In his youth, he followed Nobunaga to take part in wars as one of Akahoro-shu (elite bodyguard unit with a red hood on the back), and because he was an expert of a yari (spear), people feared him and called him by another name "Yari no Mataza" (Matazaemon the spear master).
青年時代は赤母衣衆として信長に従軍、槍の名手だった故「槍の又左」の異名をもって怖れられた。