My wife Nina recently found this amazing Japanese antique tray for a client. I begged her to keep it for our own collection, but her client had already seen and fallen in love with it, so I’ll have to be happy with this picture. The artwork depicts a single Samurai warrior fending off a dozen enemies with a tree trunk. I am assuming it represents the legendary lone Samurai, Miyamoto Musashi.
The image struck a chord with me because I feel the artist really captured the spirit of the Samurai. If you’re not already familiar with it, the code of Bushido is based on seven principles to guide a Samurai – the most prominent being honor.
Toshirō Mifune in Akira Kurasawa's "Seven Samurai"
These are time honored principles that continue to guide martial artists and men of honor today.
The 7 Principles of Bushido
1. Honor (Meiyo)
2. Duty & Loyalty (Chu)
3. Justice & Morality (GI)
4. Complete Sincerity (Makoto)
5. Polite Courtesy (Rei)
6. Compassion (Jin)
7. Heroic Courage (Yu)
