musashi

Cutting down the enemy is the way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you have attained the way of strategy there will be nothing that you cannot understand. You will see the way in everything. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

As if with the nut and flower, the nut has become less than the flower...both those teaching and those learning are concerned with colouring and showing off their technique, trying to hasten the bloom of the flower. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The way of the farmer. Using agricultural instruments, he sees springs through to autumns with an eye on the changes of the season. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

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 taking profit. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Thirdly, the gentlemen warrior, carrying the weaponry of his way. The way of the warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons. If a gentlemen dislikes strategy he will not appreciate the benefit of weaponry, so must he not have a little taste for this? -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

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 true measure and then perform his work according to plan. Thus he passes through life. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The spirit of defeating a man is the same for ten million men. The strategist makes small things into big things, like building a great Buddha from a one foot model. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

This is 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 as yet undrawn. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

It is not difficult to wield a sword in one hand; 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. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The best use of the companion sword is in a confined space, or when you are engaged closely with an opponent. The long sword can be used effectively in all situations. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The halberd is inferior to the spear on the battlefield. With the spear you can take the initiative, the halberd is defensive. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a moor, as it is possible to shoot quickly among the spearmen. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

From inside fortifications, the gun has no equal among weapons. It is the supreme weapon on the field before the ranks clash, but once swords are crossed the gun becomes useless. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

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. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Also by training you will be able to freely control your own body, conquer men with your body, and with sufficient training you will be able to beat ten men with your spirit. When you have reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible? -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

If there is a Way involving the spirit of not being defeated, to help oneself and gain honour, it is the Way of Strategy. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited or over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the ways of different arts one by one. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom of strategy. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you take up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting up the enemy. As you cut an enemy you must not change your grip, and your hands must not cower. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

To cut and slash are two different things. Cutting, whatever form of cutting it is, is decisive, with a resolute spirit. Slashing is nothing more than touching the enemy. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

With your spirit calm, attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last. The spirit is to win in the depths of the enemy. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions, but allow his useless actions. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

'Crossing at a ford' occurs often in a man's lifetime. It means setting sail even though your friends stay in harbour, knowing the route, knowing the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When the enemy starts to collapse you must pursue him without the chance of letting go. If you fail to take advantage of your enemies collapse, they may recover. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you cannot see the enemy's position, indicate that you are about to attack strongly, to discover his resources. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

You can frighten the enemy not just by what you present to their eyes, but by shouting, making a small force seem large, or by threatening them from the flank without warning. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

What is called the spirit of the void is where there is nothing. It is not included in man's knowledge. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

People in this world look at things mistakenly, and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the way has existence, spirit is nothingness. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The void is nothingness. By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

The gaze should be large and broad. This is the twofold gaze 'Perception and Sight'. Perception is strong and sight weak. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

If we watch men of other skills discussing theory, and concentrating on techniques with the hands, even though they seem skilful to watch, they have not the slightest true spirit. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. 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. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy. Or you can advance seemingly strongly but with a reserved spirit, forestalling him in advance. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

In contests of strategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

Generally speaking, the way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)

To master the virtue of the long sword is to govern the world and oneself, thus the long sword is the basis of strategy. If he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men. In my strategy, one man is the same as ten thousand, so this strategy is the complete warrior's craft. -Extract from The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi (1584 - 1645)