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It's very hard to pin down. Eiji Yoshikawa invented a LOT of stuff when he wrote "Musashi". I believe he stated that "Ganryu" was Sasaki's nickname ... but it is also the name of the island where the famous duel took place. And it might be an historically accurate fact. But ... Yoshikawa also skewed facts (he was a "writer"). Regarding the duel, the soke of Niten Ichi Ryu told my teacher that Musashi was in his 30s, whereas Sasaki was in his late 50s or 60s. Also, no one appears to know a thing about Sasaki -- that bit about the "drying pole" might be Yoshikawa's "poetic license" ... his description of Sasaki as a youth is definitely fiction (unless he's describing Sasaki as he actually appeared when still a youth; and then anachronistically transporting this image forward to the time of the duel -- some 40+ years in the future). I've seen too many people treat the Musashi legend (Yoshikawa's version) as if it were historical fact. The fact is, prior to the war in China, Musashi was thought of as a ruffian and a brute; not the epitome of samurai behavior. Yoshikawa's story is a good story, but remember: it is what we today would call an "historical dramatization" -- a work of fiction. Regards, Guy
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