Kurando VS Miyamoto Musashi

An old man at age 73 and a young swordsman at age 29, Miyamoto Musashi had just defeated Sasaki Kojiro at Ganryu-jima island came to challenge Kurando.

Marume Kurando was plowing a field at that time.

Miyamoto Musashi visited him and asked to have a bout. Immediately after Musashi asked so, Kurando suddenly “lost his hearing” and started saying “What? oh, you are hungry. Come here, come here”, Musashi replied “no, please have a bout with me”, but Kurando told him “feel free. I will serve you potato congee” and took him a home.

A hot pot was placed on a fire of Japanese style stove and began to boil. Kurando served the potato congee to Musashi himself. Musashi ate the congee without letting his guard down. After they finished their meal, Kurando told him that he would go to a field again, and moved out the house carrying a Kuwa Japanese shovel. Along the way there was a house and a stable, Kurando carrying the shovel walked through the narrow path between them in the fashion of an old man. Miyamoto Musashi followed him still with his guard up.

When they walked through the middle of the pathways, Kurando suddenly looked back and energetically swung the shovel on his shoulder and above his head. Musashi could not draw his sword as the path was too narrow on both his left and right sides. Needless to say, he could not draw two swords.

Kurando attacked Musashi with the shovel. However, true to his reputation, Miyamoto Musashi’s, stepped back smoothly and pulled himself up in a fighting posture.

Kurando looked at him, grinned and left. Musashi followed Kurando again, and found him calmly plowing his field. So Miyamoto Musashi politely told him that “I am no match for you, and I am too far away from such an achievement” and I understand the kind teaching you have offered” he then left.