[rollei_list] Re: OT- *bokken* (was: Ardy)
- From: Ardeshir Mehta <ardeshir@xxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 19:36:47 -0400
On 20-May-05, at 3:48 PM, Jerry Lehrer wrote:
> Ardy,
>
> A few friends have relayed some of your messages regarding some of
> my messages.
>
> I would like to remind you that all your messages to me were and
> are, filtered out.
Ah well. <sigh!> So I guess you will never see my offers for your
items for sale on Fridays!
> ALL my Japanese dictionaries show "bokken" literally is single
> stick. I have seen Bokken activities in Japan, and most of them
> used cylindrical wooden sticks.
True enough, but in the Japanese language as such, *bo-* used as a
prefix means "wood" or "wooden", as in *bo-jitsu*, and *ken* means
sword, as in *kendo*! So *bokken* literally means "wooden sword".
(Check out also the on-line Japanese-English dictionary at <http://
www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html>.)
Then there's this, from the article "Miyamoto Musashi and Tomoe Gozen
- Samurai Warriors", which can be found at <http://www.iyume.com/
musashi/musashi.htm>:
[QUOTE]
In 1612, Musashi defeated the noted master swordsman Sasaki Kojiro in
one of his most famous duels. It is said that he once again arrived
late, and that he fought armed with a bokken he had carved from an
oar on his way to the duel, while Kojiro used a real sword. He mocked
Kojiro when the older man threw away his scabbard, remarking that he
would not need it again. According to accounts of the fight, the two
men struck hard at each other's heads, and while Kojiro's blade cut
through Musashi's headband, Musashi struck faster, and the impromptu
bokken split Kojiro's skull before he could complete his blow. After
this duel, Musashi rarely fought anyone using a real sword. One
account has him defeating a swordsman simply by guarding himself with
a tessen (an iron defensive fan) until his opponent became tired and
submitted.
One exception to this rule was a fight in Enmyo, against Miyake
Gunbei, in which Musashi first used his two-sword style in a duel. He
killed Gunbei, and named the style Enmyo-Ryu, after the duel (Ryu
means school, or style). Later he changed the name to Nito Ichi-Ryu
(Two Swords integrated as One School), and then again to Niten Ichi-
Ryu. Niten means 'two heavens', and is thought to refer to Musashi's
most famous combat stance, with two daito raised above his head. It
is said that on his death, not one of Musashi's students could master
Niten Ichi-Ryu, and the style died with its creator.
[END QUOTE]
From this it would appear that Musashi almost always used two
*bokken* after he (largely) stopped using real swords.
Cheers!
---
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