@Background Pony #52E1
 
That’s precisely why I actually consider Musashi a terrible duelist. Oh, make no mistake, he was clever and cunning and did everything he did to get an advantage, but people assume he was a masterful and unbeatable swordsman who won in face-to-face straight fights.
 
I know that there were times his tricks and diversions were necessary in order to survive (because sometimes the guy you killed in a duel had very angry friends more than happy to finish you off once you were exhausted), but I hate the idea people think he was ‘just that good’.
 
I mean, what the hell was he going to do if he decided to show up and Kojiro had left? Kojiro would be fully justified in going, “I waited for the guy at the appointed time and place, and the bastard was too cowardly to show up,” to everyone who’d listen.

Heck, the whole oar thing was specifically done to enrage Sasaki, as was showing up 3 hours late for the duel. even then, he actually fashioned a wooden sword out of the oar.
 
Musashi wanted Sasaki as blinded by his emotion as possible.

@WM-R  
Didn’t that actually happ- no wait, that’s wrestling.

@WM-R  
Damn, now I want to do that.

@FlutterMEDIC1
 
On the other hand, the way I’ve seen things described, the opponents usually went in expecting it to be a ritualised duel.
 
It’d be like if you challenged someone to a boxing match, then appeared from under the ring and smashed them in the face with a metal chair.

So old and yet so funny.  
I wonder how egophiliac feels about seeing this again.

@Pathfinder  
In warfare there is no such thing as cheating, nor with Japanese dueling. If you found something that would assist you back then, you would take it.

 
I take it they fought again?

To be honest with all my respect to Myamoto most of his fighting prowess was coming from:  
1)Being around 6 feet tall in society with average below 5 feet  
2)He cheated on every occasion (like a duel with the oar)
 
Still, even though I train western fencing, Book of five rings is great lecture.

To paraphrase Calvin, remember that out of a cat’s six ends, five of them are sharp and pointy.

 
“Ah, I see you are knowledgeable in Way of Stray Cat.”

“None of that stupid boat-oar stuff”, says the guy with the laundry pole.