A secret book containing knowledge passed down by a samurai named Itō Ittōsai, who is known as the “samurai warrior” with 33 times undefeated in competitions has just been found, Live Science reports.
The date of death of samurai Ittōsai is unknown, but historical records show that the warrior lived to be nearly 90 years old. According to some accounts, he was born in 1560, during the Warring States Period until the early Edo period.
Another legendary swordsman who lived from this period was Miyamoto Musashi , known for his unique and perfect dual-sword swordsmanship, as well as his undefeated record of 61 matches (compared to Itō Ittōsai’s 33 fights). ). However, compared to Itō Ittōsai, Miyamoto Musashi belongs to the junior class when about 24 years younger.
Image of Itō Ittōsai in the famous manga series Wanderer (Vagabond).
As determined by researchers, Itō Ittōsai’s secret to synthesizing great techniques was written in the 17th century, several decades after the legendary samurai died. Accordingly, Ittōsai did not write the secret book “12 great sword techniques” by himself, but only taught his disciples to follow the Ittō-ryū (One Saber) sword school that was very popular in the Edo period. His disciples included such famous people as: Ono Zenki, Kotōda Toshinao and Ono Tadaaki. Ittōsai’s disciple himself later compiled the techniques into a secret book.
According to Eric Shahan, a Japanese translator who specializes in translating martial arts texts, the secret book of sword techniques to defeat an opponent was drawn up by Itō Ittōsai during his lifetime of studying kendo. Notably, the book also recorded two mysterious spells, which were used to awaken the spiritual power of a samurai.
Itō Ittōsai’s secret book of techniques was written in the 17th century. (Illustrated).
According to Live Science, the two mantras are quite vague and confusing. One of them said that samurai should draw some Sanskrit characters on the palm. Then, they rub their hands together, recite the incantation, and then rotate their hands around before making an “Un” sound. Finally, they pat and rub their hands again.
One of the techniques in the secret is called “Mind Eye.” This technique suggests that samurai should not observe their opponents with the naked eye. Instead, samurai need to look at them with mental strength . With the naked eye, you can be fooled. But if you look with your mind, you will always have concentration,” the secret book clearly states.
The Japanese people of the 17th century considered the samurai who mastered the “Mind Eye” technique to have extraordinary strength. “At that time, any samurai who knew this technique were believed to have supernatural powers,” said Mr. Shahan.
However, if analyzed from a scientific perspective, this technique is especially useful in sword fights.
Ittōsai did not pen the secret book “12 great sword techniques” himself, but only taught his disciples to follow the Ittō-ryū sword school.
“You will react faster to things moving in your field of vision. If you just focus on staring at the opponent’s sword and pay close attention to their every move, it will be difficult for you to counterattack in time,” expert Shahan explained about the “Mind Eye” technique.
“Conversely, allowing your opponent to appear completely in your field of vision, rather than focusing on just any part, gives you a greater advantage. Peripheral vision (the area outside the center of what you can see clearly) will allow you to react more quickly to any movement or attack of the opponent.”
Also according to expert Shahan, the above mantra could be a form of helping the samurai to mentally stabilize before the competition.
“If your mind is in turmoil before the battle, defeat will be certain. You need to allow the body to react freely and unconsciously to the opponent’s attack,” this expert said.
The great technique Ho Tam has the effect of warning martial artists to avoid being too cautious.
Another technique mentioned in the legendary samurai Itō Ittōsai’s secret book is the “heart of the fox” (the fox’s heart) , which is used to warn samurai to avoid being too cautious. Foxes are by nature to be cautious and suspicious, but this is a fatal weakness that allows them to be killed.
“Instead of running, the fox turned its head to check if anyone was chasing it. Because of this hesitation, the hunter can surround and kill the fox. The lesson here is that excessive caution leads to a pitiful end for the fox,” noted Ho Tam. “ If a samurai becomes distracted during a duel, the opponent will attack immediately. Therefore, it is essential that you be decisive in all your actions. You have to forcefully train yourself to let your mind fall into an unconscious state.”
The Japanese translator Shahan also said that the samurai who studied the Nhat Dao Luu style were trained in techniques so well that they were “ingrained” in their bodies. The samurai needed mental strength that allowed their bodies to react quickly without judging the situation.