Onna Musha Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen ( ? ?? , ? ) ( 1161 ?- 1184 ?) was one of the few examples of a true female warrior samurai in all of Japanese history . She was a samurai during the time of the Genpei War ( 1180 - 1185 ). Her name is pronounced /to.mo.e/ .

Most knowledge about Tomoe Gozen comes from tales and legends . Depending on the source, Tomoe Gozen was either the wife, concubine (mistress), or female attendant of prominent daimyo Minamoto no Yoshinaka . Many women of the time knew how to use the naginata to defend their home, and there are tales of female ashigaru , but Tomoe Gozen was a high-level samurai, skilled in riding , archery and kenjutsu . She was said to have been fearless and possessing great skill in combat. Fiercely brave and tirelessly loyal to Yoshinaka, she was one of his senior captains during the war, leading his troops, and accompanying him to every battle. She was well respected by men and fought bravely alongside them. In the Heike Monogatari ( Tale of the Heike ), Tomoe is described:

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swords-woman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.

Tomoe has not ever been proven to be an historical figure--and this was not for lack of trying. She has exerted a fascination upon the Japanese for hundreds of years in the startling image of a beauteous woman who was also a breaker of wild horses and the equal of any man. Tomoe is claimed by more than a few naginata traditions to be either their founder or one of their primordial teachers.

There is, however, no historical justification for such claims. She lived centuries before their martial traditions were even dreamed of. Bushi women were trained mainly with the naginata because of its versatility against all manner of enemies and weapons.
It was generally the responsibility of women to protect their homes rather than go off to battle, so it was important that they become skilled in a few weapons that offered the best range of techniques to defend against marauders who often attacked on horseback. Therefore, it makes sense that women were sometimes adept with the bow due to its effectiveness at long-range and often with the naginata as it was an effective weapon against horse riders at closer range.
In addition, most women are weakest at close quarters where men can bring their greater weight and strength to bear. A strong, lithe woman armed with a naginata could keep all but the best warriors at a distance, where the advantages of strength, weight, or sword counted for less.

After defeating the Heike and driving them into the western provinces, Yoshinaka took Kyoto and desired to be the leader of the Minamoto clan . His cousin Minamoto no Yoritomo was prompted to crush Yoshinaka, and sent his brothers Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori to kill him. Yoshinaka fought Yoritomo's forces at the Battle of Awazu on February 21 , 1184 , where it has been said that Tomoe Gozen took at least one head of the enemy. Although Yoshinaka's troops fought bravely, they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. When Yoshinaka was defeated there, with only a few of his soldiers standing, he told Tomoe Gozen to flee instead of facing death by Yoritomo.

There are varied accounts of what followed. One is that she stayed by his side, fought and died. Another says that she was seen fleeing the field with either the head of Yoshinaka or of an enemy samurai. Afterwards there is even more uncertainty. Some say that she cast herself into the ocean with the head, while others say that after surviving the battle she gave up the sword and became a nun . These different stories are what give the story of Tomoe Gozen its intrigue.

Since her time, Tomoe Gozen has cast a spell of mystery over the Japanese people. Because she was so unusual, some believed she was the reincarnation of a river goddess

Bujinkan Οnna Musha Tomoe Gozen

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