was a

retainer Retainer may refer to: * Retainer (orthodontics), devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship * Retainers in early China, a social group in early China Employment * Retainer agreement, a contract in which an employer pays in advance for ...

under the current lord over the Ogasawara during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

(17th century) of Japan. Matabei was renowned as a famous adept of the art of the lance. While the famous swordsman

Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...

had currently been staying within

Kokura is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyushu, Japan, guarding the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshu and Kyushu with its suburb Moji. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound San'yō Shinkansen lin ...

, Matabei had visited him at many times as to receive his unique teachings. The lord of Ogasawara had at one time requested Matabei to duel Musashi. Matabei was compelled to fight even though he had not wanted to, as to obey his lord's command. Matabei chose to use a bamboo lance, while Musashi chose an ordinary sword made of wood. At the beginning of their duel, Matabei had at first attacked Musashi with his lance, in which Musashi had then calmly penetrated in close range using the middle-level guard and won two times. Matabei's lance had slid between Musashi's legs the third bout however. Due to this fact, Musashi said, "''I was touched, therefore I lost this time''". Musashi had then told all of the onlookers how much of an adept Matabei was with the lance. Matabei had later said after the duel, "''Master Musashi is a true adept whom I was unable to touch. It was to save my face that he acted as though I had won once out of three times''".

References

''Miyamoto Musashi - Life and Writings''

Takada Matabei was a retainer under the current lord over the Ogasawara during the Edo period (17th century) of Japan. Matabei was renowned as a famous adept of the art of the lance. While the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi had currently been staying within ...

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