Duel

The cultivation of ethics was considered of paramount importance to the bushi - the classical warrior. Being ethical is closely related with possessing wisdom, hence the archetypal image of the enlightened master. One aspect of ethics has to do with honor. Maintaining one's honor, unfortunately, is quite often misconstrued with defending the ego. When a person's pride (or worse, reputation) is damaged, revenge is sought; wisdom is then nowhere to be found. Historically, a way to exact revenge that was socially acceptable, was to challenge the so-called antagonist to a duel. If somebody, particularly an established enemy, disgraced or humiliated you in some way (whether real or imagined), you had a legal opportunity to commit murder. Abraham Lincoln, during his formitive years in politics, made some disparaging remarks about a rival in a newspaper. When he was challenged to a swordfight by his insulted party, he recanted his offensive statement. Lincoln, however, was no stranger to brutal encounters. In his younger days, he competed in no-holds-barred wrestling contests for purses.

Musashi engaged in sixty duels during his long life. His chosen lifestyle and reputation as a warrior kept him looking over his shoulder for most of his years. Musashi would quite often arrive late for a schedueled match to unnerve his opponent (a humorous version of this strategy appears in Woody Allen's War and Peace). Incredibly, some of his later battles were won using only a bokken (wooden practice sword). Kata, unlike the dueling concept, was developed with multiple assailants in mind. The average kata lasts one to three minutes. The average duel (regardless of choice of weapons) was over in seconds. Duelists always thought they were completely justified and right. Dignity became more important than the sacredness of life. The title of a famous poem comes to mind: Death Be Not Proud.