Samurai

More than 350 years after his death, Miyamoto Musashi is celebrated in Japan as a national hero. The ultimate warrior of the Samurai era, his innovative fighting style is still taught and used by martial artists today. In the two-hour special Samurai, HISTORY follows modern-day martial artist and actor Mark Dacascos as he journeys to Japan in search of the life and legacy of this enigmatic warrior. Musashi's inventive style of combat was so effective that even modern businessmen the warriors of the 21st century model their cutthroat culture on his philosophies of strategic warfare. Yet by the end of his violent life of killing, Musashi had become a celebrated artist, poet and philosopher. In his search for the samurai spirit, Dacascos visits iconic Japanese landmarks associated with Musashi's legendary battles, learns the secret ancient craft of forging a samurai sword, and rides in a simulated battle wearing genuine centuries-old samurai gear. He also meets and trains with modern-day masters of the great warrior's renowned two-sword fighting style, and travels to the place where Musashi spent his final, redemptive years of peaceful reflection as an artist and author.