#date matsumane

[redsamuraiii]

Cobra Kai (S5E2)

It’s interesting that Terry Silver knows of Uesugi Kenshin, the most formidable Samurai in Sengoku Jidai, that even the great Takeda Shingen and Oda Nobunaga had trouble invading his territory. 

Takaaki Enoki as Uesugi Kenshin in the Japanese film, Heaven and Earth (1990)

Interestingly there are legends of the “Sword of Kenshin”. Upon his death, Kenshin entrusted it to his successor, Kagekatsu, to lead the Uesugi Clan.

But later, Kagekatsu gifted the valuable sword to the Imperial Regent, Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Osaka Castle to pledge his loyalty.

The sword is said to have been lost during the Siege of Osaka by Tokugawa Ieyasu who unified Japan under his Shogunate.

And because the sword was no longer under the possession of Kagekatsu, the Uesugi lost the battle against Date Matsumane, the one eyed Samurai.

So the reason Uesugi Kenshin was formidable in battles was to due his sword, the sword which was not with Kagekatsu when he lost to Date Matsumane.

Ken Watanabe as Date Matsumane in the Japanese drama, Dokuganryū Masamune (1987)

Cool legend eh?

So I assume Terry Silver knows of the legend which is why he was boasting about having the sword implying that he is now formidable.