His birth year and place—Mimasaka (Okayama) or Harima (Hyōgo), among others—are debated.
According to his later Book of Five Rings, he fought his first duel at 13, defeating a swordsman named Arima Kihei.
Around this time he went to Kyoto and reportedly defeated the famed Yoshioka school of swordsmen. He wrote that he fought over sixty duels in many places without a single loss.
Around this time he is said to have fought Sasaki Kojirō on Funashima (Ganryūjima) off Buzen (date and details debated).
He reportedly joined the Siege of Osaka in the unit of a Tokugawa-side commander.
His adopted son Miyamoto Iori entered the service of the Akashi domain in Harima and later rose to chief retainer; Musashi lived with him for a time.
He joined the Shimabara campaign with the army of the Ogasawara, Iori's lords.
Invited by Hosokawa Tadatoshi, lord of Kumamoto in Higo, he settled there. Beyond swordsmanship he left fine ink paintings and carvings.
Retiring to the Reigandō cave near Kumamoto, he began writing the Book of Five Rings, setting out his way of the sword, including his two-sword Niten Ichi-ryū.
Entrusting the Book of Five Rings to a pupil, he died in Kumamoto.
Tokugawa HidetadaKasuga no TsuboneKobori EnshūHayashi RazanIngenMatsudaira NobutsunaSenhimeTokugawa Iemitsu
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.