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    The Book of Five Rings
    The Book of Five Rings
    The Book of Five Rings
    Ebook131 pages57 minutes

    The Book of Five Rings

    By Miyamoto Musashi

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    About this ebook

    Author of this book – a famous Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584–1645) who considered to having been one of the most skilled swordsmen in history. He participated in duels from a very young age and became legendary through his outstanding swordsmanship. He is the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship. In this book, he shared his thoughts on strategy, tactics, and philosophy.
    Go Rin No Sho is the teachings that Musashi presented to his students in his own dojo. Despite a certain borrowing of ideas, the text is largely the original work of the great master. Depends on what you are looking to learn on strategy.
    While Art of War by Sun Tzu is technically based on military strategies on armies fighting each other, and The Book of Five Rings and is about confrontation between people. They complement each other perfectly.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAegitas
    Release dateJun 25, 2023
    ISBN9780369408617
    Author

    Miyamoto Musashi

    Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was a renowned samurai warrior who, from age 13 to 30, fought and won over sixty duels. Between the ages of 30 and 50 he became known as a skilled craftsman and sculptor, as well as a calligrapher and a prolific painter. It was during this time that he formulated the ideas that later became A Book of Five Rings.

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      Book preview

      The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi

      Introduction

      I have been many years training in the Way of Strategy, called Ni Ten Ichi Ryu, and now I think I will explain it in writing for the first time.

      10

      The grave-marker of Miyamoto Musashi, in present-day Kumamoto Prefecture

      It is now during the first ten days of the tenth month in the twentieth year of Kanei (1645). I have climbed mountain Iwato of Higo in Kyushu to pay homage to heaven, pray to Kwannon, and kneel before Buddha. I am a warrior of Harima province, Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin, age sixty years. From youth my heart has been inclined toward the Way of Strategy.

      My first duel was when I was thirteen, I struck down a strategist of the Shinto school, one Arima Kihei. When I was sixteen I struck down an able strategist Tadashima Akiyama. When I was twenty-one I went up to the capital and met all manner of strategists, never once failing to win in many contests.

      After that I went from province to province dueling with strategist of various schools, and not once failed to win even though I had as many as sixty encounters. This was between the ages of thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine. When I reached thirty I looked back on my past. The previous victories were not due to my having mastered strategy. Perhaps it was natural ability, or the order of heaven, or that other schools' strategy was inferior.

      11

      Chikako Miyagi and Chiezō Kataoka in Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijō-ji kettō directed by Hiroshi Inagaki — 1942

      After that I studied morning and evening searching for the principle, and came to realize the Way of Strategy when I was fifty. Since then I have lived without following any particular Way. Thus with the virtue of strategy I practice many arts and abilities — all things with no teacher. To write this book I did not use the law of Buddha or the teachings of Confucius, neither old war chronicles nor books on martial tactics. I take up my brush to explain the true spirit of this Ichi school as it is mirrored in the Way of heaven and Kwannon. The time is the night of the tenth day of the tenth month, at the hour of the tiger (3-5 a.m.)

      Chapter 1

      The Ground Book

      Strategy is the craft of the warrior. Commanders must enact the craft, and troopers should know this Way. There is no warrior in the world today who really understands the Way of Strategy.

      There are various Ways. There is the Way of salvation by the law of Buddha, the Way of Confucius governing the Way of learning, the Way of healing as a doctor, as a poet teaching the Way of Waka, tea, archery, and many arts and skills. Each man practices as he feels inclined. It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways.

      Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. Although not only warriors but priests, women, peasants and lowlier folk have been known to die readily in the cause of duty or out of shame, this is a different thing. The warrior is different in that studying the Way of Strategy is based on overcoming men. By victory gained in crossing swords with individuals, or enjoining battle with large numbers, we can attain power and fame for ourselves or our lord. This is the virtue of strategy.

      3

      Utagawa Kuniyoshi: Miyamoto Musashi Stepping on the Head of a Yamazame

      The Way of Strategy

      In China and Japan practitioners of the Way have been known as masters of strategy. Warriors must learn this Way.

      Recently there have been people getting on in the world as strategists, but they are usually just sword-fencers. The attendants of the Kashima Kantori shrines of the province Hitachi received instruction from the gods, and made schools based on this teaching, traveling from country to country instructing men. This is the recent meaning of strategy.

      In olden times strategy was listed among the Ten Abilities and Seven Arts as a beneficial practice. It was certainly an art but as a beneficial practice it was not limited to sword-fencing. The true value of sword-fencing cannot be seen within the confines of sword-fencing technique.

      If we look at the world we see arts for sale. Men use equipment to sell their own selves. As if with the nut and the flower, the nut has become less than th

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