Benkei or Saitō no Musashibō Benkei (1155–1189) was a warrior monk ("sōhei") who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is shown as a man of great strength and loyalty, in Japanese folklore. He became a monk at an early age. At seventeen, he was over two metres (6.6 feet) tall. Benkei was trained in the naginata or the Japanese halberd.