The Book of Five Rings

by Miyamoto Musashi

Each man practices as he feels inclined.

“Immature strategy is the cause of grief”.

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

The Way of the farmer. Using agricultural instruments, he sees springs through to autumns with an ...

Second is the Way of the merchant. The wine maker obtains his ingredients and puts them to use to make his living. The Way of the merchant is always to live by ta...

Thirdly the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of his Way. The Way of the warrior is to mast...

Fourthly the Way of the artisan. The Way of the carpenter is to become proficient in the use of his tools, first to lay his plans with a true measure and then perform his work according to plan.

You must practice constantly.

The spirit of defeating a man is the same for ten million men.

The principle of strategy is having one thing, to know ten thousand things.

The essence of this book is that you must train day and night in order to make quick decisions.

In strategy it is necessary to treat training as part of normal life with your spirit unchanging.

This is a truth: when you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry. It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon yet undrawn.

the Way to learn this is to train with two long swords, one in each hand. It will seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.

From one thing, know ten thousand things.

Masters of the long sword are called strategists.

Men must polish their particular Way.

The bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a moor, as it is possible to shoot quickly from among the spearmen. However, it is unsatisfactory in sieges, or when the enemy is more than forty yards away. For this reason there are nowadays few traditional schools of archery. There is little use nowadays for this kind of skill.

You should not have a favourite weapon.

To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly.

It is bad for commanders and troopers to have lik...

There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.

There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital.

All things entail rising and falling timing.

Do not think dishonestly. 2. The Way is in training. 3. Become acquainted with every art. 4. Know the Ways of all professions. 5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. 6. Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. 7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen. 8. Pay attention even to trifles. 9. Do nothing which is of no use.

Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm.

Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased.

Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spi...

In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance.

In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.

Whatever attitude you are in, do not be conscious of making the attitude; think only of cutting. Your attitude should be large or small according to the situation.

Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. Next, in order to beat more skillful men, train according to this book, not allowing your heart to be swayed along a side-track.

Any man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must research diligently, training morning and evening. Thus can he polish his skill, become free from self, and realize extraordinary ability. He will come to possess miraculous power. This is the practical result of strategy.

Discern the enemy’s capability and, knowing your own strong points, “cross the ford” at the advantageous place, as a good captain crosses a sea route.

To cross at a ford means to attack the enemy’s weak point, and to put yourself in an advantageous position. This is how to win large-scale strategy.

In large-scale strategy, people are always under the impression that the enemy is strong, and so tend to become cautious.

Whenever you cross swords with an enemy you must not think of cutting him either strongly or weakly; just think of cutting and killing him.

Footballers do not fix their eyes on the ball, but by good play on the field they can perform well.

In the Way of Strategy, when you have fought many times you will easily be able to appraise the speed and position of the enemy’s sword, and having mastery of the Way you will see the weight of his spirit. In strategy, fixing the eyes means gazing at the man’s heart.

I always walk as I usually do in the street. You must never lose control of your feet. According to the enemy’s rhythm, move fast or slowly, adjusting your body not too much and not too little.

When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent. Train diligently to attain this spirit.