Nabila Tabassum Chowdhury > Recent Status Updates

"[In any situation] to become settled or fixed is bad. Work this out diligently."

"Even though there are things like parrying, blocking, hitting, sticking to or touching the opponent's sword, and so forth, you must understand that they are all for the purpose of cutting down the adversary. Think to parry, think to block, think to hit, or to stick, or to touch, and as a result your cutting will be insufficient."

"Taking up the swords, you must train with discipline."

"You must forge your skills through discipline."

"A settled hand is a dead hand. One that does not become settled is a living hand."

"The gaze that perceives is strong; the gaze that looks is weak. To see faraway things as if they were close, and to see things that are close as though they were far away, is key in strategy."

"Honing your wisdom, you will recognize what is right and wrong in any situation, and understand the good and bad of everything; knowing every art and skill, and being familiar with every Way, when you have achieved a condition where you cannot be tricked by anyone in the world in the tiniest way that is the wisdom at the heart of strategy."

"Do not allow your mind to become clouded, but make it expansive, and in this broadness you should place your wisdom."

"While relaxing the surface of your mind, make its depths strong, not allowing others to discern your mindset."

"Your mindset should not be affected by your body, nor your body by your mind."

"In daily life or in strategic moments, without changing it even the slightest bit, make your mind broad and straight. Without trying to rein it in tightly, or letting it go slack at all, and in such a way that it does not lean in any particular direction, centre your mind exactly, and set it quietly vibrating."

"Take into your very self the things written here, not thinking of them as something to read or learn, or to imitate, but as principles you have discovered within your own heart, and thoroughly investigate and experiment with them daily."

"On any given path, knowing how not to lose out to others, how to help oneself, and to establish one's reputation - this is the Way of Strategy."

"when with this training you have total control and freedom of your body, you can use your body to defeat people, or, having the spirit that comes from being trained in this Way, defeat others just with that spirit. Upon reaching this point, how can you be defeated by anyone?"

"Make your thinking free of evil.
Train diligently in the Way.
Become familiar with all of the arts.
Understand the Ways of all the professions.
In all things, discern profit from loss.
Learn to evaluate everything.
Realize and understand that which cannot be seen.
Notice even the slightest thing.
Don't do things that serve no purpose."

"In a battle of strategy, understand your opponents' rhythms, and have rhythms that your adversaries are unable to predict - the rhythms of emptiness, which proceed from the rhythm of wisdom and victory will follow."

"If you do not get how to discern the rhythm of opposition, your strategy will never be certain."

"In all things, the rhythms in which they thrive, and the rhythms in which they decline you should carefully discern these."

"In all things, the rhythms in which they thrive, and the rhythms in which they decline you should carefully discern these."

"In all skills and abilities, rhythm is a thing that should not be ignored."

"Without imitating other people, choose what is appropriate for your own size and shape; you should have weapons that you can wield comfortably. For generals or footsoldiers, to like or dislike certain things is bad. Being adaptable and inventive is vital."

"You should not discriminate against or develop special likings for certain weapons, or anything else. Too much of any one thing is the same as not enough."

"As far as Ways go, those of the Confucian, the Buddhist, the tea master, the master of etiquette, the Noh dancer - these are not in the warrior's Way. But even though I say they are not part of this Way, if you understand the Way broadly, you will find it in all things"

"The mindset of "achieve victory, no matter what" - that is the way of this style."

"Although for everyone, when they start, the tachi is heavy and hard to swing around, all things are so at the beginning."

"This is the true point: when you lay down your life, you want to make use of all your implements, without leaving any unused. Not to make use of a weapon, and to die with it still in its scabbard at your hip, is a truly unthinkable thing."

"you understand the appropriate rhythm for any given moment, spontaneously strike, and naturally hit your mark."

"If you do not understand others, it is difficult to analyze yourself. ...If you do not perfect the true Way, and your mindset becomes slightly skewed, later it may become greatly awry you should examine this."

"This "Fire" scroll explains how - because of the instantaneous nature of battle to train daily, to think of combat as being just like your everyday life, and to have an unwavering spirit, all are vital in strategy."

"The large is easily seen; the small is hard to see. This is because large numbers of men cannot easily be redirected at once, whereas an individual, having only one mind, can thus change very rapidly."