#Goemon Ishikawa XIII isn't the first iaido master to show “Don't be cut off when my sword slowly returns to its scabbard”

[nezumikozo6th]

Pulptober 2024 Day 29-Justice at Gunpoint-Zatoichi

Zatoichi is a typical grassroots hero.He wanders around and makes a living by giving massages,often fights against villains for the oppressed based on kindness and mortality,and makes friends or enemies with many underground person.Like the heroes of the American West,he often quickly drew his weapon and defeated his enemies with one blow,but instead of a gun,he used a sword hidden in his white cane.

He didn't always decide to kill his opponent the first time,and in more gentle situations,he could intimidate his enemies with his amazing iaido feats,however,Japan in the Edo period was just like the 19th American West,you couldn't always expect to find law enforcers when violence and oppression occurred,so a large number of villains died under Zatoichi's sword.In some cases that he will be attacked by gangsters for reasons such as "Killing Zatoichi will make a man famous",so he also eliminates those bad guys when he defends himself.

In addition to the extraordinary hearing that is difficult for blind people to achieve in reality,the most amazing ability of Zatoichi is the iaido skills that is beyond common sense in terms of speed and accuracy.Iaido is a martial art in reality,but Zatoichi is undoubtedly the landmark character who made that swordsmanship popular in pop culture.His image as a blind swordsman with a preparation sword(仕込み刀) also influenced many works of later.

The earliest manga character I know of that was inspired by him was Ichi from "Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae",a blind anma masseur who is also a master swordsman,the Zatoichi in this work.The image of Goemon Ishikawa in real folklore is more like a ninja than a samurai or swordsman,but his fictional thirteenth-generation descendant with the same name from Lupin III is a iaido master like Zatoichi,and has the same unique posture of holding the sword by backhand that Japanese swordsmanship doesn't possess in reality(Note that his sword is shirasaya but not preparation sword)."Syura Yuki" Oyuki from Lady Snowblood also has the same posture and a preparation sword.Issho aka Fujitora from One Piece was inspired by Zatoichi and his appearance is based on Shintaro Katsu,who played Zatoichi.Mamoru Hizikata from Until Death Do Us Part is a bit like a combination of Zatoichi and Goemon Ishikawa Xiii,since he is a blind swordsman who relies on high-tech glasses and extraordinary hearing,and has a sword of extraordinary construction and sharpness.Takamura from the more recent manga Sakamoto Days also clearly pays homage to Zatoichi.Don’t forget there’s also an American movie Blind Fury which is a modernized remake of a Zatoichi movie,the protagonist Nick Parker is a veteran who was blinded by war,and that background can't prevent him from using his other senses to fight with a sword but not gun.

Blind Fury,1989 movie

Issho aka Fujitora,the Zatoichi/Shintaro Katsu of One Piece

"Zatoichi",2003 film,Takeshi Kitano is the director, screenwriter and actor of Zatoichi