSARIGAMA. YOU CAN THROW THE WEIGHT DIRECTLY AT YOUR OPPONENT'S HEAD TO DISTRACT HIM, OR, EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE, USE THE CHAIN TO WRAP HIM UP. SO THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS CHAIN IS ACTUALLY TO WRAP THE GUY UP AND IMMOBILIZE HIM. THIS WEIGHT, JUST BY MOMENTUM, SWINGS AROUND. NOW HE'S GOT MY JOINT. THEY DON'T SWING THIS SICKLE. THIS IS USED TO COME IN AND FINISH THE GUY AFTER YOU GOT HIM ALL BOUND UP. VERY THOUGHTFUL AND REALLY DEADLY. FIGHTING THE KUSARIGAMA IS REALLY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE WITH THE KATANA, I HAVE TO GET INSIDE FOUR FEET TO STRIKE HIM. BUT HE CAN BE OVER TEN FEET AWAY AND STILL DELIVER A BLOW. AND A SKILLED FIGHTER CAN USE THE KUSARIGAMA TO QUICKLY DISARM HIS OPPONENT. AH. THAT WAS GREAT. I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY SCARY WEAPON, 'CAUSE HE'S SO GOOD AND HE'S SO FAST. AND THE DIRECTION CHANGES SO QUICKLY. HE WAS BEING NICE TO ME. BUT IF HE WANTED TO, HE COULD'VE EASILY TAKEN ME DOWN AND KILLED ME. WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT. THAT'S WHAT BEING A WARRIOR'S ALL ABOUT. AND MUSASHI HIMSELF ALMOST MET HIS END WHEN HE DUELED AN OPPONENT ARMED WITH A KUSARIGAMA. THE OPPONENT HAS MUSASHI'S LONG SWORD WRAPPED UP IN HIS CHAIN AND HE'S MOVING IN FOR THE KILL. BUT MUSASHI, STAYING COOL UNDER PRESSURE, DRAWS HIS SHORT SWORD, THROWS IT AT HIM, AND STABS HIM IN THE HEART. MUSASHI HAD ONCE AGAIN SURVIVED THANKS TO QUICK THINKING AND HIS ABILITY TO ADAPT. MUSASHI'S GREATEST WEAPON MAY HAVE BEEN HIS ABILITY TO CONSTANTLY DEVELOP NEW WAYS OF USING WEAPONS AND NEW STRATEGIES TO BRING TO EVERY FIGHT. AND MUSASHI WOULD HAVE TO ADAPT YET AGAIN FOR HIS NEXT AND MOST CHALLENGING DUEL. HIS NAME IS SASAKI KOJIRO, AND HE HAS BUILT A REPUTATION AS ONE OF JAPAN'S MASTER DUELERS. HE IS UNDEFEATED AND EARNS THE NAME "DEMON OF THE WESTERN PROVINCE." WELL, KOJIRO WAS WHAT YOU WOULD SORT OF CONSIDER THE CLASSICAL PICTURE OF A SAMURAI. I MEAN, HE FOLLOWED TRADITIONS. HE KEPT HIMSELF COMPLETELY IMMACULATELY DRESSED. I MEAN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, HE FOLLOWED. RIGHT. KOJIRO IS VERY TRADITIONAL, VERY REVERENT, VERY RESPECTED, EVERYTHING THAT MUSASHI IS NOT. MUSASHI LEARNS OF KOJIRO'S REPUTATION AND CHALLENGES HIM TO A DUEL. HE KNOWS THIS IS GOING TO BE THE TOUGHEST FIGHT OF HIS LIFE, BECAUSE KOJIRO IS NO ORDINARY SWORDSMAN AND HE FIGHTS WITH NO ORDINARY SWORD. THIS IS THE SWORD KOJIRO IS KNOWN FOR, A WEAPON HE CALLED THE DRYING POLE, BECAUSE IT WAS SO LONG, IT RESEMBLED THE LONG BAMBOO POLES THAT WERE USED AT THE TIME TO DRY LAUNDRY. NOW, THIS SWORD IS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER THAN THE KATANA. AND KOJIRO KNEW IT WOULD GIVE HIM MORE RANGE IN THE FIGHT. BUT HE ALSO BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD INTIMIDATE HIS OPPONENTS. KOJIRO ACCEPTS MUSASHI'S CHALLENGE. A DUEL IS SET. THE PLACE: A TINY ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN. THE TIME: DAWN, THE HOUR OF THE DRAGON. MUSASHI HAS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BEAT THE TOUGHEST OPPONENT HE WILL EVER FACE. AND TO DO IT, HE WILL HAVE TO ADAPT ONCE AGAIN AND CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW WEAPON. >> Schappert: APRIL 12, 1612, THE DAY BEFORE THE MOST FAMOUS ONE-ON-ONE DUEL IN JAPANESE HISTORY. TWO PROMINENT SAMURAI, SASAKI KOJIRO AND MIYAMOTO MUSASHI, HAVE AGREED TO A SHOWDOWN ON GANRYU ISLAND, JUST OFF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN JAPAN. BOTH MUSASHI AND KOJIRO GO INTO THE DUEL UNDEFEATED. BUT OTHERWISE, THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WARRIORS. KOJIRO IS WELL DRESSED, WELL RESPECTED, WELL CONNECTED TO JAPAN'S RULING FAMILIES AND KNOW FOR HIS GRACEFUL SKILLS WITH THE LONG SWORD, A SWORD THAT'S SEVERAL INCHES LONGER THAN ANY KATANA. MUSASHI, BY CONTRAST, IS AN OUTSIDER, A DRIFTER, AND KNOWN TO FIGHT WITH WHATEVER WEAPON IS AT HAND. THE TRADITIONAL PERFECT IDEAL OF A SAMURAI. AND YOU HAVE MUSASHI WHO WAS THIS KIND OF WILD, UNKEMPT... THE DAY BEFORE THE DUEL, KOJIRO IS PRAYING TO THE GODS FOR VICTORY, PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT THE TRADITIONAL SAMURAI WAY, BUT MUSASHI IS MISSING. SOME THINK HE IS AFRAID TO FACE KOJIRO AND HAS RUN AWAY. BUT THEY ARE WRONG. MUSASHI HAS NOT RUN. HE'S IN THE COUNTRY PREPARING FOR THE DUEL HIS OWN WAY. FOR MUSASHI, PREPARING FOR BATTLE IS NOT ABOUT PRAYER. IT'S ABOUT USING HIS WITS AND OUTSMARTING HIS OPPONENT. HE KNOWS HE MUST FIND A WAY TO COUNTER THE LONG SWORD OF KOJIRO. SO HE CREATES HIS OWN WEAPON, A WOODEN SWORD ABOUT AN INCH OR SO LONGER THAN KOJIRO'S. HE CARVED THIS WEAPON FROM AN EXTRA OAR ON THE ROWBOAT HE WAS TO TAKE TO THE DUEL. DAWN, APRIL 13, 1612: IT'S THE MORNING OF THE DUEL, AND IN TRUE SAMURAI FASHION, KOJIRO HAS ARRIVED EARLY AND READY TO GO. MUSASHI ISN'T EVEN HERE. KOJIRO IS FURIOUS. AND IT'S THE HEIGHT OF INSULT TO NOT SHOW UP WHEN YOU MAKE A DUEL WITH A SAMURAI. WHERE IS MUSASHI? WHERE COULD HE BE RIGHT NOW? IS HE AFRAID, OR IS HE JUST CRAZY? KOJIRO HAS NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON. AND LITTLE DOES HE KNOW THAT HE IS PLAYING RIGHT INTO MUSASHI'S HANDS. FOR MUSASHI, THE DUEL HAS ALREADY BEGUN. AND HE KNOWS THAT BY ARRIVING LATE, HE WILL THROW KOJIRO OFF HIS GAME. >> HE KNEW HOW TO PSYCH HIM OUT. >> Schappert: YEAH, EXACTLY. HE KNEW WHAT WOULD GET TO KOJIRO, AND IT WORKED. >> YEAH, IT WORKED. >> Schappert: RIGHT. MUSASHI FINALLY ARRIVES, AND HE'S TWO HOURS LATE. HE CALMLY GETS OUT OF THE BOAT AND APPROACHES THE SHORE. KOJIRO LOOKS AND CAN'T BELIEVE HIS EYES. INSTEAD OF THE SWORD, MUSASHI HAS BROUGHT THIS, A PIECE OF WOOD WHITTLED FROM AN OAR. KOJIRO CAN'T EVEN THINK STRAIGHT. HE YELLS AT MUSASHI, "ARE YOU LATE BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID?" HE DRAWS HIS SWORD AND THROWS THE SCABBARD AWAY. MUSASHI CALMLY TURNS TO KOJIRO AND SAYS, "YOU HAVE ALREADY LOST." MUSASHI'S TAUNT ENRAGES KOJIRO EVEN MORE. GAME ON. KOJIRO MAKES THE FIRST MOVE AND VICIOUSLY ATTACKS MUSASHI. BOOM! MUSASHI POSITIONS HIMSELF SO THE SWORD MISSES HIM BY INCHES. NOW HE'S GOT HIS OPENING. DIRECT HIT ON THE TOP OF KOJIRO'S HEAD. KOJIRO IS DOWN. MUSASHI LOWERS HIS WEAPON, MAINTAINING HIS FOCUS ON KOJIRO, WHO DOES NOT MOVE. SUDDENLY, WITH LIFE STILL IN HIM, KOJIRO'S SWINGS AT MUSASHI'S LEG, BARELY MISSING AN ARTERY. MUSASHI COUNTERS WITH A VICIOUS BLOW TO THE CHEST. BLOOD FLOWED FROM THE MOUTH OF KOJIRO. MUSASHI CHECKS FOR SIGNS OF LIFE. THERE ARE NONE. THE DUEL IS OVER. MUSASHI WOULD NEVER AGAIN CHALLENGE ANOTHER SWORD MASTER TO A DUEL. INSTEAD, HE FIGHTS ONLY WHEN CHALLENGED AND NEVER AGAIN TO THE DEATH. AFTER THE FIGHT THEN, MUSASHI... DID HE DISAPPEAR? I MEAN, WHERE DID HE GO? AT THE END OF HIS LIFE, MUSASHI RETREATED TO A CAVE AND WROTE<i> THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS,</i> ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL BOOKS EVER WRITTEN ON THE MIND OF THE WARRIOR AND THE TACTICS OF FIGHTING. FOR ME, PERSONALLY, IF I COULD HAVE ONLY ONE BOOK ABOUT BEING A WARRIOR, IT WOULD BE MUSASHI'S <i>BOOK OF FIVE RINGS.</i> AND HIS LEGACY CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. MUSASHI'S FIGHTING SCHOOL SURVIVES. ITS HEADMASTER, YOSHIMOCHI SENSEI. HE IS THE 12TH SUCCESSOR OF MUSASHI HIMSELF. IT'S A POSITION OF SUCH PROMINENCE THAT HIS NAME IS ENGRAVED IN THIS MONUMENT DEDICATED TO MUSASHI'S MEMORY. THIS IS SENSEI RIGHT THERE? I FEEL A REAL BOND TO YOSHIMOCHI SENSEI. LIKE ME, HE IS A MODERN-DAY WARRIOR, AN EXTENSION OF A GREAT WARRIOR CULTURE. IT'S BEEN A VERY BIG HONOR FOR ME AS A SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER TO MEET FOLKS LIKE YOU AND SENSEI. BUT THE GREATEST HONOR IS STILL TO COME. A VERY SPECIAL GIFT FROM SENSEI, A PAIR OF WOODEN BOKKEN, MEANT TO BRING ME AND MY UNIT GOOD LUCK. >> [speaking Japanese] >> THIS IS TO BRING YOU LUCK IN YOUR UPCOMING TRIP OVERSEAS TO AFGHANISTAN. GOOD LUCK. >> Schappert: HONOR, COURAGE, LOYALTY, AND SERVICE: THESE DEFINE THE SAMURAI, AND THEY DEFINE SOLDIERS TODAY. MUSASHI'S LEGACY OF AN OPEN MIND, AN ABILITY TO ADAPT, AND CONSTANT PURSUIT OF PERFECTION ARE WHAT WE STRIVE FOR IN SPECIAL FORCES. LIKE SENSEI AND MUSASHI BEFORE HIM, I AM HONORED TO BE PART OF THE GREAT WARRIOR TRADITION. Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax www.captionmax.com</font>
Info
Channel: HISTORY
Views: 305,169
Rating: 4.8756385 out of 5
Keywords: Warriors, Samurai Showdown, history, history channel, history shows, history channel shows, green baret, weapons, full episodes, warriors full episode, army officer, warrior, battlefield, knight fight, knight fight full episodes, Barbarian Massacre, watch worriors, watch worriors full episodes, watch history full episodes, history full episodes, warriors season 1 epiosode 6, warriours se01 e06, warriors s1 e6, warriors 1X6, archrival Kojiro, Terry Schappert, samurai Musashi
Id: aom1_DiPGhI
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 44min 13sec (2653 seconds)
Published: Thu Mar 12 2020
Related Videos
Note
Please note that this website is currently a work in progress! Lots of interesting data and statistics to come.