Musashi and the Peony

There have been many stories written about Miyamoto Musashi but I recently found another, probably apocryphal but still interesting. Musashi was staying at an inn where another duellist was also residing. This duellist went by the name of Denshichiro Yoshioka (someone Musashi was to later face in combat - but that's another tale). Yoshioka was at the inn to challenge the famous master Sekishusai as was the way of things in those days but Sekishusai simply sent a polite refusal and a single peony flower as a token of respect. Yoshioka contemptuously threw the flower out of his room into the courtyard and dismissed Sekishusai as a coward. Musashi overheard this and retrieved the flower and as he examined it he realised it had been cut from the rest of the plant by a single sword cut, something that only a master swordsman could do. It was a clear demonstration of excellent technique that Yoshioka had failed to notice but Musashi fully appreciated.  In a sign of respect he cut another section from the stem and sent it back to Sekishusai.
The message for me in this story is that observation is hugely important.  You must really look at things if you want to understand them, particularly relevant to your fencing but a good maxim nonetheless......