The Samurai followed a Code known as Bunbu Ryodo 文武両道 The Mastery of Sword and Letters.
Most Samurai were trained from a young age in the Neo-Confucian Classics and Shodo, the Way of the Brush. I did a Series of Articles and Videos exploring this subject in depth for the Magazine Gekkan Hiden called: The Brush is the Sword of the Mind Explore the character behind the characters which these Samurai painted: Miyamoto Musashi, Takuan Soho, Matsudaira Katamori, Yoshida Shoin, Sakamoto Ryoma, Nakamura Tempu, Ohishi Kuranosuke, Takeda Shingen, Sen no Rikyu, Oh You Mei, Sanada Ninja, and Yamaoka Tesshu, with additional articles on Ninja and Samurai Calligraphy. The Entire Series can be viewed in English at: http://budojapan.com/samurai-shodo-series/ and in Japanese at: webhiden.jp/master/dtail/william_reed.php |
AuthorThe Brush is the Sword of the Mind is a monthly column I write for the Budo Magazine Gekkan Hiden 月刊秘伝. Each month I feature the calligraphy of a different Samurai from history, taking a close look at the character of the man behind the Brush. The series is published in the magazine each month in Japanese, with an online video on Webhiden.jp, and an English language version with video on budojapan.com. The articles will be uploaded here as the series grows. ArchivesCategories |