Miyamoto Musashi - The Book of Five Rings

Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584June 13 (Japanese calendar: May 19),1645), also known as Shinmen Takez, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or by hisBuddhist name Niten Draku was a famous Japanese samurai, and isconsidered by many to have been one of the most skilled swordsmenin history. Musashi, as he is often simply known, became legendarythrough his outstanding swordsmanship in numerous duels, even froma very young age. He is the founder of the Hyh Niten Ichi-ry orNiten-ry style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of FiveRings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is stillstudied today. Source: Wikipedia

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

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

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

After that I went from province to province dueling withstrategist of various schools, and not once failed to win eventhough I had as many as sixty encounters. This was between the agesof thirteen and twenty-eight or twenty-nine. When I reached thirtyI looked back on my past. The previous victories were not due to myhaving mastered strategy. Perhaps it was natural ability, or theorder of heaven, or that other schools' strategy was inferior.

After that I studied morning and evening searching for theprinciple, and came to realize the Way of Strategy when I wasfifty. Since then I have lived without following any particularWay. Thus with the virtue of strategy I practice many arts andabilities - all things with no teacher. To write this book I didnot use the law of Buddha or the teachings of Confucius, neitherold war chronicles nor books on martial tactics. I take up my brushto explain the true spirit of this Ichi school as it is mirrored inthe Way of heaven and Kwannon. The time is the night of the tenthday of the tenth month, at the hour of the tiger (3-5 a.m.)

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

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

Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior bysticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generallyspeaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.Although not only warriors but priests, women, peasants and lowlierfolk have been known to die readily in the cause of duty or out ofshame, this is a different thing. The warrior is different in thatstudying the Way of Strategy is based on overcoming men. By victorygained in crossing swords with individuals, or enjoining battlewith large numbers, we can attain power and fame for ourselves orour lord. This is the virtue of strategy.

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 asstrategists, but they are usually just sword-fencers. Theattendants of the Kashima Kantori shrines of the province Hitachireceived instruction from the gods, and made schools based on thisteaching, traveling from country to country instructing men. Thisis the recent meaning of strategy.

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

If we look at the world we see arts for sale. Men use equipmentto sell their own selves. As if with the nut and the flower, thenut has become less than th flower. In this kind of Way ofStrategy, both those teaching and those learning the way areconcerned with colouring and showing off their technique, trying tohasten the bloom of the flower. They speak of "This Dojo" and "ThatDojo". They are looking for profit. Someone once said "Immaturestrategy is the cause of grief". That was a true saying.

There are four Ways in which men pass through life: asgentlemen, farmers, artisans and merchants.

The Way of the farmer. Using agricultural instruments, he seessprings through to autumns with an eye on the changes ofseason.

Second is the Way of the merchant. The wine maker obtains hisingredients and puts them to use to make his living. The Way of themerchant is always to live by taking profit. This is the Way of themerchant.

Thirdly the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of hisWay.

The Way of the warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons.If a gentleman dislikes strategy he will not appreciate the benefitof weaponry, so must he not have a little taste for this? Fourthlythe Way of the artisan. The Way of the carpenter is to becomeproficient in the use of his tools, first to lay his plans with atrue measure and then perform his work according to plan. Thus hepasses through life. These are the four Ways of the gentleman, thefarmer, the artisan and the merchant.

Comparing the Way of the Carpenter toStrategy

The comparison with carpentry is through the connection withhouses. Houses of the nobility, houses of warriors, the Fourhouses, ruin of houses, thriving of houses, the style of the house,the tradition of the house, and the name of the house. Thecarpenter uses a master plan of the building, and the Way ofStrategy is similar in that there is a plan of campaign. If youwant to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacheris as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practiceconstantly.

Like the foreman carpenter, the commander must know naturalrules, and the rules of the country, and the rules of houses. Thisis the Way of the foreman.

The foreman carpenter must know the architectural theory oftowers and temples, and the plans of palaces, and must employ mento raise up houses. The Way of the foreman carpenter is the same asthe Way of the commander of a warrior house. In the construction ofhouses, choice of woods is made.

Straight un-knotted timber of good appearance is used for therevealed pillars, straight timber with small defects is used forthe inner pillars. Timbers of the finest appearance, even if alittle weak, is used for the thresholds, lintels, doors, andsliding doors, and so on. Good strong timber, though it be gnarledand knotted, can always be used discreetly in construction. Timberwhich is weak or knotted throughout should be used as scaffolding,and later for firewood.