GO RIN NO SHO

A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

~~~

Written by Miyamoto Musashi

Translated by Victor Harris
 Translator’s Introduction
~

JAPAN DURING MUSASHI’S LIFETIME

Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584, in a Japan struggling to recover

from more than four centuries of internal strife. The traditional rule of
the emperors had been overthrown in the twelfth century, and although
each succesive emperor remained the figurehead of Japan, his powers
were very much reduced. Since that time, Japan had seen almost
continuous civil war between the provincial lords, warrior monks and
brigands, all fighting each other for land and power. In the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries the lords, called daimyo, built huge stone castles to
protect themselves and their lands and castle towns outside the walls
began to grow up. These wars naturally restricted the growth of trade
and impoverished the whole country.
In 1573, however, one man, Oda Nobunaga, came to the fore in
Japan. He became Shogun, or military dictator, and for nine years
succeeded in gaining control of almost the whole of the country. When
Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582, a commoner took over the
government. Toyotomi Hideyoshi continued the work of unifying Japan
which Nobunaga had begun, ruthlessly putting down any traces of
insurrection. He revived the old gulf between the warriors of Japan―the
samurai―and the commoners by introducing restrictions on the wearing
of swords. “Hideyoshi’s sword-hunt”, as it was known, meant that only
samurai were allowed to wear two swords; the short one which
everyone could wear and the long one which distinguished the samurai
from the rest of the population.
Although Hideyoshi did much to settle Japan and increase trade with
the outside world, by the time of his death in 1598 internal disturbances
still had not been completely eliminated. The real isolation and
unification of Japan began with the inauguration of the great Togugawa
rule. In 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu, a former associate of both Hideyoshi
and Nobunaga, formally became Shogun of Japan, after defeating
Hideyoshi’s son Hideyori at the battle of Seki ga Hara.
Ieyasu established his government at Edo, present-day Tokyo, where
he had a huge castle. His was a stable, peaceful government beginning
a period of Japanese history which was to last until the Imperial
Restoration of 1868, for although Ieyasu himself died in 1616 members
of his family succeeded each other and the title Shogun became
virtually an hereditary one for the Tokugawas.
Ieyasu was determined to ensure his and his family’s dictatorship. To
this end, he paid lip-service to the emperor in Kyoto, who remained the
titular head of Japan, while curtailing his duties and involvement in the
government. The real threat to Ieyasu’s position could only come from
the lords, and he effectively decreased their opportunities for revolt by
devising schemes whereby all lords had to live in Edo for alternate years
and by placing great restrictions on travelling. He allotted land in
exchange for oaths of allegiance, and gave the provincial castles around
Edo to members of his own family. He also employed a network of
secret police and assassins.
The Tokugawa period marks a great change in the social history of
Japan. The Bureaucracy of the Tokugawas was all-pervading. Not only
were education, law, government and class controlled, but even the
costume and behavior of each class. The traditional class consciousness
of Japan hardened into a rigid class structure. There were basically four
classes of person: samurai, farmers, artisans and merchants. The
samurai were the highest―in esteem if not in wealth―and included the
lords, senior government officials, warriors, and minor officials and foot
soldiers. Next in the hierarchy came the farmers, not because they were
well thought of but because they provided the essential rice crops. Their
lot was a rather unhappy one, as they were forced to give most of their
crops to the lords and were not allowed to leave their farms. Then came
the artisans and craftsmen, and last of all the merchants, who, though
looked down upon, eventually rose to prominence because of the vast
wealth they accumulated. Few people were outside this rigid hierarchy.
Musashi belonged to the samurai class. We find the origins of the
samurai class in the Kondei (“Stalwart Youth”) system established in
792 AD, whereby the Japanese army―which had until then consisted
mainly of spear-wielding foot soldiers―was revived by stiffening the
ranks with permanent training officers recruited from among the young
sons of the high families. These officers were mounted, wore armour,
and used the bow and sword. In 782 the emperor Kammu started
building Kyoto, and in Kyoto he built a training hall which exists to this
day called the Butokuden, meaning “Hall of the virtues of war”. Within a
few years of this revival the fierce Ainu, the aboriginal inhabitants of
Japan who had until then confounded the army’s attempt to move them
from their wild lodgings, were driven far off to the northern island,
Hokkaido.
When the great provincial armies were gradually disbanded under
Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, many out-of-work samurai roamed the country
redundant in an era of peace. Musashi was one such samurai, a “ronin”
or “wave man”. There were still samurai retainers to the Tokugawas
and provincial lords, but their numbers were few. The hordes of
redundant samurai found themselves living in a society which was
completely based on the old chivalry, but at the same time they were
apart from a society in which there was no place for men at arms. They
became an inverted class, keeping the old chivalry alive by devotion to
military arts with the fervour only Japanese possess. This was the time
of the flowering in Kendo.
Kendo, the Way of the sword, had always been synonymous with
nobility in Japan. Since the founding of the samurai class in the eighth
century, the military arts had become the highest form of study,
inspired by the teachings of Zen and the feeling of Shinto. Schools of
Kendo born in the early Muromachi period―approximately 1390 to
1600―were continued through the upheavals of the formation of the
peaceful Tokugawa Shogunate, and survive to this day. The education
of the sons of the Tokugawa Shoguns was by means of schooling in the
Chinese classics and fencing exercises. Where a Westener might say
“The pen is mightier than the sword”, the Japanese would say “Bunbu
Itchi”, or “Pen and sword in accord”. Today, prominent businessmen
and political figures in Japan still practise the old traditions of Kendo
schools, preserving the forms of several hundred years ago.
To sum up, Musashi was a ronin at a time when the samurai were
formally considered to be the elite, but actually had no means of
livelihood unless they owned lands and castles. Many ronin put up their
swords and became artisans, but others, like Musashi, pursued the ideal
of the warrior searching for enlightenment through the perilous paths of
Kendo. Duels of revenge and tests of skill were commonplace, and
fencing schools multiplied. Two schools especially, the Itto school and
the Yagyu school, were sponsored by the Tokugawas. The Itto school
provided an unbroken line of Kendo teachers, and the Yagyu school
eventually became the secret police of the Tokugawa bureaucracy.

KENDO

Traditionally, the fencing halls of Japan, called Dojo, were associated

with shrines and temples, but during Musashi’s lifetime numerous
schools sprang up in the new castle towns. Each daimyo or lord,
sponsored a Kendo school, where his retainers could be trained and his
sons educated. The hope of every ronin was that he would defeat the
students and master of a Dojo in combat, thus increasing his fame and
bringing his name to the ears of one who might employ him.
The samurai wore two swords thrust through the belt with the
cutting edge uppermost. The longer sword was carried out of doors
only, the shorter sword was worn at all times. For training, wooden
swords and bamboo swords were often used. Duelling and other tests of
arms were common, with both real and practice swords. These took
place in fencing halls and before shrines, in the streets and within castle
walls. Duels were fought to the death or until one of the contestants
was disabled, but a few generations after Musashi’s time the “shinai”, a
pliable bamboo sword, and later padded fencing armour, came to be
widely used, so the chances of injury were greatly reduced. The
samurai studied with all kinds of weapons: halberds, sticks, swords,
chain and sickle, and others. Many schools using such weapons survive
in traditional form in Japan today.
To train in Kendo one must subjugate the self, bear the pain of
gruelling practise, and cultivate a level mind in the face of peril. But the
Way of the sword means not only fencing training but also living by the
code of honour of the samurai elite. Warfare was the spirit of the
samurai’s everyday life, and he could face death as if it were a domestic
routine. The meaning of life and death by the sword was mirrored in the
everyday conduct of the feudal Japanese, and he who realised the
resolute acceptance of death at any moment in his everyday life was a
master of the sword. It is in order to attain such an understanding that
later men have followed the ancient traditions of the sword-fencing
styles, and even today give up their lives for Kendo practise.

KENDO AND ZEN

The Way of the sword is the moral teaching of the samurai, fostered by the
Confucianist philosophy which shaped the Tokugawa system, together with the
native Shinto religion of Japan. The warrior courts of Japan from the
Kamakura period to the Muromachi period encouraged the austere Zen study
among the samurai, and Zen went hand in hand with the arts of war. In Zen
there are no elaborations, it aims directly at the true nature of things. There
are no ceremonies, no teachings, the prize of Zen is essentially personal.
Enlightenment in Zen does not mean a change in behaviour, but realisation of
the nature of ordinary life. The end point is the beginning, and the great virtue
is simplicity. The secret teaching of the Itto Ryu school of Kendo, Kiriotoshi, is
the first technique of some hundred or so. The teaching is “Ai Uchi”, meaning
to cut the opponent just as he cuts you. This is the ultimate timing … it is lack
of anger. It means to treat your enemy as an honoured guest. It also means
to abandon your life or throw away fear.
The first technique is the last, the beginner and the master behave in
the same way. Knowledge is a full circle. The first of Musashi’s chapter
headings is Ground, for the basis of Kendo and Zen, and the last book is Void,
for that understanding which can only be expressed as nothingness. The
teachings of Kendo are like the fierce verbal forays to which the Zen student is
subjected. Assailed with doubts and misery, his mind and spirit in a whirl, the
student is gradually guided to realisation and understanding by his teacher.
The Kendo student practices furiously, thousands of cuts morning and night,
learning fierce techniques of horrible war, until eventually sword becomes “no
sword”, intention becomes “no intention”, a spontaneous knowledge of every
situation. The first elementary teaching becomes the highest knowledge, and
the master still continues to practise this simple training, his every prayer.

CONCERNING THE LIFE OF MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin, or as he is commonly known

Miyamoto Musashi, was born in the village called Miyamoto in the province
Mimasaka in 1584. “Musashi” is the name of an area southwest of Tokyo, and
the appellation “No Kami” means noble person of the area, while “Fujiwara” is
the name of the noble family foremost in Japan over a thousand years ago.
Musashi’s ancestors were a branch of the powerful Harima clan in
Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. Hirada Shokan, his grandfather, was a
retainer of Shinmen Iga No Kami Sudeshige, the lord of Takeyama castle,
Hirada Shokan was highly thought of by his lord and eventually married his
lord’s daughter.
When Musashi was seven, his father, Munisai, either died or abondoned
the child. As his mother had died, Ben No Suke, as Musashi was known during
his childhood, was left in the care of an uncle on his mother’s side, a priest. So
we find Musashi an orphan during Hideyoshi’s campaigns of unification, son of
a samurai in a violent unhappy land. He was a boisterous youth, strong-willed
and physically large for his age. Whether he was urged to pursue Kendo by his
uncle, or whether his aggressive nature led him to it, we do not know, but it is
recorded that he slew a man in single combat when he was just thirteen. The
opponent was Arima Kihei, a samurai of the Shinto Ryu school of military arts,
skilled with sword and spear. The boy threw the man to the ground, and beat
him about the head with a stick when he tried to rise. Kihei died vomiting
blood.
Musashi’s next contest was when he was sixteen, when he defeated
Tadashima Akiyama. About this time, he left home to embark on the “Warrior
Pilgrimage” which saw him victor in scores of contests and which took him to
war six times, until he finally settled down at the age of fifty, having reached
the end of his search for reason. There must have been many ronin traveling
the country on similar expeditions, some alone like Musashi and some
enjoying sponsorship, though not on the scale of the pilgrimage of the famous
swordsman Tsukahara Bokuden who had traveled with a retinue of over one
hundred men in the previous century.
This part of Musashi’s life was spent living apart from society while he
devoted himself with a ferocious single-mindedness to the search for
enlightenment by the Way of the sword. Concerned only with perfecting his
skill, he lived as men need not live, wandering over Japan soaked by the cold
winds of winter, not dressing his hair, not taking a wife, nor following any
profession save his study. It is said he never entered a bathtub lest he was
caught unawares without a weapon, and that his appearance was uncouth and
wretched.
In the battle which resulted in Ieyasu succeeding Hideyoshi as Shogun
of Japan, Seki ga Hara, Musashi joined the ranks of the Ashikaga army to fight
against Ieyasu. He survived the terrible three days during which seventy
thousand people died, and also survived the hunting down and massacre of
the vanquished army
He went up to Kyoto, the capital, when he was twenty-one. This was
the scene of his vendetta against the Yoshioka family. The Yoshiokas had been
fencing instructors to the Ashikaga house for generations. Later forbidden to
teach Kendo by lord Tokugawa, the family became dyers, and are dyers today.
Munisai, Musashi’s father, had been invited to Kyoto some years before by the
Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaka. Munisai was a competant swordsman, and an
expert with the “jitte”, a kind of iron truncheon with a tongue for catching
sword blades. The story has it that Munisai fought three of the Yoshiokas,
winning two of the duels, and perhaps this has some bearing on Musashi’s
behavior towards the family.
Yoshioka Seijiro, the head of the family, was the first to fight Musashi,
on the moor outside the city. Seijiro was armed with a real sword, and
Musashi with a wooden sword. Musashi laid Seijiro out with a fierce attack and
beat him savagely as he lay on the ground. The retainers carried their lord
home on a rain-shutter, where for shame he cut off his samurai topknot.
Musashi lingered on in the capital, and his continued presence further
irked the Yoshiokas. The second brother, Denshichiro, applied to Musashi for a
duel. As a military ploy, Musashi arrived late on the appointed day, and
seconds after the start of the fight he broke his opponent’s skull with one blow
of his wooden sword. Denshichiro was dead. The house issued yet another
challenge with Hanshichiro, the young son of Seijiro, as champion. Hanshichiro
was a mere boy, not yet in his teens. The contest was to be held by a pine
tree adjacent to ricefields. Musashi arrived at the meeting place well before
the appointed time and waited in hiding for his enemy to come. The child
arrived dressed formally in war gear, with a party of well-armed retainers,
determined to do away with Musashi. Musashi waited concealed in the
shadows, and just as they were thinking that he had thought better of it and
had decided to leave Kyoto, he suddenly appeared in the midst of them, and
cut the boy down. Then, drawing both swords, he cut a path through them
and made his escape.
After that frightful episode Musashi wandered over Japan, becoming a
legend in his own time. We find mention of his name and stories of his
prowess in registers, dairies, on monuments, and in folk memory from Tokyo
to Kyushu. He had more than sixty contests before he was twenty-nine, and
won them all. The earliest account of his contests appears in Niten Ki, or “Two
Heavens Chronicle”, a record compiled by his pupils a generation after his
death.
In the year of the Yoshioka affair, 1605, he visited the temple Hozoin in
the south of the capital. Here he had a contest with Oku Hozoin, the Nichiren
sect pupil of the Zen priest Hoin Inei. The priest was a spearman, but no
match for Musashi who defeated him twice with his short wooden sword.
Musashi stayed at the temple for some time studying fighting techniques and
enjoying talks with the priests. There is still today a traditional spear fighting
form practised by the monks of Hozoin. It is interesting that in ancient times
the word “Osho”, which now means priest, used to mean “spear teacher”. Hoin
Inei was pupil to Izumi Musashi no Kami, a master of Shinto Kendo. The priest
used spears with cross-shaped blades kept outside the temple under the eaves
and used in fire fighting.
When Musashi was in Iga province he met a skilled chain and sickle
fighter named Shishido Baikin. As Shishido twirled his chain Musashi drew a
dagger and pierced his breast, advancing to finish him off. The watching pupils
attacked Musashi but he frightened them away in four directions.
In Edo, a fighter named Muso Gonosuke visited Musashi requesting a
duel. Musashi was cutting wood to make a bow, and granting Gonosuke’s
request stood up intending to use the slender wand he was cutting as a sword.
Gonosuke made a fierce attack, but Musashi stepped straight in and banged
him on the head. Gonosuke went away.
Passing through Izumo province, Musashi visited lord Matsudaira and
asked permission to fight with his strongest expert. There were many good
strategists in Izumo. Permission was granted against a man who used an eight
foot long hexagonal wooden pole. The contest was held in the lord’s library
garden. Musashi used two wooden swords. He chased the samurai up the two
wooden steps of the library veranda, thrust at his face on the second step, and
hit him on both his arms as he flinched away. To the surprise of the assembled
retainers, lord Matsudaira asked Musashi to fight him. Musashi drove the lord
up the library steps as before, and when he tried to make a resolute fencing
attitude Musashi hit his sword with the “Fire and Stones Cut”, breaking it in
two. The lord bowed in defeat, and Musashi stayed for some time as his
teacher.
Musashi’s most well-known duel was in the seventeenth year of Keicho,
1612, when he was in Ogura in Bunzen province. His opponent was Sasaki
Kojiro, a young man who had developed a strong fencing technique known as
Tsubame-gaeshi or “swallow counter”, inspired by the motion of a swallow’s
tail in flight. Kojiro was retained by the lord of the province, Hosokawa
Tadaoki. Musashi applied to Tadaoki for permission to fight Kojiro through the
offices of one of the Hosokawa retainers who had been a pupil of Musashi’s
father, one Nagaoka Sato Okinaga. Permission was granted for the contest to
be held at eight o’clock the next morning, and the place was to be an island
some few miles from Ogura. That night Musashi left his lodging and moved to
the house of Kobayashi Taro Zaemon. This inspired a rumour that awe of
Kojiro’s subtle technique had made Musashi run away afraid for his life. The
next day at eight o’clock Musashi could not be woken until a prompter came
from the officials assembled on the island. He got up, drank the water they
brought to him to wash with, and went straight down to the shore. As Sato
rowed across to the island Musashi fashioned a paper string to tie back the
sleeves of his kimono, and cut a wooden sword from the spare oar. When he
had done this he lay down to rest.
The boat neared the place of combat and Kojiro and the waiting officials
were astounded to see the strange figure of Musashi, with his unkempt hair
tied up in a towel, leap from the boat brandishing the long wooden oar and
rush through the waves up the beach towards his enemy. Kojiro drew his long
sword, a fine blade by Nagamitsu of Bizen, and threw away his scabbard. “You
have no more need of that” said Musashi as he rushed forward with his sword
held to one side. Kojiro was provoked into making the first cut and Musashi
dashed upward at his blade, bringing the oar down on Kojiro’s head. As Kojiro
fell, his sword, which had cut the towel from Musashi’s head, cut across the
hem of his divided skirt. Musashi noted Kojiro’s condition and bowed to the
astounded officials before running back to his boat. Some sources have it that
after he killed Kojiro, Musashi threw down the oar and, nimbly leaping back
several paces, drew both his swords and flourished them with a shout at his
fallen enemy.
 It was about this time that Musashi stopped ever using real swords in
duels. He was invincible, and from now on he devoted himself to the search
for perfect understanding by way of Kendo.
In 1614 and again in 1615 he took the opportunity of once more
experiencing warfare and siege. Ieyasu laid siege to Osaka castle where the
supporters of the Ashikaga family were gathered in insurrection. Musashi
joined the Tokugawa forces in both winter and summer campaigns, now
fighting against those he had fought for as a youth at Seki ga Hara.
According to his own writing, he came to understand strategy when he
was fifty or fifty-one in 1634. He and his adopted son Iori, the waif whom he
had met in Dewa province on his travels, settled in Ogura in this year. Musashi
was never again to leave Kyushu island. The Hosokawa house had been
entrusted with the command of the hot seat of Higo province, Kumamoto
castle, and the new lord of Bunzen was an Ogasawara. Iori found employment
under Ogasawara Tadazane, and as a captain in Tadazane’s army fought
against the Christians in the Shimawara uprising of 1638, when Musashi was
about fifty-five. The lords of the southern provinces had always been
antagonistic to the Tokugawas and were the instigators of intrigue with foreign
powers and the Japanese Christians. Musashi was a member of the field staff
at Shimawara where the Christians were massacred. After this, Ieyasu closed
the ports of Japan to foreign intercourse, and they remained closed for over
two hundred years.
After six years in Ogura, Musashi was invited to stay with Churi, the
Hosokawa lord of Kumamoto castle, as a guest. He stayed a few years with
lord Churi and spent his time teaching and painting. In 1643, he retired to a
life of seclusion in a cave called “Reigendo”. Here he wrote Go Rin No Sho,
addressed to his pupil Teruo Nobuyuki, a few weeks before his death on the
nineteenth of May, 1645.
Musashi is known to the Japanese as “Kensei”, that is “Sword Saint”. Go
Rin No Sho heads every Kendo bibliography, being unique among books of
martial art in that it deals with both the strategy of warfare and the methods
of single combat in exactly the same way. The book is not a thesis on
strategy, it is in Musashi’s words “a guide for men who want to learn strategy”
and, as a guide always leads, so the contents are always beyond the student’s
understanding. The more one reads the book the more one finds in its pages.
It is Musashi’s last will, the key to the path he trod. When, at twenty-eight or
twenty-nine, he had become such a strong fighter, he did not settle down and
build a school, replete with success, but became doubly engrossed with his
study. In his last days even, he scorned the life of comfort with lord Hosokawa
and lived two years alone in a mountain cave deep in contemplation. The
behaviour of this cruel, headstrong man was evidently most humble and
honest.
 Musashi wrote “When you have attained the Way of strategy there will
be not one thing that you cannot understand” and “You will see the Way in
everything”. He did, in fact, become a master of arts and crafts. He produced
masterpieces of ink painting, probably more highly valued by the Japanese
than the ink paintings of any other. His works include cormorants, herons,
Hotei the Shinto God, dragons, birds with flowers, bird in a dead tree, Daruma
(Bodhidharma), and others. He was a fine calligrapher, evidenced by his piece
“Senki” (Warspirit). There is a small wood sculpture of the Buddhist deity Fudo
Myoo in private hands. A sculpture of Kwannon was lost recently. He made
works in metal, and founded the school of sword guard makers who signed
“Niten”, after him (see below). He is said to have written poems and songs,
but none of these survive. It is said also that he was commissioned by the
Shogun Iemitsu to paint the sunrise over Edo castle.
His paintings are sometimes impressed with his seal, “Musashi”, or his
nom de plume “Niten”. Niten means “Two Heavens”, said by some to allude to
his fighting attitude with a sword in each hand held above his head. In some
places he established schools known as “Niten ryu”, and in other places called
it “Enmei ryu” (clear circle).
He wrote “Study the Ways of all professions”. It is evident that he did
just that. He sought out not only great swordsmen but also priests,
strategists, artists and craftsmen, eager to broaden his knowledge.
Musashi writes about the various aspects of Kendo in such a way that it
is possible for the beginner to study at beginner’s level, and for Kendo masters
to study the same words on a higher level. This applies not just to military
strategy, but to any situation where plans and tactics are used. Japanese
businessmen have used Go Rin No Sho as a guide for business practice,
making sales campaigns like military operations, using the same energetic
methods. In the same way that Musashi seems to have been a horribly cruel
man, yet was following logically an honest ideal, so successful business seems
to most people to be without conscience.
Musashi’s life study is thus as relevant in the twentieth century as it was
on the medieval battleground, and applies not just to the Japanese race but to
all nations. I suppose you could sum up his inspiration as “humility and hard
work”.
INTRODUCTION
~

I have been many years training in the Way 1 of strategy,2 called Ni Ten Ichi
Ryu, and now I think I will explain it in writing for the first time. 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,3 pray to Kwannon,4 and kneel before Buddha. I am a warrior of
Harima province, Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Geshin, 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.5 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 duelling with strategists 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. After that I
studied morning and evening searching for the principle, and came to realise
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 practise many arts and abilities―all things with no

1
Way: The Character for Way is read “Michi” in Japanese or “Do” in Chinese-based reading. It is equivalent to the
Chinese “Tao” and means the whole life of the warrior, his devotion to the sword, his place in the Confucius-coloured
bureaucracy of the Tokugawa system. It is the road of the cosmos, not just a set of ethics for the artist or priest to live by,
but the divine footprints of God pointing the Way.
2
Strategy: “Heiho” is a word of Chinese derivation meaning military strategy. “Hei” means soldier and “Ho” means
method or form.
3
Homage to heaven: “Ten” or heaven means the Shinto religion, Shinto―a word compounding the two characters
“Kami” (God) and “Michi” (Way”―is the old religion of Japan. In Shinto there are many Holies, gods of steel and
fermentation, place and industry, and so-on, and the first gods, ancestors to the Imperial line.
4
Kwannon: God(dess) of mercy in Buddhism.
5
Arima Kihei: of the Shinto school. See note 15.
teacher.6 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 7 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 tiger8 (3-5 a.m.)

6
All things with no teacher: There had been traditions instituted for the arts in the Muromachi period, system of grades
and licenses and seniority, and these were perpetuated perhaps more rigidly under the Tokugawa bureaucracy. Musashi
studied various arts in various schools, but when after his enlightenment he pursued his studies he had become separate
from traditional guidance. He writes his final words in the book of the Void: “Then you will come to think of things in a
wide sense, and taking the Void as the Way, you will see the Way as Void.”
7
Spirit: “Shin” or “Kokoro” has been translated “heart”, “soul”, or “spirit”. It could be put as feeling, manner. It has always
been said “The sword is the soul of the samurai.”
8
The hour of the tiger: Years, months and hours were named after the ancient Chinese Zodiacal time system.
THE GROUND BOOK
~

Stategy 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, 9 tea,10 archery,11 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, 12 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. 13 Although

9
Waka: The thirty-one syllable poem. The word means “Song of Japan” or “Song in Harmony”.
10
Tea: Tea drinking is studied in schools, just like sword-fencing. It is basically a ritual, based on simple refined rules,
between a few persons in a small room.
11
Archery: The bow was the main weapon of the samurai of the Nara and Heian periods, and was later superseded by
the sword. Archery is practised as a ritual like tea and sword. Hachiman, the God of War, is often depicted as an archer,
and the bow is frequently illustrated as part of the paraphernalia of the gods.
12
Pen and sword: “Bunbu Itchi” or “Pen and sword in accord” is often presented in brushed calligraphy. Young men
during the Tokugawa period were educated solely in writing the Chinese classics and exercising in swordplay. Pen and
sword, in fact, filled the life of the Japanese nobility.
13
Resolute acceptance of death: This idea can be summed up as the philosophy expounded in Ha Gakure or “Hidden
Leaves”, a book written in the seventeenth century by Yamamoto Tsunenori and a few other samurai of the province
Nabeshima Han, present-day Saga. Under the Tokugawas, the enforced logic of the Confucius-influenced system
ensured stability among the samurai, but it also meant the passing of certain aspects of Bushido. Discipline for both
samurai and commoners became lax. Yamamoto Tsunenori had been counsellor to Mitsushige, lord of Nabeshima Han,
for many years, and upon his lord’s death he wanted to commit suicide with his family in the traditional manner. This kind
of suicide was strictly prohibited by the new legislation, and, full of remorse, Yamamoto retired in sadness to the
boundary of Nabeshima Han. Here he met others who had faced the same predicament, and together they wrote a
lament of what they saw as the decadence of Bushido. Their criticism is a revealing comment on the changing face of
Japan during Musashi’s lifetime: “There is no way to describe what a warrior should do other than he should adhere to
the Way of the warrior (Bushido). I find that all men are negligent of this. There are a few men who can quickly reply to
the question “What is the Way of the Warrior?” This is because they do not know in their hearts. From this we can say
they do not follow the Way of the warrior. By the Way of the warrior is meant death. The Way of the warrior is death. This
means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing more than this. It means to
see things through, being resolved. Sayings like “To die with your intention unrealized is to die uselessly”, and so on, are
from the weak Kyoto, Osaka Bushido. They are unresolved as to whether to keep to their original plan when faced with
the choice of life and death. Every man wants to live. They theorize with staying alive in mind. “The man who lives on
when he had failed in his intention is a coward” is a heartless definition. That to die having failed is to die uselessly is a
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 for our lord.14 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 as strategists,
but they are usually just sword-fencers. The attendants of the Kashima
Kantori shrines15 of the province Hitachi received instruction from the gods,
and made schools based on this teaching, travelling 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 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

mad point of view. This is not a shameful thing. It is the most important thing in the Way of the warrior. If you keep your
spirit correct from morning to night, accustomed to the idea of death and resolved on death, and consider yourself as a
dead body, thus becoming one with the Way of the warrior, you can pass through life with no possibility of failure and
perform your office properly.
“The servant must think earnestly of the business of his employer. Such a fellow is a spendid retainer. In this house there
have been generations of splendid gentlemen and we are deeply impressed by their warm kindness … all our ancestors.
This was simply abondoning body and soul for the sake of their lord.
“Moreover, our house excels in wisdom and technical skill. What a joyful thing if this can be used to advantage.
“Even an unadaptable man who is completely useless is a most trusted retainer if he does nothing more than think
earnestly of his lord’s welfare. To think only of the practical benefit of wisdom and technology is vulgar.
“Some men are prone to having sudden inspirations. Some men do not quickly have good ideas but arrive at the answer
by slow consideration. Well, if we investigate the heart of the matter, even though people’s natural abilities differ, bearing
in mind the Four Oaths, when your thinking rises above concern for your own welfare, wisdom which is independent of
thought appears. Whoever thinks deeply on things, even though he may carefully consider the future, will usually think
around the basis of his own welfare. By the result of such evil thinking he will only perform evil acts. It is very difficult for
most silly fellows to rise above thinking of their own welfare.
“So when you embark upon something, before you start, fix your intention on the Four Oaths and put selfishness behind
you. Then you cannot fail.
“The Four Oaths: Never be late with respect to the Way of the warrior. Be useful to the lord. Be respectful to your
parents. Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man.”
14
Our lord: This refers to the daimyo, who retained numbers of samurai to fight for them (see previous note).
15
Kashima Kantori shrines: The original schools of Kendo can be found in the traditions preserved in Shinto shrines.
Many of the school ancestors are entombed in the Kanto area, not far from Tokyo, where the Kashima and Kantori
shrines still stand. Arima Kihei, the samurai whom Musashi killed at the age of thirteen, was a fencer of the Shinto school
associated with the shrines. The Yagyu school was derived from the Kashima style. Shinto was a religion of industry in
everyday life, and the War Gods enshrined at Kashima and Kantori are still invoked today as part of the everyday
practice of the Shinto school.
their own selves. As if with the nut and the flower, the nut has become less
than the flower. In this kind of Way of strategy, both those teaching and those
learning the way are concerned with colouring and showing off their technique,
trying to hasten the bloom of the flower. They speak of "This Dojo" and "That
Dojo".16 They are looking for profit. Someone once said "Immature strategy is
the cause of grief". That was a true saying.

There are four Ways17 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 eye on the changes of season.
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. This is the Way of the merchant.
Thirdly the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of his Way. The
Way of the warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons. If a gentleman
dislikes strategy he will not appreciate the benefit of weaponry, so must he
not have a little taste for this?
Fourthly the Way of the artisan. The Way of the carpenter 18 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. Thus he passes through
life. These are the four Ways of the gentleman, the farmer, the artisan and the
merchant.

Comparing the Way of the Carpenter to Strategy

The comparison with carpentry is through the connection with houses. Houses
of the nobility, houses of warriors, the Four houses, 19 ruin of houses, thriving
of houses, the style of the house, the tradition of the house, and the name of
the house. The carpenter uses a master plan of the building, and the Way of
strategy is similar in that there is a plan of campaign. 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.
Like the foreman carpenter, the commander must know natural rules,
and the rules of the country, and the rules of houses. This is the Way of the
foreman.
The foreman carpenter must know the architectural theory of towers
16
Dojo: “Dojo” means “Way place”, the room where something is studied.
17
Four Ways: See Translator’s Introduction for an explanation of the four classes in Japanese society.
18
Carpenter: All buildings in Japan, except for the walls of the great castles which appeared a few generations before
Musashi’s birth, were wooden. “Carpenter” means architect and builder.
19
Four Houses: There were four branches of the Fujiwara family, who dominated Japan in the Heian period. There are
also four different schools of tea.
and temples, and the plans of palaces, and must employ men to raise up
houses. The Way of the foreman carpenter is the same as the Way of the
commander of a warrior house.20
In the contruction of houses, choice of woods is made. Straight un-
knotted timber of good appearance is used for the revealed pillars, straight
timber with small defects is used for the inner pillars. Timber of the finest
appearance, even if a little weak, is used for the thresholds, lintels, doors, and
sliding doors,21 and so on. Good strong timber, though it be gnarled and
knotted, can always be used discreetly in construction. Timber which is weak
or knotted throughout should be used as scaffolding, and later for firewood.
The foreman carpenter allots his men work according to their ability.
Floor layers, makers of sliding doors, thresholds and lintels, ceilings and so on.
Those of poor ability lay the floor joist, and those of lesser ability carve
wedges and do such miscellaneous work. If the foreman knows and deploys
his men well the finished work will be good.
The foreman should take into account the abilities and limitations of his
men, circulating among them and asking nothing unreasonable. He should
know their morale and spirit, and encourage them when necessary. This is the
same as the principle of strategy.

The Way of Strategy

Like a trooper, the carpenter sharpens his own tools. 22 He carries his
equipment in his tool box, and works under the direction of his foreman. He
makes columns and girders with an axe, shapes floorboards and shelves with
a plane, cuts fine openwork and carvings accurately, giving as excellent a
finish as his skill will allow. This is the craft of carpenters. When the carpenter
becomes skilled and understands measures he can become a foreman.
The carpenter's attainment is, having tools which will cut well, to make
small shrines,23 writing shelves, tables, paper lanterns, chopping boards and
pot-lids. These are the specialities of the carpenter. Things are similar for the
trooper. You ought to think deeply about this.
The attainment of the carpenter is that his work is not warped, that the
joints are not misaligned, and that the work is truly planed so that it meets
well and is not merely finished in sections. This is essential.
20
Warrior house: The warrior families who had been in control of Japan for most of her history kept private armies, each
with its own commander.
21
Sliding doors: Japanese buildings made liberal use of sliding doors, detachable walls, and shutters made of wood
which were put over door openings at night and in bad weather.
22
Like a trooper, the carpenter sharpens his own tools : Sharpening and polishing the Japanese sword is today a work
undertaken only by a specialist, but perhaps the art was more widespread in the age of war. If a sword is imperfectly
polished and the surface of the blade incorrectly shaped, even if it is a very sharp, fine weapon it will not cut at all well.
23
Small shrines: Small shrines to the Shinto gods are found in every Japanese home.
 If you want to learn this Way, deeply consider the things written in this
book one at a time. You must do sufficient research.

Outline of the Five Books of this Book of Strategy

The Way is shown in five books 24 concerning different aspects. These

are Ground, Water, Fire, Tradition (Wind),25 and Void.26
The body of the Way of strategy from the viewpoint of my Ichi school is
explained in the Ground book. It is difficult to realise the true Way just
through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the
shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped
out on the ground, the first book is called the Ground book.
Second is the Water book. With water as the basis, the spirit becomes
like water. Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle
and sometimes a wild sea. Water has a clear blue colour. By the clarity, things
of Ichi school are shown in this book.
If you master the principles of sword-fencing, when you freely beat one
man, you beat any man in the world. 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. I cannot write in detail how
this is done. The principle of strategy is having one thing, to know ten
thousand things. Things of Ichi school are written in this the Water book.
Third is the Fire book. This book is about fighting. The spirit of fire is
fierce, whether the fire be small or big; and so it is with battles. The Way of
battles is the same for man to man fights and for ten thousand a side battles.
You must appreciate that spirit can become big or small. What is big is easy to
perceive: what is small is difficult to perceive. In short, it is difficult for large
numbers of men to change position, so their movements can be easily
predicted. An individual can easily change his mind, so his movements are
difficult to predict. You must appreciate this. 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 a part of normal life with your spirit unchanging.
Thus combat in battle is described in the Fire book.
Fourthly the Wind book. This book is not concerned with my Ichi school
but with other schools of strategy. By Wind I mean old traditions, present-day
traditions, and family traditions of strategy. Thus I clearly explain the
strategies of the world. This is tradition. It is difficult to know yourself if you

24
Five books: Go Rin No Sho means a book of five rings. The “Go Dai” (Five Greats) of Buddhism are the five elements
which make up the cosmos: ground, water, fire, wind, void. The “Go Rin” (Five Rings) of Buddhism are the five parts of
the human body: head, left and right elbows, and left and right knees.
25
Wind: The Japanese character for “wind” also means “style”.
26
Void: The void, or Nothingness, is a Buddhist term for the illusionary nature of worldly things.
do not know others. To all Ways there are side-tracks. If you study a Way
daily, and your spirit diverges, you may think you are obeying a good way, but
objectively it is not the true Way. If you are following the true Way and
diverge a little, this will later become a large divergence. You must realise
this. Other strategies have come to be thought of as mere sword-fencing, and
it is not unreasonable that this should be so. The benefit of my strategy,
although it includes sword-fencing, lies in a separate principle. I have
explained what is commonly meant by strategy in other schools in the
Tradition (Wind) book.
Fifthly, the book of the Void. By Void I mean that which has no
beginning and no end. Attaining this principle means not attaining the
principle. The Way of strategy is the Way of nature. 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. All this is the Way of the Void. I
intend to show how to follow the true Way according to nature in the book of
the Void.

The Name Ichi Ryu Ni To (One school–Two swords)

Warriors, both commanders and troopers, carry two swords 27 at their belt. In
olden times these were called the long sword and the sword; nowadays they
are known as the sword and the companion sword. Let it suffice to say that in
our land, whatever the reason, a warrior carries two swords at his belt. It is
the Way of the warrior.
"Nito Ichi Ryu" shows the advantage of using both swords.
The spear and halberd28 are weapons that are carried out of doors.
Students of the Ichi school Way of strategy should train from the start
with the sword and long sword in either hand. This is the 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.
If you hold a sword with both hands, it is difficult to wield it freely to left
and right, so my method is to carry the sword in one hand. This does not
apply to large weapons such as the spear or halberd, but swords and
27
Two swords: The samurai wore two swords thrust through the belt with the cutting edges upward on the left side. The
shorter, or companion, sword was carried at all times, and the longer sword worn only out of doors. From time to time
there were rules governing the style and length of swords. Samurai carried two swords but other classes were allowed
only one sword for protection against brigands on the roads between towns (see Translator’s Introduction). The samurai
kept their swords at their bedsides, and there were racks for long swords inside the vestibule of every samurai home.
28
Spear and halberd: The techniques for spear and halberd fighting are the same as those of sword fighting. Spears
were first popular in the Muromachi period, primarily as arms for the vast armies of common infantry, and later became
objects of decoration for the processions of the daimyo to and from the capital in the Tokugawa period. The spear is used
to cut and thrust, and is not thrown.
The halberd and similar weapons with long curved blades were especially effective against cavalry, and came to be used
by women who might have to defend their homes in the absence of menfolk. The art is widely studied by women today.
companion swords can be carried in one hand. It is encumbering to hold a
sword in both hands when you are on horseback, when running on uneven
roads, on swampy ground, muddy rice fields, stony ground, or in a crowd of
people. To hold the long sword in both hands is not the true Way, for if you
carry a bow or spear or other arms in your left hand you have only one hand
free for the long sword. However, when it is difficult to cut an enemy down
with one hand, you must use both hands. 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. Bows are
difficult to draw, halberds are difficult to wield; as you become accustomed to
the bow so your pull will become stronger. When you become used to wielding
the long sword, you will gain the power of the Way and wield the sword well.
As I will explain in the second book, the Water Book, there is no fast
way of wielding the long sword. The long sword should be wielded broadly,
and the companion sword closely. This is the first thing to realise.
According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet
you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is
the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size.
It is better to use two swords rather than one when you are fighting a
crowd and especially if you want to take a prisoner.
These things cannot be explained in detail. From one thing, know ten
thousand things. When you attain the Way of strategy there will not be one
thing you cannot see. You must study hard.

The Benefit of the Two Characters Reading "Strategy"

Masters of the long sword are called strategists. As for the other military arts,
those who master the bow are called archers, those who master the spear are
called spearmen, those who master the gun 29 are called marksmen, those who
master the halberd are called halberdiers. But we do not call masters of the
Way of the long sword "longswordsmen", nor do we speak of
"companionswordsmen". Because bows, guns, spears and halberds are all
warriors' equipment they are certainly part of strategy. To master the virtue of
the long sword is to govern the world and oneself, thus the long sword is the
basis of strategy. The principle is "strategy by means of the long sword". If he
attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men. Just as one
man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a thousand, and a thousand
men can beat ten thousand. In my strategy, one man is the same as ten
thousand, so this strategy is the complete warrior's craft.
The Way of the warrior does not include other Ways, such as
29
The gun: The Japanese gun was matchlock, the form in which it was first introduced into the country by missionaries.
The matchlock remained until the nineteenth century.
Confucianism, Buddhism, certain traditions, artistic accomplishments and
dancing.30 But even though these are not part of the Way, if you know the
Way broadly you will see it in everything. Men must polish their particular
Way.

The Benefit of Weapons in Strategy

There is a time and a place for use of weapons.

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.
The halberd is inferior to the spear on the battlefield. With the spear
you can take the initiative; the halberd is defensive. In the hands of one of
two men of equal ability, the spear gives a little extra strength. Spear and
halberd both have their uses, but neither is very beneficial in confined spaces.
They cannot be used for taking a prisoner. They are essentially weapons for
the field.
Anyway, if you learn "indoor" techniques, 31 you will think narrowly and
forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters.
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.
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.
One of the virtues of the bow is that you can see the arrows in flight
and correct your aim accordingly, whereas gunshot cannot be seen. You must
appreciate the importance of this.
Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with
weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords
should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows
and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative.
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

30
Dancing: There are various kinds of dancing. There are festival dances, such as the harvest dance, which incorporate
local characteristics and are very colorful, sometimes involving many people. There is Noh theatre, which is enacted by a
few performers using stylized dance-movements. There are also dances of fan and dances of sword.
31
Indoor techniques: Dojos were mostly where a great deal of formality and ritual was observed, safe from the prying
eyes of rival schools.
commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes. These are things you must
learn thoroughly.

Timing in Strategy

There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a

great deal of practice.
Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in
rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the
military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and
abilities there is timing.
There is also timing in the Void.
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. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing
considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the
inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast
and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and
the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially
important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will
become uncertain.
You win in battles with the timing in the Void born of the timing of
cunning by knowing the enemies' timing, and this using a timing which the
enemy does not expect.
All the five books are chiefly concerned with timing. You must train
sufficiently to appreciate all this.
If you practise day and night in the above Ichi school strategy, your
spirit will naturally broaden. Thus is large scale strategy and the strategy of
hand to hand combat propagated in the world. This is recorded for the first
time in the five books of Ground, Water, Fire, Tradition (Wind), and Void. This
is the Way for men who want to learn my strategy:

 Do not think dishonestly.

 The Way is in training.
 Become aquainted with every art.
 Know the Ways of all professions.
 Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
 Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything.
 Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
 Pay attention even to trifles.
  Do nothing which is of no use.

It is important to start by setting these broad principles in your heart, and

train in the Way of strategy. If you do not look at things on a large scale it will
be difficult for you to master strategy. If you learn and attain this strategy you
will never lose even to twenty or thirty enemies. More than anything to start
with you must set your heart on strategy and earnestly stick to the Way. You
will come to be able to actually beat men in fights, and to be able to win with
your eye. 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?
Moreover, in large scale strategy the superior man will manage many
subordinates dextrously, bear himself correctly, govern the country and foster
the people, thus preserving the ruler's discipline. If there is a Way involving
the spirit of not being defeated, to help oneself and gain honour, it is the Way
of strategy.

The second year of Shoho (1645), the fifth month, the twelfth day.

Teruo Magonojo32 SHINMEN MUSASHI

32
Teruo Magonojo: The pupil, sometimes called Teruo Nobuyuki, to whom Musashi addressed Go Rin No Sho.
THE WATER BOOK
~

The spirit of the Ni Ten Ichi school of strategy is based on water, and this
Water Book explains methods of victory as the long-sword form of the Ichi
school. Language does not extend to explaining the Way in detail, but it can
be grasped intuitively. Study this book; read a word then ponder on it. If you
interpret the meaning loosely you will mistake the Way.
The principles of strategy are written down here in terms of single
combat, but you must think broadly so that you attain an understanding for
ten-thousand-a-side battles.
Strategy is different from other things in that if you mistake the Way
even a little you will become bewildered and fall into bad ways.
If you merely read this book you will not reach the Way of strategy.
Absorb the things written in this book. Do not just read, memorise or imitate,
but so that you realise the principle from within your own heart study hard to
absorb these things into your body.

Spiritual Bearing in Strategy

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. 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 influenced by your spirit. Be neither
insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low
spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.
Small people must be completely familiar with the spirit of large people,
and large people must be familiar with the spirit of small people. Whatever
your size, do not be misled by the reactions of your own body. With your spirit
open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view. You must
cultivate your wisdom and spirit. Polish your wisdom: learn public justice,
distinguish between good and evil, study the Ways of different arts one by
one. When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom
of strategy.
The wisdom of strategy is different from other things. On the battlefield,
even when you are hard-pressed, you should ceaselessly research the
principles of strategy so that you can develop a steady spirit.

Stance in Strategy

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor
twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be
wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow
them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a
feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck
straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the
shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without
the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops
of your toes. Brace your abdomen so that you do not bend at the hips. Wedge
your companion sword in your belt against your abdomen, so that your belt is
not slack—this is called "wedging in".
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. You
must research this well.

The Gaze in Strategy

The gaze should be large and broad. This is the twofold gaze "Perception and
Sight". Perception is strong and sight weak.
In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and
to take a distanced view of close things. It is important in strategy to know the
enemy's sword and not to be distracted by insignificant movements of his
sword. You must study this. The gaze is the same for single combat and for
large-scale combat.
It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without
moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is
written here: use this gaze in everyday life and do not vary it whatever
happens.

Holding the Long Sword

Grip the long sword with a rather floating feeling in your thumb and forefinger,
with the middle finger neither tight nor slack, and with the last two fingers
tight. It is bad to have play in your hands.
When you take up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy.
As you cut an enemy you must not change your grip, and your hands must not
"cower". When you dash the enemy's sword aside, or ward it off, or force it
down, you must slightly change the feeling in your thumb and forefinger.
Above all, you must be intent on cutting the enemy in the way you grip the
sword.
The grip for combat and for sword-testing 33 is the same. There is no
such thing as a "man-cutting grip".
Generally, I dislike fixedness in both long swords and hands. Fixedness
means a dead hand. Pliability is a living hand. You must bear this in mind.

Footwork34

With the tips of your toes somewhat floating, tread firmly with your heels.
Whether you move fast or slow, with large or small steps, your feet must
always move as in normal walking. I dislike the three walking methods known
as "jumping-foot", "floating-foot" and "fixed-steps".
So-called "Yin-Yang foot" is important to the Way. Yin-Yang foot means
not moving only one foot. It means moving your feet left-right and right-left
when cutting, withdrawing, or warding off a cut. You should not move one foot
preferentially.

The Five Attitudes

The five attitudes are: Upper, Middle, Lower, Right Side, and Left Side. These
are the five. Although attitude has these five dimensions, the one purpose of
all of them is to cut the enemy. There are none but these five attitudes.
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. Upper,
Lower and Middle attitudes are decisive. Left Side and Right Side attitudes are
fluid. Left and Right attitudes should be used if there is an obstruction
overhead or to one side. The decision to use Left or Right depends on the
place.

33
Sword Testing: Swords were tested by highly specialised professional testers. The sword would be fitted into a special
mounting and test cuts made on bodies, bundles of straw, armour, sheets of metal, etc. Sometimes, appraisal marks of a
sword testing inscribed on the tangs of old blades are found.
34
Footwork: Different methods of moving are used in different schools. Yin-Yang, or “In-Yo” in Japanese, is female-male,
dark-light, right-left. Musashi advocates this “level mind” kind of walking, although he is emphatic about the significance
of these parameters―issues of right and left foot arise in the Wind book of Go Rin No Sho. Old Jujitsu schools advocate
making the first attack with the left side forward.
 The essence of the Way is this. To understand attitude you must
thoroughly understand the Middle attitude. The Middle attitude is the heart of
the attitudes. If we look at strategy on a broad scale, the Middle attitude is the
seat of the commander, with the other four attitudes following the
commander. You must appreciate this.

The Way of the Long Sword

Knowing the Way of the long sword 35 means we can wield with two fingers the
sword that we usually carry. If we know the path of the sword well, we can
wield it easily.
If you try to wield the long sword quickly you will mistake the Way. To
wield the long sword well you must wield it calmly. If you try to wield it
quickly, like a folding fan36 or a short sword, you will err by using "short sword
chopping". You cannot cut a man with a long sword using this method.
When you have cut downwards with the long sword, lift it straight
upwards, when you cut sideways, return the sword along a sideways path.
Return the sword in a reasonable way, always stretching the elbows broadly.
Wield the sword strongly. This is the Way of the long sword.
If you learn to use the five approaches of my strategy, you will be able
to wield a sword well. You must train constantly.

The Five Approaches37

• The first approach is the Middle attitude. Confront the enemy with the
point of your sword against his face. When he attacks, dash his sword to
the right and "ride" it. Or, when the enemy attacks, deflect the point of
his sword by hitting downwards, keep your long sword where it is, and as
the enemy renews the attack cut his arms from below. This is the first
method.
The five approaches are this kind of thing. You must train
repeatedly using a long sword in order to learn them. When you master
my Way of the long sword, you will be able to control any attack the
enemy makes. I assure you, there are no attitudes other than the five
attitudes of the long sword of NiTo.

35
The Way of the Long Sword: The Way as a way of life, and as the natural path of a sword blade. There is a natural
movement of the sword associated with a natural behavior according to Kendo ethics.
36
Folding fan: An item carried by men and women in the hot summer months. Armoured officers sometimes carried an
iron war fan.
37
The Five Approaches: Who can understand Musashi’s methods? It is necessary to study traditional schools and basic
cutting practice. Bear in mind that fighting technique may start from a greater distance than it seems to at a first glance. It
is said that the man who has faced death at the point of a sword has an elevated understanding.
 • In the second approach with the long sword, from the Upper attitude
cut the enemy just as he attacks. If the enemy evades the cut, keep your
sword where it is and, scooping from below, cut him as he renews the
attack. It is possible to repeat the cut from here.
In this method there are various changes in timing and spirit. You
will be able to understand this by training in the Ichi school. You will
always win with the five long sword methods. You must train repeatedly.
• In the third approach, adopt the Lower attitude, anticipating scooping
up. When the enemy attackes, hit his hands from below. As you do so,
he may try to hit your sword down. If this is the case, cut his upper
arm(s) horizontally with a feeling of "crossing". This means that from the
Lower attitudes you hit the enemy at the instant that he attacks.
You will encounter this method often, both as a beginner and in
later strategy. You must train holding a long sword.
• In this fourth approach, adopt the Left Side attitude. As the enemy
attacks, hit his hands from below. If as you hit his hands he attempts to
dash down your sword, with the feeling of hitting his hands, parry the
path of his long sword and cut across from above your shoulder.
This is the Way of the long sword. Through this method you win by
parrying the line of the enemy's attack. You must study this.
• In the fifth approach, the sword is in the Right Side attitude. In
accordance with the enemy's attack, cross your sword from below at the
side to the Upper attitude. Then cut straight from above.
This method is essential for knowing the Way of the long sword
well. If you can use this method, you can freely wield a heavy long
sword.

I cannot describe in detail how to use these five approaches. You must
become well acquainted with my "in harmony with the long sword" Way, learn
large-scale timing, understand the enemy's long sword, and become used to
the five approaches from the outset. You will always win by using these five
methods, with various timing considerations discerning the enemy's spirit. You
must consider all this carefully.

The "Attitude–No-Attitude" Teaching

"Attitude No-Attitude" means that there is no need for what are known as long
sword attitudes.
Even so, attitudes exist as the five ways of holding the long sword.
However you hold the sword it must be in such a way that it is easy to cut the
enemy well, in accordance with the situation, the place, and your relation to
the enemy. From the Upper attitude as your spirit lessens you can adopt the
Middle attitude, and from the Middle attitude you can raise the sword a little in
your technique and adopt the Upper attitude. From the Lower attitude you can
raise the sword a little and adopt the Middle attitudes as the occasion
demands. According to the situation, if you turn your sword from either the
Left Side or Right Side attitude towards the centre, the Middle or the Lower
attitude results.
The principle of this is called "Existing Attitude—Non-existing Attitude".
The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your
intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit,
spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in
the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting,
springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut
him. More than anything, you must be thinking of carrying your movement
through to cutting him. You must thoroughly research this.
Attitude in strategy on a larger scale is called "Battle Array". Such
attitudes are all for winning battles. Fixed formation is bad. Study this well.

To Hit the Enemy "In One Timing"

"In One Timing" means, when you have closed with the enemy, to hit him as
quickly and directly as possible, without moving your body or settling your
spirit, while you see that he is still undecided. The timing of hitting before the
enemy decides to withdraw, break or hit, is this "In One Timing".
You must train to achieve this timing, to be able to hit in the timing of
an instant.

The "Abdomen Timing of Two"

When you attack and the enemy quickly retreats, as you see him tense you
must feint a cut. Then, as he relaxes, follow up and hit him. This is the
"Abdomen Timing of Two".
It is very difficult to attain this merely by reading this book, but you will
soon understand with a little instruction.

No Design, No Conception38

In this method, when the enemy attacks and you decide to attack, hit with
38
No Design, No Conception: “Munen Muso”―this means the ability to act calmly and naturally even in the face of
danger. It is the highest accord with existance, when a man’s word and his actions are spontaneously the same.
your body, and hit with your spirit, and hit from the Void with your hands,
accelerating strongly. This is the "No Design, No Conception" cut.
This is the most important method of hitting. It is often used. You must
train hard to understand it.

The Flowing Water Cut

The "Flowing Water Cut" is used when you are struggling blade to blade with
the enemy. When he breaks and quickly withdraws trying to spring with his
long sword, expand your body and spirit and cut him as slowly as possible with
your long sword, following your body like stagnant water. You can cut with
certainty if you learn this. You must discern the enemy's grade.

Continuous Cut

When you attack and the enemy also attacks, and your swords spring
together, in one action cut his head, hands and legs. When you cut several
places with one sweep of the long sword, it is the “Continuous Cut”. You must
practise this cut; it is often used. With detailed practice you should be able to
understand it.

The Fire and Stones Cut

The Fires and Stones Cut means that when the enemy's long sword and your
long sword clash together you cut as strongly as possible without raising the
sword even a little. This means cutting quickly with the hands, body and legs—
all three cutting strongly. If you train well enough you will be able to strike
strongly.

The Red Leaves Cut

The Red Leaves Cut39 means knocking down the enemy's long sword. The
spirit should be getting control of his sword. When the enemy is in a long
sword attitude in front of you and intent on cutting, hitting and parrying, you
strongly hit the enemy's sword with the Fire and Stones Cut, perhaps in the
design of the "No Design, No Conception" Cut. If you then beat down the point
of his sword with a sticky feeling, he will necessarily drop the sword. If you
practise this cut it becomes easy to make the enemy drop his sword. You must
train repetitively.
39
Red Leaves Cut: Presumably Musashi is alluding here to falling, dying leaves.
The Body in Place of the Long Sword

Also "the long sword in place of the body". Usually we move the body and the
sword at the same time to cut the enemy. However, according to the enemy's
cutting method, you can dash against him with your body first, and afterwards
cut with the sword. If his body is immoveable, you can cut first with the long
sword, but generally you hit first with the body and then cut with the long
sword. You must research this well and practise hitting.

Cut and Slash

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. Even if you slash strongly, and even if the enemy dies instantly, it
is slashing. When you cut, your spirit is resolved. You must appreciate this. If
you first slash the enemy's hands or legs, you must then cut strongly.
Slashing is in spirit the same as touching. When you realise this, they become
indistinguishable. Learn this well.

Chinese Monkey's Body

The Chinese Monkey's Body40 is the spirit of not stretching out your arms. The
spirit is to get in quickly, without in the least extending your arms, before the
enemy cuts. If you are intent upon not stretching out your arms you are
effectively far away, the spirit is to go in with your whole body. When you
come to within arm's reach it becomes easy to move your body in. You must
research this well.

Glue and Lacquer Emulsion Body

The spirit of "Glue and Lacquer Emulsion Body"41 is to stick to the enemy and not
separate from him. When you approach the enemy, stick firmly with your head, body
and legs. People tend to advance their head and legs quickly, but their body lags
behind. You should stick firmly so that there is not the slightest gap between the
enemy's body and your body. You must consider this carefully.

To Strive for Height

40
Chinese Monkey”s Body: A Chinese monkey here means a short-armed monkey.
41
Glue and lacquer emulsion: The lacquer work which takes its name from Japan, used to coat furniture and home
utensils, architecture, weapons and armour.
By "to strive for height" is meant, when you close with the enemy, to strive
with him for superior height without cringing. Stretch your legs, stretch your
hips, and stretch your neck face to face with him. When you think you have
won, and you are the higher, thrust in strongly. You must learn this.

To Apply Stickiness

When the enemy attacks and you also attack with the long sword, you should
go in with a sticky feeling and fix your long sword against the enemy's as you
receive his cut. The spirit of stickiness is not hitting very strongly, but hitting
so that the long swords do not separate easily. It is best to approach as calmly
as possible when hitting the enemy's long sword with stickiness. The
difference between "Stickiness" and "Entanglement" is that stickiness is firm
and entanglement is weak. You must appreciate this.

The Body Strike

The Body Strike means to approach the enemy through a gap in his guard.
The spirit is to strike him with your body. Turn your face a little aside and
strike the enemy's breast with your left shoulder thrust out. Approach with a
spirit of bouncing the enemy away, striking as strongly as possible in time with
your breathing. If you achieve this method of closing with the enemy, you will
be able to knock him ten or twenty feet away. It is possible to strike the
enemy until he is dead. Train well.

Three Ways to Parry His Attack

There are three methods to parry a cut:

First, by dashing the enemy's long sword to your right, as if thrusting at
his eyes, when he makes an attack.
Or, to parry by thrusting the enemy's long sword towards his right eye
with the feeling of snipping his neck.
Or, when you have a short "long sword", without worrying about
parrying the enemy's long sword, to close with him quickly, thrusting at his
face with your left hand.
These are the three ways of parrying. You must bear in mind that you
can always clench your left hand and thrust at the enemy's face with your fist.
For this it is necessary to train well.

To Stab at the Face

To stab at the face means, when you are in confrontation with the enemy, that
your spirit is intent on stabbing at his face, following the line of the blades
with the point of your long sword. If you are intent on stabbling at his face, his
face and body will become rideable. When the enemy becomes rideable, there
are various opportunities for winning. You must concentrate on this. When
fighting and the enemy's body becomes as if rideable, you can win quickly, so
you ought not to forget to stab at the face. You must persue the value of this
technique through training.

To Stab at the Heart

To stab at the heart means, when fighting and there are obstructions above or
to the sides, and whenever it is difficult to cut, to thrust at the enemy. You
must stab the enemy's breast without letting the point of your long sword
waver, showing the enemy the ridge of the blade square-on, and with the
spirit of deflecting his long sword. The spirit of this principle is often useful
when we become tired or for some reason our long sword will not cut. You
must understand the application of this method.

To Scold "Tut-TUT!"

"Scold" means that, when the enemy tries to counter-cut as you attack, you
counter-cut again from below as if thrusting at him, trying to hold him down.
With very quick timing you cut, scolding the enemy. Thrust up, "Tut!", and cut
"TUT!" This timing is encountered time and time again in exchanges of blows.
The way to scold Tut-TUT is to time the cut simultaneously with raising your
long sword as if to thrust the enemy. You must learn this through repetitive
practice.

The Smacking Parry

By "smacking parry" is meant that when you clash swords with the enemy,
you meet his attacking cut on your long sword with a tee-dum, tee-dum
rhythm, smacking his sword and cutting him. The spirit of the smacking parry
is not parrying, or smacking strongly, but smacking the enemy's long sword in
accordance with his attacking cut, primarily intent on quickly cutting him. If
you understand the timing of smacking, however hard your long swords clash
together, your swordpoint will not be knocked back even a little. You must
research sufficiently to realise this.
There are Many Enemies

"There are many enemies"42 applies when you are fighting one against many.
Draw both sword and companion sword and assume a wide-stretched left and
right attitude. The spirit is to chase the enemies around from side to side,
even though they come from all four directions. Observe their attacking order,
and go to meet first those who attack first. Sweep your eyes around broadly,
carefully examining the attacking order, and cut left and right alternately with
your swords. Waiting is bad. Always quickly reassume your attitudes to both
sides, cut the enemies down as they advance, crushing them in the direction
from which they attack. Whatever you do, you must drive the enemy together,
as if tying a line of fishes, and when they are seen to be piled up, cut them
down strongly without giving them room to move.

The Advantage When Coming to Blows

You can know how to win through strategy with the long sword, but it cannot
be clearly explained in writing. You must practise diligently in order to
understand how to win.
Oral tradition:43"The true Way of strategy is revealed in the long sword."

One Cut

You can win with certainty with the spirit of "one cut". 44 It is difficult to attain
this if you do not learn strategy well. If you train well in this Way, strategy will
come from your heart and you will be able to win at will. You must train
diligently.

Direct Communication

The spirit of "Direct Communication" is how the true Way of the NiTo Ichi
school is received and handed down.
Oral tradition: "Teach your body strategy."

42
There are many enemies: Musashi is held to be the inventor of the Two Sword style. His school is sometimes called
“Nito Ryu” (two sword school) and sometimes “Niten Ryu” (two heavens school). He writes that the use of two swords is
for when there are many enemies, but people practise a style of fencing with a sword in each hand to give practical
advantage in fencing. Musashi used the words “two swords” when meaning to use all one’s resources in combat. He
never used two swords when up against a skilled swordsman.
43
Oral tradition: Other Kendo schools also have oral traditions as opposed to teachings passed on in formal technique.
44
One cut: Whatever this means, it is wothwhile to note the “Hitotsu Gachi” (One Victory), the Kiri Otoshi technique of the
Itto Ryu school, where one cut provides attack and defence, cutting down the enemy’s sword and spirit, and the related
“Itchi no Tachi” (Long Sword of One) of the Shinto style.
Recorded in the above book is an outline of Ichi school sword fighting.
To learn how to win with the long sword in strategy, first learn the five
approaches and the five attitudes, and absorb the Way of the long sword
naturally in your body. You must understand spirit and timing, handle the long
sword naturally, and move body and legs in harmony with your spirit. Whether
beating one man or two, you will then know values in strategy.
Study the contents of this book, taking one item at a time, and through
fighting with enemies you will gradually come to know the principle of the
Way.
Deliberately, with a patient spirit, absorb the virtue of all this, from time
to time raising your hand in combat. Maintain this spirit whenever you cross
swords with an enemy.
Step by step walk the thousand-mile road.
Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior.
Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over
lesser men. Next, in order to beat more skilful men, train according to this
book, not allowing your heart to be swayed along a side-track. Even if you kill
an enemy, if it is not based on what you have learned it is not the true Way.
If you attain this Way of victory, then you will be able to beat several
tens of men. What remains is sword-fighting ability, which you can attain in
battles and duels.

The Second Year of Shoho, the twelfth day of the fifth month (1645)

Teruo Magonojo SHINMEN

MUSASHI
THE FIRE BOOK
~

In this the Fire Book of the NiTo Ichi school of strategy I describe fighting as
fire.
In the first place, people think narrowly about the benefit of strategy.
By using only their fingertips, they only know the benefit of three of the five
inches of the wrist. They let a contest be decided, as with the folding fan,
merely by the span of their forearms. They specialise in the small matter of
dexterity, learning such trifles as hand and leg movements with the bamboo
practise sword. 45
In my strategy, the training for killing enemies is by way of many
contests, fighting for survival, discovering the meaning of life and death,
learning the Way of the sword, judging the strength of attacks and
understanding the Way of the "edge and ridge" of the sword.
You cannot profit from small techniques particularly when full armor is
46
worn. My Way of strategy is the sure method to win when fighting for your
life one man against five or ten. There is nothing wrong with the principle "one
man can beat ten, so a thousand men can beat ten thousand". You must
research this. Of course you cannot assemble a thousand or ten thousand men
for everyday training. But you can become a master of strategy by training
alone with a sword, so that you can understand the enemy's strategies, his
strength and resources, and come to appreciate how to apply strategy to beat
ten thousand enemies.
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 realise extrordinary ability. He will come to posess
miraculous power.
This is the practical result of strategy.

45
Bamboo practice sword: There have been practise swords of various kinds throughout the history of Kendo: some are
made of spliced bamboo covered with cloth or hide.
46
Full armour: The words “Roku Gu” (six pieces) are used. This is a set of armour consisting of Cuiras, gauntlets,
sleeves, apron and thigh pieces, or, according to another convention, body armour, helmet, mask, thigh pieces, gauntlets
and leg pieces.
Depending on the Place

Examine your environment

Stand in the sun; that is, take up an attitude with the sun behind you. If
the situation does not allow this, you must try to keep the sun on your right
side. In buildings, you must stand with the entrance behind you or to your
right. Make sure that your rear is unobstructed, and that there is free space on
your left, your right side being occupied with your sword attitude. At night, if
the enemy can be seen, keep the fire behind you and the entrance to your
right, and otherwise take up your attitude as above. You must look down on
the enemy, and take up your attitude on slightly higher places. For example,
the Kamiza47 in a house is thought of as a high place.
When the fight comes, always endeavour to chase the enemy around to
your left side. Chase him towards awkward places, and try to keep him with
his back to awkward places. When the enemy gets into an inconvenient
position, do not let him look around, but conscientiously chase him around and
pin him down. In houses, chase the enemy into the thresholds, lintels, doors,
verandas, pillars, and so on, again not letting him see his situation.
Always chase the enemy into bad footholds, obstacles at the side, and
so on, using the virtues of the place to establish predominant positions from
which to fight. You must research and train diligently in this.

48
The Three Methods to Forestall the Enemy

The first is to forestall him by attacking. This is called Ken No Sen (to set him
up).
Another method is to forestall him as he attacks. This is called Tai No
Sen (to wait for the initiative).
The other method is when you and the enemy attack together. This is
called Tai Tai No Sen (to accompany him and forestall him).
There are no methods of taking the lead other than these three.
Because you can win quickly by taking the lead, it is one of the most
important things in strategy. There are several things involved in taking the
lead. You must make the best of the situation, see through the enemy's spirit
so that you grasp his strategy and defeat him. It is impossible to write about
this in detail.
47
Kazima: This is the residence of the ancestral spirit of a house; the head of the house sits nearest this place. It is often
a slightly raised recess in a wall, sometimes containing a hanging scroll, armour, or other religious property.
48
The three methods to forestall an enemy: A great swordsman or other artist will have mastered the ability to forestall
the enemy. The great swordsman is always “before” his environment. This does not mean speed. You cannot beat a
good swordsman, because he subconsciously sees the origin of every real action. One can still see in Kendo practice
wonderful old gentlemen slowly hitting young champoins on the head almost casually. It is the practiced ability to sum up
a changing situation instantly.
The First–Ken No Sen

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 with the reserve.
Alternately, advance with as strong a spirit as possible, and when you
reach the enemy move with your feet a little quicker than normal, unsettling
him and overwhelming him sharply.
Or, 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.
These are all Ken No Sen.

The Second–Tai No Sen

When the enemy attacks, remain undisturbed but feign weakness. As the
enemy reaches you, suddenly move away indicating that you intend to jump
aside, then dash in attacking strongly as soon as you see the enemy relax.
This is one way.
Or, as the enemy attacks, attack more strongly, taking advantage of
the resulting disorder in his timing to win.
This is the Tai No Sen principle.

The Third–Tai Tai No Sen

When the enemy makes a quick attack, you must attack strongly and calmly,
aim for his weak point as he draws near, and strongly defeat him.
Or, if the enemy attacks calmly, you must observe his movement and,
with your body rather floating, join in with his movements as he draws near.
Move quickly and cut him strongly.
This is Tai Tai No Sen

These things cannot be clearly explained in words. You must research what is
written here. In these three ways of forestalling, you must judge the situation.
This does not mean that you always attack first; but if the enemy attacks first
you can lead him around. In strategy, you have effectively won when you
forestall the enemy, so you must train well to attain this.

To Hold Down a Pillow

“To Hold Down a Pillow”49 means not allowing the enemy's head to rise.
49
To hold down a pillow: Note that samurai and Japanese ladies slept with heads on a small wooden pillow shaped to
 In contests of stategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must
always be able to lead the enemy about. Obviously the enemy will also be
thinking of doing this, but he cannot forestall you if you do not allow him to
come out. In strategy, you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; you
must push down his thrust, and throw off his hold when he tries to grapple.
This is the meaning of "to hold down a pillow". When you have grasped this
principle, whatever the enemy tries to bring about in the fight you will see in
advance and suppress it. The spirit is to check his attack at the syllable
"at . . .", when he jumps check his advance at the syllable "ju . . .", and check
his cut at "cu . . .".
The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful
actions but allow his useless actions. However, doing this alone is defensive.
First, you must act according to the Way, suppress the enemy's techniques,
foiling his plans, and thence command him directly. When you can do this you
will be a master of strategy. You must train well and research "holding down a
pillow".

Crossing at a Ford

"Crossing at a ford" means, for example, crossing the sea at a strait, or

crossing over a hundred miles of broad sea at a crossing place. I believe this
"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. When all the conditions are
met, and there is perhaps a favourable wind, or a tailwind, then set sail. If the
wind changes within a few miles of your destination, you must row across the
remaining distance without sail.
If you attain this spirit, it applies to everyday life. You must always
think of crossing at a ford.
In strategy also it is important to "cross at a ford". 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. If you succeed in
crossing at the best place, you may take your ease. 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 in large-scale strategy. The spirit of crossing at a
ford is necessary in both large—and small-scale strategy.
You must research this well.

To Know the Times

accommodate their hairstyle.

"To know the times" means to know the enemy's disposition in battle. Is it
flourishing or waning? By observing the spirit of the enemy's men and getting
the best position, you can work out the enemy's disposition and move your
men accordingly. You can win through this principle of strategy, fighting from
a position of advantage.
When in a duel, you must forestall the enemy and attack when you
have first recognised his school of strategy, perceived his quality and his
strong and weak points. Attack in an unsuspected manner, knowing his metre
and modulation and the appropriate timing.
Knowing the times means, if your ability is high, seeing right into
things. If you are thoroughly conversant with strategy, you will recognise the
enemy's intentions and thus have many opportunities to win. You must
sufficiently study this.

To Tread Down the Sword

"To tread down the sword" is a principle often used in strategy. First, in large-
scale strategy, when the enemy first discharges bows and guns and then
attacks, it is difficult for us to attack if we are busy loading powder into our
guns or notching our arrows. The spirit is to attack quickly while the enemy is
still shooting with bows or guns. The spirit is to win by "treading down" as we
receive the enemy's attack.
In single combat, we cannot get a decisive victory by cutting, with a
"tee-dum tee-dum" feeling, in the wake of the enemy's attacking long sword.
We must defeat him at the start of his attack, in the spirit of treading him
down with the feet, so that he cannot rise again to the attack.
"Treading" does not simply mean treading with the feet. Tread with the
body, tread with the spirit, and, of course, tread and cut with the long sword.
You must achieve the spirit of not allowing the enemy to attack a second time.
This is the spirit of forestalling in every sense. Once at the enemy, you should
not aspire just to strike him, but to cling after the attack. You must study this
deeply.

To Know "Collapse"

Everything can collapse. Houses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their
rhythm becomes deranged.
In large-scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse you must
persue him without letting the chance go. If you fail to take advantage of your
enemies' collapse, they may recover.
In single combat, the enemy sometimes loses timing and collapses. If
you let this opportunity pass, he may recover and not be so negligent
thereafter. Fix your eye on the enemy's collapse, and chase him, attacking so
that you do not let him recover. You must do this. The chasing attack is with a
strong spirit. You must utterly cut the enemy down so that he does not
recover his position. You must understand utterly how to cut down the enemy.

To Become the Enemy

"To become the enemy" means to think yourself into the enemy's position. In
the world people tend to think of a robber trapped in a house as a fortified
enemy. However, if we think of "becoming the enemy", we feel that the whole
world is against us and that there is no escape. He who is shut inside is a
pheasant. He who enters to arrest is a hawk. You must appreciate this.
In large-scale strategy, people are always under the impression that the
enemy is strong, and so tend to become cautious. But if you have good
soldiers, and if you understand the principles of strategy, and if you know how
to beat the enemy, there is nothing to worry about.
In single combat also you must put yourself in the enemy's position. If
you think, "Here is a master of the Way, who knows the principles of
strategy", then you will surely lose. You must consider this deeply.

To Release Four Hands

"To release four hands"50 is used when you and the enemy are contending with
the same spirit, and the issue cannot be decided. Abandon this spirit and win
through an alternative resource.
In large-scale strategy, when there is a "four hands" spirit, do not give
up—it is man's existence. Immediately throw away this spirit and win with a
technique the enemy does not expect.
In single combat also, when we think we have fallen into the "four
hands" situation, we must defeat the enemy by changing our mind and
applying a suitable technique according to his condition. You must be able to
judge this.

To Move the Shade

"To move the shade" is used when you cannot see the enemy's spirit.

50
To release four hands: “Yotsu te o hanasu”―the expression “Yotsu te” means the condition of grappling with both arms
engaged with the opponent’s arms, or “deadlock”. It is also the name used to describe various articles with four corners
joined, such as a fishing net, and was given to an article of ladies’ clothing which consisted of a square of cloth tied from
the back over each shoulder and under each arm, with a knot on the breast.
 In large-scale strategy, when you cannot see the enemy's position,
indicate that you are about to attack strongly, to discover his resources. It is
easy then to defeat him with a different method once you see his resources.
In single combat, if the enemy takes up a rear or side attitude of the
long sword so that you cannot see his intention, make a feint attack, and the
enemy will show his long sword, thinking he sees your spirit. Benefiting from
what you are shown, you can win with certainty. If you are negligent you will
miss the timing. Research this well.

To Hold Down a Shadow

"Holding down a shadow" is used when you can see the enemy's attacking
spirit.
In large-scale strategy, when the enemy embarks on an attack, if you
make a show of strongly suppressing his technique, he will change his mind.
Then, altering your spirit, defeat him by forestalling him with a Void spirit.
Or, in single combat, hold down the enemy's strong intention with a
suitable timing, and defeat him by forestalling him with this timing. You must
study this well.

To Pass On

Many things are said to be passed on. Sleepiness can be passed on, and
yawning can be passed on. Time can be passed on also.
In large-scale strategy, when the enemy is agitated and shows an
inclination to rush, do not mind in the least. Make a show of complete
calmness, and the enemy will be taken by this and will become relaxed. When
you see that this spirit has been passed on, you can bring about the enemy's
defeat by attacking strongly with a Void spirit.
In single combat, you can win by relaxing your body and spirit and
then, catching on the moment the enemy relaxes, attack strongly and quickly,
forestalling him.
What is known as "getting someone drunk" is similar to this. You can
also infect the enemy with a bored, careless, or weak spirit. You must study
this well.

To Cause Loss of Balance

Many things can cause a loss of balance. One cause is danger, another is
hardship, and another is surprise. You must research this.
In large-scale strategy it is important to cause loss of balance. Attack
without warning where the enemy is not expecting it, and while his spirit is
undecided follow up your advantage and, having the lead, defeat him.
Or, in single combat, start by making a show of being slow, then
suddenly attack strongly. Without allowing him space for breath to recover
from the fluctuation of spirit, you must grasp the opportunity to win. Get the
feel of this.

To Frighten

Fright often occurs, caused by the unexpected.

In large-scale strategy you can frighten the enemy not 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. These things all frighten.
You can win by making best use of the enemy's frightened rhythm.
In single combat, also, you must use the advantage of taking the
enemy unawares by frightening him with your body, long sword, or voice, to
defeat him. You should research this well.

To Soak In

When you have come to grips and are striving together with the enemy, and
you realise that you cannot advance, you "soak in" and become one with the
enemy. You can win by applying a suitable technique while you are mutually
entangled.
In battles involving large numbers as well as in fights with small
numbers, you can often win decisively with the advantage of knowing how to
"soak" into the enemy, whereas, were you to draw apart, you would lose the
chance to win. Research this well.

To Injure the Corners

It is difficult to move strong things by pushing directly, so you should "injure

the corners".
In large-scale strategy, it is beneficial to strike at the corners of the
enemy's force. If the corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole body will
be overthrown. To defeat the enemy you must follow up the attack when the
corners have fallen.
In single combat, it is easy to win once the enemy collapses. This
happens when you injure the "corners" of his body, and this weaken him. It is
important to know how to do this, so you must research this deeply.
To Throw into Confusion

This means making the enemy lose resolve.

In large-scale strategy we can use your troops to confuse the enemy on
the field. Observing the enemy's spirit, we can make him think, "Here? There?
Like that? Like this? Slow? Fast?" Victory is certain when the enemy is caught
up in a rhythm that confuses his spirit.
In single combat, we can confuse the enemy by attacking with varied
techniques when the chance arises. Feint a thrust or cut, or make the enemy
think you are going close to him, and when he is confused you can easily win.
This is the essence of fighting, and you must research it deeply.

The Three Shouts

The three shouts are divided thus: before, during and after. Shout according
to the situation. The voice is a thing of life. We shout against fires and so on,
against the wind and the waves. The voice shows energy.
In large-scale strategy, at the start of battle we shout as loudly as
possible. During the fight, the voice is low-pitched, shouting out as we attack.
After the contest, we shout in the wake of our victory. These are the three
shouts.
In single combat, we make as if to cut and shout "Ei!" at the same time
to disturb the enemy, then in the wake of our shout we cut with the long
sword. We shout after we have cut down the enemy—this is to announce
victory. This is called "sen go no koe" (before and after voice). We do not
shout simultaneously with flourishing the long sword. We shout during the
fight to get into rhythm. Research this deeply.

To Mingle

In battles, when the armies are in confrontation, attack the enemy's strong
points and, when you see that they are beaten back, quickly separate and
attack yet another strong point on the periphery of his force. The spirit of this
is like a winding mountain path.
This is an important fighting method for one man against many. Strike
down the enemies in one quarter, or drive them back, then grasp the timing
and attack further strong points to right and left, as if on a winding mountain
path, weighing up the enemies' disposition. When you know the enemies'
level, attack strongly with no trace of retreating spirit.
In single combat, too, use this spirit with the enemy's strong points.
What is meant by 'mingling' is the spirit of advancing and becoming
engaged with the enemy, and not withdrawing even one step. You must
understand this.

To Crush

This means to crush the enemy regarding him as being weak.

In large-scale strategy, when we see that the enemy has few men, or if
he has many men but his spirit is weak and disordered, we knock the hat over
his eyes, crushing him utterly. If we crush lightly, he may recover. You must
learn the spirit of crushing as if with a hand-grip.
In single combat, if the enemy is less skilful than yourself, if his rhythm
is disorganized, or if he has fallen into evasive or retreating attitudes, we must
crush him straightaway, with no concern for his presence and without allowing
him space for breath. It is essential to crush him all at once. The primary thing
is not to let him recover his position even a little. You must research this
deeply.

The Mountain-Sea Change

The "mountain-sea" spirit means that it is bad to repeat the same thing
several times when fighting the enemy. There may be no help but to do
something twice, but do not try it a third time. If you once make an attack and
fail, there is little chance of success if you use the same approach again. If
you attempt a technique which you have previously tried unsucessfully and fail
yet again, then you must change your attacking method.
If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he
thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains. You must research this deeply.

To Penetrate the Depths

When we are fighting with the enemy, even when it can be seen that we can
win on the surface with the benefit of the Way, if his spirit is not extinguished,
he may be beaten superficially yet undefeated in spirit deep inside. With this
principle of "penetrating the depths" we can destroy the enemy's spirit in its
depths, demoralising him by quickly changing our spirit. This often occurs.
Penetrating the depths means penetrating with the long sword,
penetrating with the body, and penetrating with the spirit. This cannot be
understood in a generalisation.
Once we have crushed the enemy in the depths, there is no need to
remain spirited. But otherwise we must remain spirited. If the enemy remains
spirited it is difficult to crush him. You must train in penetrating the depths for
large-scale strategy and also single combat.

To Renew

"To renew" applies when we are fighting with the enemy, and an entangled
spirit arises where there is no possible resolution. We must abandon our
efforts, think of the situation in a fresh spirit then win in the new rhythm. To
renew, when we are deadlocked with the enemy, means that without changing
our circumstance we change our spirit and win through a different technique.
It is necessary to consider how "to renew" also applies in large-scale
strategy. Research this diligently.

Rat's Head, Ox's Neck

"Rat's head and ox's neck" means that, when we are fighting with the enemy
and both he and we have become occupied with small points in an entangled
spirit, we must always think of the Way of strategy as being both a rat's head
and an ox's neck. Whenever we have become preoccupied with small details,
we must suddenly change into a large spirit, interchanging large with small.
This is one of the essences of strategy. It is necessary that the warrior
think in this spirit in everyday life. You must not depart from this spirit in
large-scale strategy nor in single combat.

The Commander Knows the Troops

"The commander knows the troops" applies everywhere in fights in my Way of

strategy.
Using the wisdom of strategy, think of the enemy as your own troops.
When you think in this way you can move him at will and be able to chase him
around. You become the general and the enemy becomes your troops. You
must master this.

To Let Go the Hilt

There are various kinds of spirit involved in letting go the hilt.

There is the spirit of winning without a sword. There is also the spirit of
holding the long sword but not winning. The various methods cannot be
expressed in writing. You must train well.
 51
The Body of a Rock

When you have mastered the Way of strategy you can suddenly make your
body like a rock, and ten thousand things cannot touch you. This is the body
of a rock.
You will not be moved. Oral tradition.
What is recorded above is what has been constantly on my mind about
Ichi school sword fencing, written down as it came to me. This is the first time
I have written about my technique, and the order of things is a bit confused. It
is difficult to express it clearly.

This book is a spiritual guide for the man who wishes to learn the Way.
My heart has been inclined to the Way of strategy from my youth
onwards. I have devoted myself to training my hand, tempering my body, and
attaining the many spiritual attitudes of sword fencing. If we watch men of
other schools discussing theory, and concentrating on techniques with the
hands, even though they seem skilful to watch, they have not the slightest
true spirit.
Of course, men who study in this way think they are training the body
and spirit, but it is an obstacle to the true Way, and its bad influence remains
for ever. Thus the true Way of strategy is becoming decadent and dying out.
The true Way of sword fencing is the craft of defeating the enemy in a
fight, and nothing other than this. If you attain and adhere to the wisdom of
my strategy, you need never doubt that you will win.

The second year of Shoho, the fifth month, the twelfth day (1645)

Teruo Magonojo SHINMEN MUSASHI

51
The body of the rock: This is recorded in the Terao Ka Ki, the chronicle of the house of Terao. Once, a lord asked
Musashi “What is this ‘Body of a rock’?” Musashi replied, “Please summon my pupil Terao Ryuma Suke”. When Terao
appeared, Musashi ordered him to kill himself by cutting his abdomen. Just as Terao was about to make the cut, Musashi
restrained him and said to the lord, “This is the ‘Body of the Rock’”.
THE WIND BOOK
~

In strategy you must know the Ways of other schools, so I have written about
various other traditions of strategy in this the Wind Book.
Without knowledge of the Ways of other schools, it is difficult to
understand the essence of my Ichi school. Looking at other schools we find
some that specialise in techniques of strength using extra-long swords. Some
schools study the Way of the short sword, known as kodachi. Some schools
teach dexterity in large numbers of sword techniques, teaching attitudes of
the sword as the "surface" and the Way as the "interior".
That none of these are the true Way I show clearly in the interior of this
book—all the vices and virtues and rights and wrongs. My Ichi school is
different. Other schools make accomplishments their means of livelihood,
growing flowers and decoratively colouring articles in order to sell them. This
is definately not the Way of strategy.
Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword fencing,
and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body.
But is dexterity alone sufficient to win? This is not the essence of the Way.
I have recorded the unsatisfactory points of other schools one by one in
this book. You must study these matters deeply to appreciate the benefit of
my Ni To Ichi school.

Other Schools Using Extra-Long Swords

Some other schools have a liking for extra-long swords. From the point of view
of my strategy these must be seen as weak schools. This is because they do
not appreciate the principle of cutting the enemy by any means. Their
preference is for the extra-long sword and, relying on the virtue of its length,
they think to defeat the enemy from a distance.
In this world it is said, "One inch gives the hand advantage", but these
are the idle words of one who does not know strategy. It shows the inferior
strategy of a weak sprit that men should be dependant on the length of their
sword, fighting from a distance without the benefit of strategy.
 I expect there is a case for the school in question liking extra-long
swords as part of it's doctrine, but if we compare this with real life it is
unreasonable. Surely we need not necessarily be defeated if we are using a
short sword, and have no long sword?
It is difficult for these people to cut the enemy when at close quarters
because of the length of the long sword. The blade path is large so the long
sword is an encumbrance, and they are at a disadvantage compared to the
man armed with a short companion sword.
From olden times it has been said: "Great and small go together." So do
not unconditionally dislike extra-long swords. What I dislike is the inclination
towards the long sword. If we consider large-scale strategy, we can think of
large forces in terms of long swords, and small forces as short swords. Cannot
few men give battle against many? There are many instances of few men
overcoming many.
Your strategy is of no account if when called on to fight in a confined
space your heart is inclined to the long sword, or if you are in a house armed
only with your companion sword. Besides, some men have not the strength of
others.
In my doctrine, I dislike preconceived, narrow spirit. You must study
this well.

The Strong Long Sword Spirit in Other Schools

You should not speak of strong and weak long swords. If you just wield the
long sword in a strong spirit your cutting will become coarse, and if you use
the sword coarsely you will have difficulty in winning.
If you are concerned with the strength of your sword, you will try to cut
unreasonably strongly, and will not be able to cut at all. It is also bad to try to
cut strongly when testing the sword. 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. Be intent solely on killing the enemy. Do not try to
cut strongly and, of course, do not think of cutting weakly. You should only be
concerned with killing the enemy.
If you rely on strength, when you hit the enemy's sword you will
inevitably hit too hard. If you do this, your own sword will be carried along as
a result. Thus the saying, "The strongest hand wins", has no meaning.
In large-scale strategy, if you have a strong army and are relying on
strength to win, but the enemy also has a strong army, the battle will be
fierce. This is the same for both sides.
Without the correct principle the fight cannot be won.
The spirit of my school is to win through the wisdom of strategy, paying
no attention to trifles. Study this well.

Use of the Shorter Long Sword in Other Schools

Using a shorter long sword is not the true Way to win.

In ancient times, tachi and katana meant long and short swords. Men of
superior strength in the world can wield even a long sword lightly, so there is
no case for their liking the short sword. They also make use of the length of
spears and halberds. Some men use a shorter long sword with the intention of
jumping in and stabbing the enemy at the unguarded moment when he
flourishes his sword. This inclination is bad.
To aim for the enemy's unguarded moment is completely defensive, and
undesirable at close quarters with the enemy. Furthermore, you cannot use
the method of jumping inside his defense with a short sword if there are many
enemies. Some men think that if they go against many enemies with a shorter
long sword they can unrestrictedly frisk around cutting in sweeps, but they
have to parry cuts continuously, and eventually become entangled with the
enemy. This is inconsistant with the true Way of strategy.
The sure Way to win thus is to chase the enemy around in a confusing
manner, causing him to jump aside, with your body held strongly and straight.
The same principle applies to large-scale strategy. The essence of strategy is
to fall upon the enemy in large numbers and to bring about his speedy
downfall. By their study of strategy, people of the world get used to
countering, evading and retreating as the normal thing. They become set in
this habit, so can easily be paraded around by the enemy. The Way of strategy
is straight and true. You must chase the enemy around and make him obey
your spirit.

Other Schools with many Methods of using the Long Sword

I think it is held in other schools that there are many methods of using the
long sword in order to gain the admiration of beginners. This is selling the
Way. It is a vile spirit in strategy.
The reason for this is that to deliberate over many ways of cutting down
a man is an error. To start with, killing is not the Way of mankind. Killing is
the same for people who know about fighting and for those who do not. It is
the same for women or children, and there are not many different methods.
We can speak of different tactics such as stabbing and mowing down, but
none other than these.
Anyway, cutting down the enemy is the Way of strategy, and there is no
need for many refinements of it.
 Even so, according to the place, your long sword may be obstructed
above or to the sides, so you will need to hold your sword in such manner that
it can be used. There are five methods in five directions.
Methods apart from these five—hand twisting, body bending, jumping
out, and so on, to cut the enemy—are not the true Way of strategy. In order
to cut the enemy you must not make twisting or bending cuts. This is
completely useless. In my strategy, I bear my spirit and body straight, and
cause the enemy to twist and bend. The necessary spirit is to win by attacking
the enemy when his spirit is warped. You must study this well.

Use of Attitudes of the Long Sword in Other Schools

Placing a great deal of importance on the attitudes of the long sword is a

mistaken way of thinking. What is known in the world as "attitude" applies
when there is no enemy. The reason is that this has been a precedent since
ancient times, that there should be no such thing as "This is the modern way
to do it" duelling. You must force the enemy into inconvenient situations.
Attitudes are for situations in which you are not to be moved. That is,
for garrisoning castles, battle array, and so on, showing the spirit of not being
moved even by a strong assault. In the Way of duelling, however, you must
always be intent upon taking the lead and attacking. Attitude is the spirit of
awaiting an attack. You must appreciate this.
In duels of strategy you must move the opponent's attitude. Attack
where his spirit is lax, throw him into confusion, irritate and terrify him. Take
advantage of the enemy's rhythm when he is unsettled and you can win.
I dislike the defensive spirit known as "attitude". Therefore, in my Way,
there is something called "Attitude-No Attitude".
In large-scale strategy we deploy our troops for battle bearing in mind
our strength, observing the enemy's numbers, and noting the details of the
battlefield. This is at the start of the battle.
The spirit of attacking is completely different from the spirit of being
attacked. Bearing an attack well, with a strong attitude, and parrying the
enemy's attack well, is like making a wall of spears and halberds. When you
attack the enemy, your spirit must go to the extent of pulling the stakes out of
a wall and using them as spears and halberds. You must examine this well.

Fixing the Eyes in Other Schools

Some schools maintain that the eyes should be fixed on the enemy's long
sword. Some schools fix the eye on the hands. Some fix the eyes on the face,
and some fix the eyes on the feet, and so on. If you fix the eyes on these
places your spirit can become confused, and your strategy thwarted.
I will explain this in detail. Footballers52 do not fix their eyes on the ball,
but by good play on the field they can perform well. When you become
accustomed to something, you are not limited to the use of your eyes. People
such as master musicians have the music score in front of their nose, or
flourish the sword in several ways when they have mastered the Way, but this
does not mean that they fix their eyes on these things specifically, or that they
make pointless movements of the sword. It means that they can see naturally.
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.
In large-scale strategy the area to watch is the enemy's strength.
"Perception" and "sight" are the two methods of seeing. Perception consists of
concentrating strongly on the enemy's spirit, observing the condition of the
battle field, fixing the gaze strongly, seeing the progress of the fight and the
changes of advantage. This is the sure way to win.
In single combat you must not fix the eyes on details. As I said before,
if you fix your eyes on details and neglect important things, your spirit will
become bewildered, and victory will escape you. Research this principle well
and train diligently.

Use of the Feet in Other Schools

There are various methods of using the feet: floating foot, jumping foot,
springing foot, treading foot, crow's foot, and such nible walking methods.
From the point of view of my strategy, these are all unsatisfactory.
I dislike floating foot because the feet always tend to float during the
fight. The Way must be trod firmly.
Neither do I like jumping foot, because it encourages the habit of
jumping, and a jumpy spirit. However much you jump, there is no real
justification for it, so jumping is bad.
Springing foot causes a springing spirit which is indecisive.
Treading foot is a "waiting" method, and I especially dislike it.
Apart from these, there are various fast walking methods, such as
crow's foot, and so on.
Sometimes, however, you may encounter the enemy on marshland,
swampy ground, river valleys, stony ground, or narrow roads, in which
situations you cannot jump or move the feet quickly.
In my strategy, the footwork does not change. I always walk as I

52
Footballers: Football was a court game in ancient Japan. There is a reference to it in Genji Monogatari.
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.
Carrying the feet is important also in large-scale strategy. This is
because, if you attack quickly and thoughtlessly without knowing the enemy's
spirit, your rhythm will become deranged and you will not be able to win. Or, if
you advance too slowly, you will not be able to take advantage of the enemy's
disorder, the opportunity to win will escape, and you will not be able to finish
the fight quickly. You must win by seizing upon the enemy's disorder and
derangement, and by not according him even a little hope of recovery.
Practise this well.

Speed in Other Schools

Speed is not part of the true Way of strategy. Speed implies that things seem
fast or slow, according to whether or not they are in rhythm. Whatever the
Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast.
Some people can walk as fast as a hundred or a hundred and twenty
miles in a day, but this does not mean that they run continuously from
morning till night. Unpractised runners may seem to have been running all
day, but their performance is poor.
In the Way of dance, accomplished performers can sing while dancing,
but when beginners try this they slow down and their spirit becomes busy. The
"old pine tree"53 melody beaten on a leather drum is tranquil, but when
beginners try this they slow down and their spirit becomes busy. Very skilful
people can manage a fast rhythm, but it is bad to beat hurredly. If you try to
beat too quickly you will get out of time. Of course, slowness is bad. Really
skilful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never
appear busy. From this example, the principle can be seen.
What is known as speed is especially bad in the Way of strategy. The
reason for this is that depending on the place, marsh or swamp and so on, it
may not be possible to move the body and legs together quickly. Still less will
you be able to cut quickly if you have a long sword in this situation. If you try
to cut quickly, as if using a fan or short sword, you will not actually cut even a
little. You must appreciate this.
In large-scale strategy also, a fast busy spirit is undesirable. The spirit
must be that of holding down a pillow, then you will not be even a little late.
When you 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.

53
Old pine tree: “KoMatsu Bushi”, an old tune for flute or lyre.
"Interior" and "Surface" in Other Schools

There is no "interior" nor "surface" in strategy.

The artistic accomplishments usually claim inner meaning and secret
tradition, and "interior" and "gate", 54 but in combat there is no such thing as
fighting on the surface, or cutting with the interior. When I teach my Way, I
first teach by training in techniques which are easy for the pupil to
understand, a doctrine which is easy to understand. I gradually endeavour to
explain the deep principle, points which it is hardly possible to comprehend,
according to the pupil's progress. In any event, because the way to
understanding is through experience, I do not speak of "interior" and "gate".
In this world, if you go into the mountains, and decide to go deeper and
yet deeper, instead you will emerge at the gate. Whatever is the Way, it has
an interior, and it is sometimes a good thing to point out the gate. In strategy,
we cannot say what is concealed and what is revealed.
Accordingly I dislike passing on my Way through written pledges and
regulations. Perceiving the ability of my pupils, I teach the direct Way, remove
the bad influence of other schools, and gradually introduce them to the true
Way of the warrior.
The method of teaching my strategy is with a trustworthy spirit. You
must train diligently.

I have tried to record an outline of the strategy of other schools in the above
nine sections. I could now continue by giving a specific account of these
schools one by one, from the "gate" to the "interior", but I have intentionally
not named the schools or their main points. The reason for this is that
different branches of schools give different interpretations of the doctrines. In
as much as men's opinions differ, so there must be differing ideas on the same
matter. Thus no one man's conception is valid for any school.
I have shown the general tendencies of other schools on nine points. If
we look at them from an honest viewpoint, we see that people always tend to
like long swords or short swords, and become concerned with strength in both
large and small matters. You can see why I do not deal with the "gates" of
other schools.
In my Ichi school of the long sword there is neither gate nor interior.
There is no inner meaning in sword attitudes. You must simply keep your spirit
true to realise the virtue of strategy.

Twelfth day of the fifth month, the second year of Shoho (1645)

54
Gate: A student enrolling in a school would pass through the gate of the Dojo. To enter a teacher’s gate means to take
up a course of study.
Teruo Magonojo SHINMEN MUSASHI
THE BOOK OF THE VOID
~

The Ni To Ichi Way of strategy is recorded in this the Book of the Void.
What is called the spirit of the void is where there is nothing. It is not
included in man's knowledge. Of course the void is nothingness. By knowing
things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void.
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.
In the Way of strategy, also, those who study as warriors think that
whatever they cannot understand in their craft is the void. This is not the true
void.
To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other
martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With
your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish
the twofold spirit heart and mind, and sharpen the twofold gaze perception
and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of
bewilderment clear away, there is the true void.
Until you realise the true Way, whether in Buddhism or in common
sense, you may think that things are correct and in order. However, if we look
at things objectively, from the viewpoint of laws of the world, we see various
doctrines departing from the true Way. Know well this spirit, and with
forthrightness as the foundation and the true spirit as the Way. Enact strategy
broadly, correctly and openly.
Then you will come to think of things in a wide sense and, taking the
void as the Way, you will see the Way as void.
In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has
existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness.

Twelfth day of the fifth month, second year of Shoho (1645)

Teruo Magonojo SHINMEN

MUSASHI
MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article contains weasel words, vague phrasing that often
accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should
be clarified or removed. (March 2009)
Miyamoto Musashi
宮本 武蔵

Miyamoto Musashi in his prime, wielding two bokken.

Born Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No
Genshin
c. June 13, 1584
 Harima Province, Japan
c. June 13, 1645 (aged 61)
Higo Province, Japan
Died
from natural causes (probably stomach
cancer)
Shinmen Takezō; Miyamoto Bennosuke;
Other names Niten Dōraku; Shinmen Musashi no Kami
Fujiwara no Genshin
Residence Japan
Style Kenjutsu
Teacher(s) none verified
Notable Terao Magonojo; Terao Motomenosuke;
students Furuhashi Sozaemon
In this Japanese name, the family name is "Miyamoto".

Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵?) (c. 1584–June 13 (Japanese calendar: May

19), 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke,
or by his Buddhist name Niten Dōraku,[1] was a Japanese swordsman
and samurai famed for his duels and distinctive style. Musashi, as he
was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his
excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young
age. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style
of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (五輪書 Go
Rin No Sho?), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.

Contents

[hide]
 1 Biography
o 1.1 Birth
o 1.2 Munisai and Musashi's birth date
o 1.3 Upbringing
o 1.4 Training in swordsmanship
o 1.5 First duel
o 1.6 Travels and duels
 1.6.1 Duel with Sasaki Kojirō
 1.6.2 Service
o 1.7 Later life and death
 2 Teachings
 3 Timeline
 4 Philosophy
o 4.1 Way of strategy
  4.1.1 Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu
 4.1.2 Long sword
o 4.2 Religion
 5 Musashi as an artist
 6 In popular culture
 7 See also
 8 Bibliography
 9 References
 10 Further reading
o 10.1 Fiction
o 10.2 Essays
o 10.3 Testimony

 11 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Birth
The details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify.
Musashi himself simply states in Gorin no Sho that he was born in
Harima Province.[2] Niten Ki (an early biography of Musashi) supports
the theory that Musashi was born in 1584: "[He] was born in Banshū, in
Tenshō 12 [1584], the Year of the Monkey."[3] The historian Kamiko
Tadashi, commenting on Musashi's text, notes: "[...]Munisai was
Musashi's father...he lived in Miyamoto village, in the Yoshino district
[of Mimasaka Province]. Musashi was most probably born here."[4] His
childhood name was Bennosuke 弁之助.

Musashi gives his full name and title in Gorin no Sho as Shinmen
Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Genshin." (新免武蔵守藤原玄信)[5] His
father, Shinmen Munisai 新免無二斎, was an accomplished martial artist
and master of the sword and jutte (also jitte).[6] Munisai, in turn, was
the son of Hirata Shōgen 平田将監, a vassal of Shinmen Iga no Kami, the
lord of Takayama Castle in the Yoshino district of Mimasaka Province. [7]
Hirata was relied upon by Lord Shinmen, and so was allowed to use the
Shinmen name. As for "Musashi," Musashi no Kami was a court title,
making him the nominal governor of Musashi province. "Fujiwara" was
the lineage from which Musashi claimed nominal descent.
[edit] Munisai and Musashi's birth
date
Mysteriously, Munisai's tomb says he died in 1580, which obviously
conflicts with the accepted birth date of 1584 for Musashi. Further
muddying the waters, according to the genealogy of the extant
Miyamoto family, Musashi was born in 1582. Kenji Tokitsu has
suggested that the accepted birth date of 1584 for Musashi is wrong, as
it is primarily based on a literal reading of the introduction to the Go Rin
No Sho where Musashi states that the years of his life "add up to 60"
(yielding the twelfth year of the Tensho era, or 1584, when working
backwards from the well-documented date of composition), when it
should be taken in a more literary and imprecise sense, indicating not a
specific age but merely that Musashi was in his sixties when he wrote it.

Because of the uncertainty centering on Munisai (when he died, whether

he was truly Musashi's father, etc.), Musashi's mother is known with
even less confidence. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Munisai's tomb was correct. He died in 1580, leaving two daughters; his wife
adopted a recently born child, from the Akamatsu clan, intended to succeed
Munisai at his jitte school. Omasa, Munisai's widow, was not truly Musashi's
mother.
2. The tomb was wrong. Munisai lived a good deal longer, later than 1590
possibly. Musashi, then, was born to Munisai's first wife, Yoshiko (daughter to
Bessho Shigeharu, who formerly controlled Hirafuku village until he lost a
battle in 1578 to Yamanaka Shikanosuke). Munisai divorced her after Musashi's
birth, whereupon she decamped for her father's house, leaving Musashi with
Munisai. Musashi grew up treating Munisai's second wife, Omasa (daughter to
Lord Shinmen) as his mother. This second scenario is laid out in an entry to the
Tasumi family's genealogy. The daughter of Bessho Shigeharu first married
Hirata Muni and was divorced from him a few years later. After that she
married Tasumi Masahisa. The second wife of Tasumi Masahisa was the mother
of Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi's childhood name was Hirata Den. He later
became famous on account of his swordsmanship. During his childhood, he
went to Hirafuku to find his real mother. He moved in with the Tasumi family. [8]
3. A variant of this second theory is based on the fact that the tombstone states
that Omasa gave birth to Musashi on 4 March 1584, and died of it. Munisai
then remarried to Yoshiko. They divorced, as in the second theory, but Yoshiko
took Musashi, who was 7 at the time, with her, and married Tasumi Masahisa.
 4. Kenji Tokitsu prefers to assume a birth date of 1581, which avoids the
necessity of assuming the tombstone to be erroneous (although this poses the
problem of from whom then Musashi received the transmission of the family
martial art).

[edit] Upbringing
Regardless of the truth about Musashi's ancestry, when Musashi was
seven years old, the boy was raised by his uncle, Dorinbo (or Dorin), in
Shoreian temple, three kilometers (~1.8 mi.) from Hirafuku. Both Dorin
and Musashi's uncle by marriage — Tasumi — educated him in
Buddhism and basic skills such as writing and reading. This education is
possibly the basis for Yoshikawa Eiji's fictional education of Musashi by
the historical Zen monk Takuan. He was apparently trained by Munisai
in the sword, and in the family art of the jitte. This training did not last
for a very long time, as in 1589, Munisai was ordered by Shinmen
Sokan to kill Munisai's student, Honiden Gekinosuke. The Honiden
family was displeased, and so Munisai was forced to move four
kilometers (~2.5 mi.) away to the village of Kawakami.

In 1592, Munisai died, although Tokitsu believes that the person who
died at this time was really Hirata Takehito.

Musashi contracted eczema in his infancy, and this adversely affected

his appearance.[citation needed] Another story claims that he never took a
bath because he did not want to be surprised unarmed. While the
former claim may or may not have some basis in reality, the latter
seems improbable.[9] An unwashed member of the warrior caste would
not have been received as a guest by such famous houses as Honda,
Ogasawara and Hosokawa. These and many other details are likely
embellishments that were added to his legend, or misinterpretations of
literature describing him.

His father's fate is uncertain, but it is thought that he died at the hands
of one of Musashi's later adversaries, who was punished or even killed
for treating Musashi's father badly. However, there are no exact details
of Musashi's life, since Musashi's only writings are those related to
strategy and technique.
[edit] Training in swordsmanship

Miyamoto Musashi having his fortune told. Print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

The name "Musashi" was thought to be taken from the name of a

warrior monk named Musashibō Benkei who served under Minamoto no
Yoshitsune, but this is unconfirmed.

It's said that he may have studied at the Yoshioka ryu school, which
was also said to be a school Musashi defeated single-handedly during
his later years, although this is very uncertain. He did have formal
training either by his father until he was 7 years old or from his uncle
beginning at the age of 7. Ultimately the name was taken from his own
original kanji, 武蔵, which can be read as Takezō or as Musashi, as
stated in Eiji Yoshikawa's book Musashi.

[edit] First duel

I have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I
fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of
the Shinto ryū, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept
by the name of Akiyama, who came from Tajima Province. At the age of twenty-one I
went up to Kyōtō and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous
schools, but I never lost.
—Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho

According to the introduction of The Book of Five Rings, Musashi states

that his first successful duel was at the age of thirteen, against a
samurai named Arima Kihei who fought using the Kashima Shintō-ryū
style, founded by Tsukahara Bokuden (b. 1489, d. 1571). The main
source of the duel is the Hyoho senshi denki ("Anecdotes about the
Deceased Master"). Summarized, its account goes as follows:

In 1596, Musashi was 13, and Arima Kihei, who was traveling to hone his art, posted a
public challenge in Hirafuku-mura. Musashi wrote his name on the challenge. A
messenger came to Dorin's temple, where Musashi was staying, to inform Musashi
that his duel had been accepted by Kihei. Dorin, Musashi's uncle, was shocked by this,
and tried to beg off the duel in Musashi's name, based on his nephew's age. Kihei was
adamant that the only way his honor could be cleared was if Musashi apologized to
him when the duel was scheduled. So when the time set for the duel arrived, Dorin
began apologizing for Musashi, who merely charged at Kihei with a six-foot
quarterstaff, shouting a challenge to Kihei. Kihei attacked with a wakizashi, but
Musashi threw Kihei on the floor, and while Kihei tried to get up, Musashi struck Arima
between the eyes and then beat him to death. Arima was said to have been arrogant,
overly eager to fight, and not a terribly talented swordsman.
—William Scott Wilson, The Lone Samurai[10]

[edit] Travels and duels

In 1599, three years later, Musashi left his village, apparently at the
age of 15 (according to the Tosakushi, "The Registry of the Sakushu
Region", although the Tanji Hokin Hikki says he was 16 years old in
1599, which agrees time-wise with the age reported in Musashi's first
duel).[8] His family possessions such as furniture, weapons, genealogy,
and other records were left with his sister and her husband, Hirao
Yoemon.

He spent his time traveling and engaging in duels, such as with an

adept called Akiyama from the Tajima Province.

In 1600, a war began between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans.

Musashi apparently fought on the side of the Toyotomi's "Army of the
West", as the Shinmen clan (to whom his family owed allegiance) had
allied with them. Specifically, he participated in the attempt to take
Fushimi castle by assault in July 1600, in the defense of the besieged
Gifu Castle in August of the same year, and finally in the famed Battle
of Sekigahara. Some doubt has been cast on this final battle, as the
Hyoho senshi denki has Musashi saying he is "no lord's vassal" and
refusing to fight with his father (in Lord Ukita's battalion) in the battle.
Omitting the Battle of Sekigahara from the list of Musashi's battles
would seem to contradict the Go Rin No Sho's statement that Musashi
fought in six battles, however. Regardless, as the Toyotomi side lost, it
has been suggested that Musashi fled as well and spent some time
training on Mount Hiko.

Ichijoji Sagarimatsu, Location of the battle between Musashi and the Yoshioka school

After the battle, Musashi disappears from the records for a while. The
next mention of him has him arriving in Kyoto at the age of 20 (or 21),
where he famously began a series of duels against the Yoshioka School.
Musashi's father, Munisai, also fought against a master of the Yoshioka
school and won 2 out of 3 bouts in front of the shogun at the time,
Ashikaga Yoshiaki who granted him the title of "Best in Japan". The
Yoshioka School (descended from either the Tenshin Shōden Katori
Shintō-ryū or the Kyo-hachi-ryū) was the foremost of the eight major
schools of martial arts in Kyoto, the "Kyo-ryū" / "Schools of Kyoto".
Legend has it that these eight schools were founded by eight monks
taught by a legendary martial artist resident on the sacred Mount
Kurama. At some point, the Yoshioka family also began to make a name
for itself not merely in the art of the sword but also in the textile
business and for a dye unique to them. They gave up teaching
swordsmanship in 1614 when they fought in the Army of the West
against Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Battle of Osaka, which they lost. But in
1604, when Musashi began duelling them, they were still preeminent.
There are various accounts of the duels — the Yoshioka family
documents claim that there was only one, against Yoshioka Kenpō,
which Musashi lost.

Musashi challenged Yoshioka Seijūrō, master of the Yoshioka School, to

a duel. Seijūrō accepted, and they agreed to a duel outside Rendaiji in
Rakuhoku, in the northern part of Kyoto on 8 March 1604. Musashi
arrived late, greatly irritating Seijūrō. They faced off, and Musashi
struck a single blow, per their agreement. This blow struck Seijūrō on
the left shoulder, knocking him out, and crippling his left arm. He
apparently passed on the headship of the school to his equally
accomplished brother, Yoshioka Denshichirō, who promptly challenged
Musashi for revenge. The duel took place in Kyoto outside a temple,
Sanjūsangen-dō. Denshichirō wielded a staff reinforced with steel rings
(or possibly with a ball-and-chain attached), while Musashi arrived late
a second time. Musashi disarmed Denshichirō and defeated him. This
second victory outraged the Yoshioka family, whose head was now the
12-year old Yoshioka Matashichiro. They assembled a force of archers,
musketeers and swordsmen, and challenged Musashi to a duel outside
Kyoto, near Ichijoji Temple. Musashi broke his previous habit of arriving
late, and came to the temple hours early. Hidden, Musashi assaulted
the force, killing Matashichiro, and escaping while being attacked by
dozens of his victim's supporters. With the death of Matashichiro, this
branch of the Yoshioka School was destroyed.

After Musashi left Kyoto, some sources recount that he travelled to

Hōzōin in Nara, to duel with and learn from the monks there, widely
known as experts with lance weapons. There he settled down at Enkoji
Temple in Banshu, where he taught the head monk's (one Tada
Hanzaburo's) brother. Hanzaburo's grandson would found the Ensu-ryū
based on the Enmei-ryū teachings and iaijutsu.
From 1605 to 1612, he travelled extensively all over Japan in Musha
Shugyo, a warrior pilgrimage during which he honed his skills with
duels. He was said to have used bokken or bokuto in actual duels. Most
of the engagements from these times did not try to take the opponent's
life unless both agreed, but in most duels, it is known that Musashi did
not care which weapon his foe used — such was his mastery.

A document dated 5 September 1607, purporting to be a transmission

by Miyamoto Munisai of his teachings, suggests Munisai lived at least to
this date. In this year, Musashi departed Nara for Edo, during which he
fought (and killed) a kusarigama practitioner named Shishido Baiken. In
Edo, Musashi defeated Muso Gonnosuke, who would found an influential
staff-wielding school known as Shinto Muso Ryu. Records of this first
duel can be found in both the Shinto Muso-ryu tradition and the Hyōhō
Niten Ichi-ryū (Miyamoto Musashi's school). The Shinto Muso Ryu
tradition states that, after being defeated by Musashi, Muso Gonnusuke
beat Musashi in a rematch. There are no current reliable sources
outside the Shinto Muso Ryu tradition to confirm that this second duel
took place.

Musashi is said to have fought over 60 duels and was never defeated,
although this is a conservative estimate, most likely not accounting for
deaths by his hand in major battles. In 1611, Musashi began practicing
zazen at the Myoshinji Temple, where he met Nagaoka Sado, vassal to
Hosokawa Tadaoki; Tadaoki was a powerful lord who had received the
Kumamoto Domain in west-central Kyūshū after the Battle of
Sekigahara. Munisai had moved to northern Kyūshū and became
Tadaoki's teacher, leading to the possibility that Munisai introduced the
two. Nagaoka proposed a duel with a certain adept named Sasaki
Kojirō. Tokitsu believes that the duel was politically motivated, a matter
of consolidating Tadaoki's control over his fief.

Duel with Sasaki Kojirō

Main article: Sasaki Kojirō

On April 13, 1612, Musashi (about age 30) fought his most famous
duel, with Sasaki Kojirō, who was known as "The Demon of the Western
Provinces" and who wielded a nodachi. Musashi came late and unkempt
to the appointed place — the island of Funajima, in the Kamon Straight
separating Honshū and Kyūshū. The duel was short. Musashi killed his
opponent with a bokken that Legend says that he carved from an oar
while traveling to the island. Musashi fashioned it to be longer than the
nodachi, making it closer to a modern suburito.

Musashi's late arrival is controversial. Sasaki's outraged supporters

thought it was dishonorable and disrespectful while Musashi's
supporters thought it was a fair way to unnerve his opponent. Another
theory is that Musashi timed the hour of his arrival to match the turning
of the tide. The tide carried him to the island. After his victory, Musashi
immediately jumped back in his boat and his flight from Sasaki's
vengeful allies was helped by the turning of the tide. Another theory
states he waited for the sun to get in the right position. After he dodged
a blow Sasaki was blinded by the sun.

Musashi briefly established a fencing school that same year.

SASAKI KOJIRŌ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Ganryu" redirects here. For the sumo wrestler in the Tekken video game
series, see List of characters in the Tekken series#Ganryu.
In this Japanese name, the family name is "Sasaki".

Sasaki Kojirō (佐々木 小次郎?, also known as Ganryū Kojirō) (1585? -

April 13, 1612) was a prominent Japanese swordsman, born in Fukui
Prefecture. He lived during the Sengoku and early Edo periods and is
most remembered for his death while battling Miyamoto Musashi in 1612.

Contents
[hide]
 1 History
o 1.1 The Duel
 2 "The Drying Pole"
 3 Swallow Cut
 4 Popular Culture References

 5 References

[edit] History

He went by the fighting name of Ganryū (巌流 lit. "Large Rock style"),
which was also the name of the kenjutsu school he had founded. It is
said that Kojirō studied the Chūjō-ryu of sword fighting from either
Kanemaki Jisai or Toda Seigen. Toda Seigen was a master of the
kodachi. If Kojirō had indeed learned Chūjō-ryu from Seigen, he would
have been his master's sparring partner. Due to his master's use of the
kodachi, Kojirō used a nodachi, or a long katana, against him, therefore
eventually excelling in its use. It was after defeating his master's
younger brother that he left and founded the Ganryū. The first reliable
account of his life states that in 1610, because of the fame of his school
and his many successful duels, including once when he fended off three
opponents with a tessen, Kojirō was honored by Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki
as the chief weapons master of the Hosokawa fief north of Kyūshū.
Sasaki later became skilled in the wielding of a nōdachi, and used one
he called "The Laundry-Drying Pole" as his main weapon.

[edit] The Duel

Sasaki Kojiro (right) engages Miyamoto Musashi on the shores of Ganryū Island. Note
that in this rendering, Musashi is using two bokken.

Sasaki Kojirō was a long-time rival of Miyamoto Musashi, and is

considered the most challenging opponent Musashi ever faced.

There are a number of accounts of the duel, varying in most details

except the essentials, such as Kojirō's defeat.

The age of Kojirō is especially uncertain - the Nitenki says that during his
childhood, he

...received the instruction of Toda Seigen, a master of the school

“ of the short sword, and having been the partner of his master, he
excelled him in the wielding of the long sword. After having
defeated his master's younger brother he left him to travel in
various provinces. There he founded his own school, which was
called Ganryu.
”
The Nitenki's account initially seems trustworthy, until it goes on to give
the age of Kojirō at the time of the duel as 18 years old; it is known
that two years earlier he had been a head weapons master for a fief -
but then that would imply he had reached such a position at the age of
16, which is extremely improbable. A further complication is that Toda
Seigen died in the 1590s. This unreliability of the sources means
Kojirō's age could have varied anywhere from his 20s from to as late as
his 50s. Even worse, a number of scholars contend that identifying
Seigen as Kojirō's teacher is a mistake, and that he was actually trained
by a student of Seigen's, Kanemaki Jisai.

Apparently, the young (at the time, around 29 years old) Musashi heard
of Kojirō's fame and asked Lord Hosokawa Tadaoki (through the
intermediary of Nagaoka Sado Okinaga, a principal vassal of Hosokawa)
to arrange a duel. Hosokawa assented, and set the time and place as 13
April 1612, on the comparatively remote island of Ganryujima of
Funashima (the strait between Honshū and Kyūshū). The match was
probably set in such a remote place because by this time Kojirō had
acquired many students and disciples, and had Kojirō lost, they would
probably have attempted to kill Musashi.

According to the legend, Musashi arrived more than three hours late,
and goaded Kojirō by taunting him. When Kojirō attacked, his blow
came as close as to sever Musashi's chonmage. He came close to
victory several times until, supposedly blinded by the sunset behind
Musashi, Musashi struck him on the skull with his oversized bokken
(wooden sword), which was over 90 centimeters long. Musashi
supposedly fashioned the long bokken, a type called a suburitō due to
its above-average length, by shaving down the spare oar of the boat in
which he arrived at the duel with his wakizashi (the wood was very
hard). Musashi had been late for the duel on purpose in order to
psychologically unnerve his opponent (a tactic used by him on previous
occasions, such as during his series of duels with the Yoshioka
swordsmen).

Another version of the legend recounts that when Musashi finally

arrived, Kojirō shouted insults at him, but Musashi just smiled. Angered
even further, Kojirō leapt into combat, blinded by rage. Kojiro
attempted his famous "swallow's blade" or "swallow cut," but Musashi's
oversized bokken hit Kojiro first, causing him to fall down; before Kojiro
could finish his swallow cut, Musashi smashed Kojiro's left rib,
puncturing his lungs and killing him. Musashi then hastily retreated to
his boat and sailed away. This was Musashi's last fatal duel.

Among other things, this conventional account (drawn from the Nitenki,
Kensetsu, and Yoshida Seiken's account), has some problems. Would
Musashi only prepare his bokuto while going to the duel site? Could he
even have prepared it in time, working the hard wood with his
wakizashi? Would that work not have tired him as well? Further, why
was the island then renamed after Kojirō, and not Musashi? Other texts
completely omit the "late arrival" portion of the story, or change the
sequence of actions altogether. Harada Mukashi and a few other
scholars believe that Kojiro was actually assassinated by Musashi and
his students - the Sasaki clan apparently was a political obstacle to Lord
Hosokawa, and defeating Kojirō would be a political setback to his
religious and political foes.
The debate still rages today as to whether or not Musashi cheated in
order to win that fateful duel or merely used the environment to his
advantage. Another theory is that Musashi timed the hour of his arrival
to match the turning of the tide. He expected to be pursued by Sasaki's
supporters in the event of a victory. The tide carried him to the island
then it turned by the time the fight ended. Musashi immediately jumped
back in his boat and his flight was thus helped by the tide.

[edit] "The Drying Pole"

Kojiro's favored weapon during combat was a straight-edged nodachi

with a blade-length of over 90 cm. (3 ft) long. As a comparison, the
average blade-length of the regular katana are usually 70 cm (2 feet, 3
inches) but rarely longer. It was called the "Monohoshi Zao"
(Clothes/Laundry-Drying Pole, often translated into English as "The
Drying Pole"). Despite the sword's length and weight, Kojirō's strokes
with the weapon were unusually quick and precise.

[edit] Swallow Cut

Sasaki Kojiro preparing to use his famous "Tsubame Gaeshi" technique.

His favorite technique was both respected and feared throughout feudal
Japan. It was called the "Turning Swallow Cut" or "Tsubame Gaeshi" (燕
返し lit. "Swallow Reversal / Return"), and was so named because it
mimicked the motion of a swallow's tail during flight as observed at
Kintaibashi Bridge in Iwakuni. This cut was reputedly so quick and
precise that it could strike down a bird in mid-flight. There are no direct
descriptions of the technique, but it was compared to two other
techniques current at the time: the Ittō-ryū's Kinshi Cho Ohken and the
Ganryū Kosetsu To; respectively the two involved fierce and swift cuts
downward and then immediately upwards. Hence, the "Turning Swallow
Cut" has been reconstructed as a technique involving striking downward
from above and then instantly striking again in an upward motion from
below. The strike's second phase could be from below toward the rear
and then upward at an angle, like an eagle climbing again after
swooping down on its prey.

[edit] Popular Culture References

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any

relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (April 2010)
Main article: Sasaki Kojiro in fiction

Sasaki Kojiro has appeared in many forms in pop culture in Japan.

In the manga "Vagabond" Sasaki Kojiro is portrayed as a deaf man

raised by a retired samurai after he is found in the ocean clinging to a
long sword.

A character named Sasaki Kojiro represents the Assassin class of the

Fifth Holy Grail War in the visual novel Fate/stay Night.

He appears as a cultured and soft speaking psychopath with a white

painted face in Samurai Warriors 2. He also wields a Nodachi with great
speed similar to what has been recorded historically.

The character Tachibana Ukyo in the game Samurai Spirits (Samurai

Showdown) strongly resembles Sasaki Kojiro. One of his special moves
is the tsubame gaeshi.
Service

In 1614–1615, Musashi participated in the war between the Toyotomi

and the Tokugawa. The war had broken out because Tokugawa Ieyasu
saw the Toyotomi family as a threat to his rule of Japan; most scholars
believe that, as in the previous war, Musashi fought on the Toyotomi
side. Osaka Castle was the central place of battle. The first battle (the
Winter Battle of Osaka; Musashi's fourth battle) ended in a truce. The
second (the Summer Battle of Osaka; Musashi's fifth battle) resulted in
the total defeat of Toyotomi Hideyori's Army of the West by Ieyasu's
Army of the East in May 1615. Some reports go so far as to say that
Musashi entered a duel with Ieyasu, but was recruited after Ieyasu
sensed his defeat was at hand. This may seem unlikely since Ieyasu
was in his 70s and was in poor health already, but it remains unknown
how Musashi came into Ieyasu's good graces.

Other accounts claim he actually served on the Tokugawa side, but such
a claim is unproven, although Musashi had a close relationship with
some Tokugawa vassals through his duel with Sasaki Kojirō, and in the
succeeding years, he did not drop out of sight as might be expected if
he were being persecuted for being on the losing side. In his later
years, Ogasawara and Hosokawa supported Musashi greatly — an
atypical course of action for these Tokugawa loyalists, if Musashi had
indeed fought on behalf of the Toyotomi.

In 1615 he entered the service of Ogasawara Tadanao (小笠原忠直) of

Harima Province, at Ogasawara's invitation, as a "Construction
Supervisor," after previously gaining skills in craft. He helped construct
Akashi Castle and in 1621 to lay out the organization of the town of
Himeji. He also taught martial arts during his stay, specializing in
instruction in the art of shuriken-throwing. During this period of service,
he adopted a son.

In 1621, Musashi defeated Miyake Gunbei and three other adepts of the
Togun-ryu in front of the lord of Himeji; it was after this victory that he
helped plan Himeji. Around this time, Musashi developed a number of
disciples for his Enmei-ryū although he had developed the school
considerably earlier; at the age of 22, Musashi had already written a
scroll of Enmei-ryū teachings called "Writings on the Sword Technique
of the Enmei-ryū" (Enmei-ryū kenpo sho). 円/"En" meant "circle" or
"perfection"; 明/"mei" meant "light"/"clarity", and 流/"ryū" meant
"school"; the name seems to have been derived from the idea of
holding the two swords up in the light so as to form a circle. The
school's central idea is given as training to use the twin swords of the
samurai as effectively as a pair of sword and jutte.

In 1622, Musashi's adoptive son, Miyamoto Mikinosuke, became a

vassal to the Himeji Domain. Possibly this prompted Musashi to leave,
embarking on a new series of travels, winding up in Edo in 1623, where
he became friends with the Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan, who was
one of the Shogun's advisors. Musashi applied to become a
swordmaster to the Shogun, but as he already had two swordmasters
(Ono Jiroemon Tadaaki and Yagyū Munenori — the latter also a political
advisor, in addition to his position as the head of the Shogunate's secret
police), Musashi's application was denied. He left Edo in the direction of
Ōshū, ending up in Yamagata, where he adopted a second son,
Miyamoto Iori. The two then traveled, eventually stopping in Osaka.

In 1626, Miyamoto Mikinosuke, following the custom of junshi,

committed seppuku because of the death of his lord. In this year,
Miyamoto Iori entered Lord Ogasawara's service. Musashi's attempt to
become a vassal to the lord of Owari, like other such attempts, failed.

In 1627, Musashi began to travel again. In 1634 he settled in Kokura

with Iori, and later entered the service of the daimyo Ogasawara
Tadazane, taking a major role in the Shimabara Rebellion. Iori served
with distinction in putting down the rebellion and gradually rose to the
rank of karō — a position equal to a minister. Musashi, however was
reputedly injured by a thrown rock while scouting in the front line, and
was thus unnoticed.
[edit] Later life and death

Miyamoto Musashi, Self-portrait, Samurai, writer and artist, c. 1640

Six years later, in 1633, Musashi began staying with Hosokawa

Tadatoshi, daimyo of Kumamoto Castle, who had moved to the
Kumamoto fief and Kokura, to train and paint. Ironically, it was at this
time that the Hosokawa lords were also the patrons of Musashi's chief
rival, Sasaki Kojirō.[clarification needed] While there he engaged in very few
duels; one would occur in 1634 at the arrangement of Lord Ogasawara,
in which Musashi defeated a lance specialist by the name of Takada
Matabei. Musashi would officially become the retainer of the Hosokowa
lords of Kumamoto in 1640. The Niten Ki records "[he] received from
Lord Tadatoshi: 17 retainers, a stipend of 300 koku, the rank of
ōkumigashira 大組頭, and Chiba Castle in Kumamoto as his
residence."[11]

In the second month of 1641, Musashi wrote a work called the Hyoho
Sanju Go ("Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy") for Hosokawa
Tadatoshi; this work overlapped and formed the basis for the later Go
Rin No Sho. This was the year that his third son, Hirao Yoemon, became
Master of Arms for the Owari fief. In 1642, Musashi suffered attacks of
neuralgia, foreshadowing his future ill-health. In 1643 he retired to a
cave named Reigandō as a hermit to write The Book of Five Rings. He
finished it in the second month of 1645. On the twelfth of the fifth
month, sensing his impending death, Musashi bequeathed his worldly
possessions, after giving his manuscript copy of the Go Rin No Sho to
the younger brother of Terao Magonojo, his closest disciple. He died in
Reigandō cave around June 13, 1645 (Shōhō 3, 30th day of the 4th
month). The Hyoho senshi denki described his passing:

The grave-marker of Miyamoto Musashi, in present-day Kumamoto Prefecture (熊本県).

At the moment of his death, he had himself raised up. He had his belt tightened and
his wakizashi put in it. He seated himself with one knee vertically raised, holding the
sword with his left hand and a cane in his right hand. He died in this posture, at the
age of sixty-two. The principal vassals of Lord Hosokawa and the other officers
gathered, and they painstakingly carried out the ceremony. Then they set up a tomb
on Mount Iwato on the order of the lord.

Musashi died of what is believed to be thoracic cancer, and was not

killed in combat. He died peacefully after finishing the Dokkodo ("The
Way of Walking Alone", or "The Way of Self-Reliance"), 21 precepts on
self-discipline to guide future generations.
His body was interred in armor within the village of Yuge, near the main
road near Mount Iwato, facing the direction the Hosokawas would travel
to Edo; his hair was buried on Mount Iwato itself.

Nine years later, a major source about his life — a monument with a
funereal eulogy to Musashi — was erected in Kokura by Miyamoto Iori;
this monument was called the Kokura hibun. An account of Musashi's
life, the Niten-ki 二天記, was published in Kumamoto in 1776, by Toyota
Kagehide, based on the recollections of his grandfather Toyota
Masataka, who was a second generation pupil of Musashi.

[edit] Teachings

A picture of Musashi engaged in fantastic combat, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–

1861).

Musashi created and perfected a two-sword kenjutsu technique called

niten'ichi (二天一, "two heavens as one") or nitōichi (二刀一, "two swords
as one") or "Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu" (A Kongen Buddhist Sutra refers to the
two heavens as the two guardians of Buddha). In this technique, the
swordsman uses both a large sword, and a "companion sword" at the
same time, such as a katana with a wakizashi.

The two-handed movements of temple drummers may have inspired

him, although it could be that the technique was forged by a means of
natural selection through Musashi's combat experience. Jutte
techniques were taught to him by his father — the jutte was often used
in battle paired with a sword; the jutte would parry and neutralize the
weapon of the enemy while the sword struck or the practitioner
grappled with the enemy. In his time a long sword in the left hand was
referred to as gyaku nito. Today Musashi's style of swordsmanship is
known as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū.[citation needed]
Musashi was also an expert in throwing weapons. He frequently threw
his short sword, and Kenji Tokitsu believes that shuriken methods for
the wakizashi were the Niten Ichi Ryu's secret techniques (see
Hayakutake-Watkin).

Musashi spent many years studying Buddhism and swordsmanship. He

was an accomplished artist, sculptor, and calligrapher. Records also
show that he had architectural skills. Also, he seems to have had a
rather straightforward approach to combat, with no additional frills or
aesthetic considerations. This was probably due to his real-life combat
experience; although in his later life, Musashi followed the more artistic
side of bushidō. He made various Zen brush paintings, calligraphy, and
sculpted wood and metal. Even in The Book of Five Rings he
emphasizes that samurai should understand other professions as well.
It should be understood that Musashi's writings were very ambiguous,
and translating them into English makes them even more so; that is
why so many different translations of the Go Rin No Sho can be found.
To gain further insight into Musashi's principles and personality, one
could read his other works, such as Dokkodo and Hyoho Shiji ni Kajo.

[edit] Timeline

The following timeline follows, in chronological order (of which is based

on the most accurate and most widely accepted information), the life of
Miyamoto Musashi as of yet.[citation needed]

Date Age Occurrence

1578 Musashi’s brother, Shirota, is born.
1584 0 Miyamoto Musashi is born.
1591 7 Musashi is taken and raised by his uncle as a Buddhist.
1596 13 Musashi duels with Arima Kihei in Hirafuku, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Duels with a man named Akiyama in the northern part of Hyōgo
1599 15
Prefecture.
Believed to have fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in Sekigahara, Gifu
1600 16 Prefecture on the losing side. Whether he actually participated in the
battle is currently in doubt.
Musashi has 3 matches with the Yoshioka clan in Kyoto. {1} Match with
Yoshioka Seijuro in Yamashiro Province, outside the city at Rendai Moor
1604 20 (west of Mt. Funaoka, Kita-ku, Kyoto). {2} Match with Yoshioka
Denshichiro outside the city. {3} Match with Yoshioka Matashichiro
outside the city at the pine of Ichijoji.
 Visits Kōfuku-ji, Nara and ends up dueling with the Buddhist priest
1604 20
trained in the style of Hōzōin-ryū.
1605– 21–
Begins to travel again.
1612 28
1607 23 Munisai (Musashi's father) passes his teachings onto Musashi.
Duels with the kusarigama expert Shishido Baiken in the western part of
1607 23
Mie Prefecture.
Duels Muso Gonnosuke, master of the five-foot staff in Edo, modern-day
1608 24
Tokyo.
1610 26 Fights Hayashi Osedo and Tsujikaze Tenma in Edo.
1611 27 Begins practicing zazen meditation.
Musashi's most famous match with Sasaki Kojirō takes place on
1612 28 Ganryujima (Ganryu or Funa Island) off the coast of present-day
Shimonoseki.
Opens a fencing school for a brief time.
Believed to have joined the troops of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Winter and
1614– 30–
Summer campaigns at Osaka Castle, though no significant contributions
1615 31
are documented.
1615– 31– Musashi comes into the service of Ogasawara Tadanao in Harima province
1621 37 as a construction supervisor.
1621 37 Duels Miyake Gunbei in Tatsuno, Hyōgo Prefecture.
Sets up temporary residence at the castle town of Himeji in Hyōgo
1622 38
Prefecture.
1623 39 Travels to Edo.
Adopts a second son named Iori.
Adopted son Mikinosuke commits seppuku following in the tradition of
1626 42
Junshi.
1627 43 Travels again.
1628 44 Meets with Yagyū Hyōgonosuke in Nagoya, Owari Province.
1630 46 Enters the service of Lord Hosokawa Tadatoshi.
1633 49 Begins to extensively practice the arts.
Settles in Kokura, Fukuoka Prefecture for a short time with son Iori as a
1634 50
guest of Ogasawara Tadazane.
Serves a major role in the Shimabara Rebellion and is the only
1637 53 documented evidence that Musashi served in battle. Was knocked off his
horse by a rock thrown by one of the peasants.
1641 57 Writes Hyoho Sanju-go.
1642 58 Suffers severe attacks from neuralgia.
1643 59 Migrates into Reigando where he lives as a hermit.
1645 61 Finishes Go Rin No Sho / The Book of Five Rings.
Miyamoto Musashi dies from what is believed to be thoracic cancer.

[edit] Philosophy
Throughout Musashi's last book, The Book of Five Rings (五輪書 Go Rin
no Sho?), Musashi seems to take a very philosophical approach to
looking at the "craft of war"; "There are five ways in which men pass
through life: as gentlemen, warriors, farmers, artisans and merchants."
These falling into one of the few profession groups that could be
observed in Musashi's time.

Throughout the book, Musashi implies that the way of the Warrior, as
well as the meaning of a "True strategist" is that of somebody who has
made mastery of many art forms away from that of the sword, such as
tea drinking (sado), laboring, writing, and painting as Musashi practiced
throughout his life. Musashi was hailed as an extraordinary sumi-e artist
in the use of ink monochrome as depicted in two such famous
paintings: "Shrike Perched in a Dead Tree" (Koboku Meigekizu, 枯木鳴鵙
図) and "Wild Geese Among Reeds" (Rozanzu, 魯山図). Going back to
the Book of Five Rings, Musashi talks deeply about the ways of
Buddhism.

He makes particular note of artisans and foremen. In the time in which

he writes the book, the majority of houses in Japan were made of wood.
In the use of building a house, foremen have to employ strategy based
upon the skill and ability of their workers.

In comparison to warriors and soldiers, Musashi notes the ways in which

the artisans thrive through events; the ruin of houses, the splendor of
houses, the style of the house, the tradition and name or origins of a
house. These too, are similar to the events which are seen to have
warriors and soldiers thrive; the rise and fall of prefectures, countries
and other such events are what make uses for warriors, as well as the
literal comparisons of the: "The carpenter uses a master plan of the
building, and the way of strategy is similar in that there is a plan of
campaign".

[edit] Way of strategy

Throughout the book, Go Rin No Sho, the idea which Musashi pushes is
that the "way of the strategist" (Heihō 兵法) is similar to how a
carpenter and his tools are mutually inclusive, e.g. — a carpenter can
do nothing without his tools, and vice versa. This too, he compares to
skill, and tactical ability in the field of battle.

Initially, Musashi notes that throughout China and Japan, there are
many "sword fencers" who walk around claiming they are strategists,
but are, in fact, not — this may be due to the fact that Musashi had
defeated some such strategists, such as Arima Kihei.

The idea is that by reading his writings, one can become a true
strategist from ability and tactical skill that Musashi had learned in his
lifetime. He pushes that strategy and virtue are something which can be
earned by knowing the ways of life, the professions that are around, to
perhaps learn the skills and knowledge of people and the skills of their
particular professions.

However, Musashi seems to state that the value of strategy seems to be

homogeneous. He notes that:

The attendants of the Kashima Kantori shrines of the province Hitachi received
instruction from the gods, and made schools based on this teaching, travelling from
province to province instructing men. This is the recent meaning of strategy.

As well as noting that strategy is destined to die;

Of course, men who study in this way think they are training the body and spirit, but it
is an obstacle to the true way, and its bad influence remains forever. Thus the true
way of strategy is becoming decadent and dying out.

As a form, strategy was said to be one of "Ten Abilities and Seven Arts"
that a warrior should have, but Musashi disagrees that one person can
gain strategy by being confined to one particular style, which seems
particularly fitting as he admits "I practice many arts and abilities — all
things with no teacher" — this perhaps being one of the reasons he was
so highly regarded a swordsman.

Musashi's metaphor for strategy is that of the bulb and the flower,
similar to western philosophy of "the chicken or the egg", the "bulb"
being the student, the "flower" being the technique. He also notes that
most places seem to be mostly concerned with their technique and its
beauty. Musashi writes, "In this kind of way of strategy, both those
teaching and those learning the way are concerned with coloring and
showing off their technique, trying to hasten the bloom of the flower"
(as opposed to the actual harmony between strategy and skill.)

With those who are concerned with becoming masters of strategy,

Musashi points out that as a carpenter becomes better with his tools
and is able to craft things with more expert measure, so too can a
warrior, or strategist become more skilled in his technique. However,
just as a carpenter needs to be able to use his tools according to plans,
so too must a strategist be able to adapt his style or technique to the
required strategy of the battle he is currently engaged in.

This description also draws parallels between the weapons of a trooper

(or soldier) and the tools of a carpenter; the idea of "the right tool for
the right job" seems to be implied a lot throughout the book, Go Rin No
Sho. Musashi also puts into motion the idea that when a carpenter is
skilled enough in aspects of his job, and creates them with expert
measure, then he can become a foreman.

Although it is not expressly mentioned, it may be seen that Musashi

indicated that when you have learned the areas in which your craft
requires, be it carpentry, farming, fine art or battle, and are able to
apply them to any given situation, then you will be experienced enough
to show others the wisdom of your ways, be it as a foreman of
craftsmen, or as a general of an army.

From further reading into the book, the idea of "weapons within
strategy," as well as Musashi referring to the power of the writer, may
seem that the strategy which Musashi refers to does not exclusively
reside within the domain of weaponry and duels, but within the realm of
war and battles with many men:

Just as one man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a thousand, and a thousand
can beat ten thousand. In my strategy, one man is the same as ten thousand, so this
strategy is the complete warrior's craft.
[edit] Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu

Within the book, Musashi mentions that the use of two swords within
strategy is mutually beneficial between those who utilise this skill. The
idea of using two hands for a sword is an idea which Musashi disagrees
with, in that there is not fluidity in movement when using two hands —
"If you hold a sword with both hands, it is difficult to wield it freely to
left and right, so my method is to carry the sword in one hand"; he as
well disagrees with the idea of using a sword with two hands on a
horse, and/or riding on unstable terrain, such as muddy swamps, rice
fields, or within crowds of people.

In order to learn the strategy of Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu, Musashi employs that
by training with two long swords, one in each hand, you will be able to
overcome the cumbersome nature of using a sword in both hands.
Although difficult, Musashi agrees that there are times in which the long
sword must be used with two hands, but if your skill is good enough,
you should not need it. The idea of using two long swords is that you
are starting with something to which you are unaccustomed, and that
you will find difficult, but will adapt to after much use.

After using two long swords proficiently enough, Musashi then states
that your mastery of a long sword, and a "companion sword", most
likely a wakizashi, will be much increased — "When you become used to
wielding the long sword, you will gain the power of the Way and wield
the sword well.".

In short, it could be seen that from the excerpts from Go Rin No Sho,
the real strategy behind Ni-Ten No Ichi Ryu, is that there is no real iron-
clad method, path, or type of weaponry that is specific to the style of
Ni-Ten No Ichi Ryu:

You can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In
short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and
whatever its size.
[edit] Long sword

The strategy of the long sword is different than other strategies, in that
it is much more straightforward. In the strategy of the longsword, it
seems that Musashi's ideal was, that by mastering gripping the sword
with two fingers, it could become a platform used for moving onto the
mastery of Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu, as well as being able to use two
broadswords, or more masterfully use a companion sword.
However, just because the grip is to be light, it does not mean that the
attack or slash from the sword will be weak. Like with any other
technique in the Ni-Ten Ichi Ryu, he notes:

If you try to wield the long sword quickly, you will mistake the way. To wield the long
sword well, you must wield it calmly. If you try to wield it quickly, like a folding fan or
a short sword, you will err by using "short sword chopping". You cannot cut down a
man with a long sword using this method.

Like with most disciplines in martial arts, Musashi notes that the
movement of the sword after the cut is made must not be superfluous;
instead of quickly returning to a stance or position, one should allow the
sword to come to the end of its path from the force used. In this
manner, the technique will become freely flowing, as opposed to abrupt.

Musashi also discouraged the use of only one sword for fighting, and the
use of over-large swords like nodachi due to the fact that they were
cumbersome and unwieldy.

[edit] Religion
Even from a late age, Musashi separated his religion from his
involvement in swordsmanship. Excerpts such as the one below, from
The Book of Five Rings, demonstrate a philosophy that is thought to
have stayed with him throughout his life:

There are many ways: Confucianism, Buddhism, the ways of elegance, rice-planting,
or dance; these things are not to be found in the way of the warrior.[12]

However, the belief that Musashi disliked Shinto is inaccurate, as he

criticises the Shintō-ryū style of swordsmanship, and not Shinto, the
religion. In Musashi's Dokkodo, his stance on religion is further
elucidated: "Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their
help."[13]

[edit] Musashi as an artist

Kingfisher Perched on a Withered Branch, by Miyamoto Musashi

In his later years, Musashi claimed in his Go Rin No Sho that "When I
apply the principle of strategy to the ways of different arts and crafts, I
no longer have need for a teacher in any domain." He proved this by
creating recognized masterpieces of calligraphy and classic ink painting.
His paintings are characterized by skilled use of ink washes and an
economy of brush stroke. He especially mastered the "broken ink"
school of landscapes, applying it to other subjects, such as his
Kobokumeikakuzu ("Kingfisher Perched on a Withered Branch"; part of
a triptych whose other two members were "Hotei Walking" and
"Sparrow on Bamboo"), his Hotei Watching a Cockfight, and his
Rozanzu ("Wild Geese Among Reeds").

[edit] In popular culture

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI IN FICTION

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

This is a list of fictional depictions of Miyamoto Musashi, the

famous 16th century Japanese swordsman.

[edit] Film and television

There have been six films and one television series with the title
Miyamoto Musashi:

Film:

 Miyamoto Musashi (1929), directed by [Kintaro Inoue.

 Miyamoto Musashi (1944), directed by Kenji Mizoguchi.
 Samurai I : Musashi Miyamoto (1954), directed by Hiroshi Inagaki (Part I of
the Samurai Trilogy, all starring Toshirô Mifune as Musashi).
 Miyamoto Musashi (1954), directed by Yasuo Kohata.
 Miyamoto Musashi (1961 film), directed by Tomu Uchida.
 Miyamoto Musashi (1973 film), directed by Tai Kato.
 Samurai (2010), television movie featuring Mark Dacascos.

Television:


Miyamoto Musashi (1984)

Musashi (2003), directed by Ozaki Mitsunobu. It stars Kabuki actor Ichikawa
Shinnosuke (currently Ichikawa Ebizō XI).

There is a particular story involving Musashi in a practice duel with another
swordsman. At the end of the duel the other man calls it a draw whereas
Musashi proclaims he would have killed the other man. The man insists on a
duel to the death, and Musashi quickly kills the man. This episode appears as a
setpiece (involving other characters) in the movie Seven Samurai directed by
Akira Kurosawa, and (in suitably modified form) in the American Western
remake of that film, The Magnificent Seven.

Miyamoto also appears as a character, alongside Jubei Yagyu, in Kinji
Fukasaku's Samurai Reincarnation.

In the Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode "Treachery, Faith, and the Great
River", there is a mention of the Federation starship USS Musashi.

Musashi makes an appearance in Ryuhei Kitamura's film Aragami as the titular
god of battle. He is portrayed as a godlike entity with a degree of immortality.

Miyamoto Musashi makes a short appearance in the 2009 Korean TV drama
Return of Iljimae in episode 7. Musashi was played by Hwang Jang Lee.

Musashi is mentioned in the narration of the 2009 neo-noir film The Perfect
Sleep.
 
In the American series Heroes, Adam Monroe, an Englishman who cam to
Japan seeking a fortune, is portrayed in feudal Japan as Takezo Kensei (剣聖 武
蔵 Kensei Takezō?), a famous samurai and swordsman Miyamoto Musashi-
based, which can be seen especially by the fact that "Takezo" is the birthname
of the historical swordmaster Miyamoto Musashi.[1]

[edit] Print

Eiji Yoshikawa's famous novel Musashi (originally serialized in Asahi Shinbun
prior to World War II) is more or less based on historical events with added
fictitious characters. Yoshikawa's book was termed the "Gone with the Wind of
Japan" by the translator, Japan expert and former ambassador Edwin O.
Reischauer, in the foreword to the book.

The manga series Vagabond is loosely based on Eiji's famous novel, in which
Miyamoto Musashi is the main character and is noted by many as a 'blood-
lustful beast' throughout the series' beginning. After confronting Yagyu
Sekishusai and personally contemplating that he had "felt the way", Musashi
became more mature in the art of the sword, vowing to become the greatest
swordsman under the sun.

The movies Samurai I, II, and III are also based on the novel Musashi. They
star Toshirō Mifune, the long term collaborator of Akira Kurosawa, as Musashi.
A recent NHK television drama was done with the advice of Eiji Yoshikawa's son
Eimei Yoshikawa. The NHK producer of this recent drama has plans to present
another featuring a fictional story Musashi's life after the duel on Ganryujima
with Sasaki Kojiro.[citation needed]

Sorekara no Musashi (Further Tales of Musashi), a novel by Katsukiro
Kouyama. It has been made into several television specials over the years, one
of which featured Kinnosuke Nakamura.

In Robert Jordan's book The Dragon Reborn, several references are made to a
man named Jearom, who is considered the greatest swordsman of all time. It is
remarked that his only loss was to a farmer wielding a quarterstaff, probably a
reference to Musashi's fight with Gonnosuke in Yoshikawa's novel.

Manga artist Go Nagai gave the name Musashi to one of the pilots on his giant
robot mecha creation, Getter Robo. He always carried a sword.

The comic book Usagi Yojimbo has as its central character a rabbit samurai
who is inspired by Musashi.[2]

In Steve Perry's Matador book series, and his novel The Musashi Flex, the
"Musashi Flex" is an illegal underground martial arts competition, named after
Miyamoto Musashi.

Was the subject of Sword of the Samurai by Michael Reeves and Steve Perry
from the Time Machine interactive book series.

The book The Ninja by Eric van Lustbader there are several references to
Musashi and The Book of Five Rings.
 
In Star Trek Destiny: Lost Souls the USS Musashi, named for the legendary
swordsman, detonated its payload of torpedoes in an attempt to save Deneva
from the Borg.

In the fourth installment of Secrets of the Immortal-Nicholas Flamel: The
Necromancer Musashi was Niten, the immortal Japanese swordsman.

[edit] Anime

Musashi is named by Hydra in the episode 9 of UFO Princess Valkyrie 2nd
season.

Musashi, the female half of Team Rocket in Pokémon was named after
Miyamoto (in English, she is known as Jessica or "Jessie"). Her partner is
ironically called Kojiro. The name of her mother, who only appeared in an audio
drama, was Miyamoto.

Musashi appears in the first seven episodes of the anime Shura no Toki - Age
of Chaos, duelling against a martial artist where, after a stalemate, he
supposedly stops fighting because he has achieved fighting against the perfect
match to his skills. His adopted son appears in the next couple of episodes as
well, but without any involvement from Musashi himself.

The two main male characters in the Japanese television drama Bus Stop are
named Miyamae Musashi and Sasajima Kojiro, and in one episode, the main
female character remarks that she is like the island where Musashi and Kojiro
held their duel.

In the anime Yaiba, Musashi appears as an old man, still alive after 400 years,
living as a hermit. Later on, Kojiro is resurrected by Onimaru to fight for him
and confronts Musashi again when he comes to visit Kojiro's grave.

In the episode "Generous Elegy (Part 2) - Elegy of Entrapment (Verse 2)" of
the anime Samurai Champloo, an old man saves Jin from drowning after an
assassin's ambush. Appearing almost insane at times, he talks to Jin about
fishing - giving him, almost by accident, an important clue as to how he can
defeat his enemy. When Jin later asks him his name, the old man deadpan
claims to be Miyamoto Musashi before cracking up.

In the anime Ninja Resurrection, Miyamoto Musashi makes a brief appearance
fighting the main character, Jubei. It is never clearly shown if Musashi loses
this duel in the film, however, only that he has retired to the life of a hermit at
this point around the year 1640.

Musashi is also briefly quoted in Cowboy Bebop. At the end of episode 22 titled
"Cowboy Funk", Spike's rival Andy rides off into the sunset, claiming to have
changed his name to Musashi.

The main character in the anime Musashi Gundoh is Miyamoto Musashi, who is
loosely based on the historical Musashi.

In one episode of Ranma 1/2, Tatewaki Kuno is possessed by an old bokuto
that was wielded by Musashi in his duel with Kojiro. While under its control, he
believed himself to be Musashi and would disappear during the day and wander
the halls of Furinkan High School at night, looking for a powerful opponent. It
 was destroyed by a lightning bolt after Kuno was kicked skyward by Akane,
whom he had mistaken for his long-lost love.

In episode 55 of Rumiko Takahashi's Urusei Yatsura, Ataru's teacher was
portrayed as Musashi setting out on a quest to become famous while Ataru's
rival Mendou was portrayed as Musashi's rival Sasaki Kojiro.

Kurz Weber briefly refers to Musashi Miyamoto in the anime series Full Metal
Panic in episode 13, "A Cat and a Kitten's Rock and Roll". When Teletha
Testarossa is late for an Arm Slave battle with Melissa Mao. When Melissa gets
impatient and frustrated, Kurz briefly asks her if she's heard of Musashi
Miyamoto.

In Dr. Slump, Arale, Gatchan, and Taro used the time slipper to go to the day
of his dual with Kojiro. Arale questions his power, so they spend two days
playing each other in rock, paper scissors to see whoes stronger. Musashi is
amazed later on, and goes with her to the present, attending her school, while
Kojiro spends the rest of his days waiting for him.

In Shaman King, Yoh Asakura's spirit partner Amidamaru is possibly based on
Musashi.

In the anime and manga Shugo Chara!, Kairi Sanjou's idol is Musashi
Miyamoto, and thus his Guardian Character was born out of it. He character is
also called Musashi.

Production I.G announced making an anime based on the life of Musashi,
scheduled for release in 2009.

The Eyeshield 21 character Gen Takekura is nicknamed "Musashi", and his
biggest rival's name is Sasaki.[3]

In Yu Yu Hakusho, Kuwabara fights against a swordsman named Musashi
during the Genki tournament arc.

In Mutsu Enmei Ryuu Gaiden: Shura No Tok, Musashi makes several
appearance in the chronicle of Mutsu Yakumo. This culminates in a one on one
battle between Musashi and the main character. Although Musashi is clearly
beaten, Yakumo declares it a draw on the account that he briefly made use of
his sword to block an attack.

In Flint the Time Detective, Musashi makes an episode appearance, befriending
a Time Shifter by the name of Shadow.

[edit] Video games

Miyamoto Musashi as he appears in Koei's Samurai Warriors 2

The character Haohmaru, from SNK's Samurai Shodown video game series, is
loosely based on Musashi. Likewise, Tachibana Ukyo, also from Samurai
Shodown, is based on Sasaki Kojiro.

The Neo-Geo game Musashi Ganryuki (known outside Japan as Ganryu) was
based on Musashi's fight with Sasaki Ganryu Kojiro.

The PlayStation game Brave Fencer Musashi and its PlayStation 2 sequel
Musashi: Samurai Legend are also loosely based on the story of Musashi. While
Musashi used two swords and had a rival named Kojiro in the first game, and
an arch nemesis named Gandrake (also based on Kojiro), the plot of both
games involve Musashi and these two getting sent to an alternate world and
bear no relation to the life of Miyamoto Musashi. In the game, Musashu must
obtain 5 legendary swords of earth, water, fire, wind, and void, vaguely
representing the five rings. The main secondary weapon used, called the "Great
Oar" is a take on the sword the real man created from an oar. He had this
sword, in a turn of events leading up to fighting Gandrake (Kojiro).

In the game Live A Live, Ode Iou resurrected Musashi and uses him to distract
Oboromaru.

Onimusha Blade Warriors features both Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi as
bonus characters.

Miyamoto Musashi is a playable character in Koei's Samurai Warriors 2 and
Warriors Orochi. The player can fight alongside, and later on, against Musashi
at the "Swordsman" story of Samurai Warriors: Katana (noting that each of the
title chapters in this story mode are based on The Book of Five Rings, yet
replacing the fifth chapter title to be called "Sky"). In compliment to this,
Sasaki Kojiro was additionally added as a unique playable character in Xtreme
Legends, the expansion to Samurai Warriors. Unfortunately, both Musashi and
Kojiro have been cut from the character roster in Samurai Warriors 3.
 
The character Mitsurugi, from Namco's Soul video game series, is also based
on Miyamoto Musashi.

The legendary swordsman Frandar Hunding of The Elder Scrolls universe is
heavily based on Miyamoto Musashi. Hunding even wrote a book called the
Book of Circles, a strong parallel to Musashi's The Book of Five Rings.

In Sengoku Basara 2, Capcom's sequel to Sengoku Basara, Musashi is a playble
character wielding a wooden sword and a boat oar as weapons.

The character Musashi, from SNK's The Last Blade, is also based on Miyamoto
Musashi.

Miyamoto Musashi is a playable character in the Warcraft III map Tides of
Blood.

Musashi appears in Ninja Gaiden II as a tradesman and a blacksmith. Surely, it
is hard to figure out that he is the Miyamoto Musashi until one finds the dual-
wielding katana whereupon further inspection, it says that there is an
inscription on the tsuba saying "Musashi's". A clear reference to Miyamoto
Musashi considering that he is the alleged founder of Nitten-ryu, the dual-
wielding technique of Japanese sword fighting.

Miyamoto Musashi also appears as a main character in the epic action
adventure Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! on the PlayStation 3 system. He uses two
sword technique and his biggest rival is Sasaki Kojiro.

Musashi is also a playable character of the Samurai class in the original Shining
Force Sega Genesis game.[4]

He is also a playable character in the video game Time Killers.

[edit] Music

 On the critically acclaimed 1983 album Piece of Mind, British heavy metal band
Iron Maiden gives a brief glimpse of Musashi in "Sun and Steel".
 John Zorn's Ganryu Island (1984 Tzadik release tz7319) does an excellent job
depicting the famous duel between Musashi and "Nemesis" Sasaki Kojiro.
 Drum and bass producer Photek made a song called Ni Ten Ichi Ryu. The video
clip features a samurai who fights using a similar technique by Musashi.

Even in Musashi's time there were fictional texts resembling comic

books. It is therefore quite difficult to separate fact from fiction when
discussing his life. There have been numerous works of fiction made
about or featuring Musashi, among them several dozen films, including
several with the title of Miyamoto Musashi. One of these, released in the
English-speaking world as Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, is the
Academy Award–winning film by Hiroshi Inagaki starring Toshirô
Mifune. Eiji Yoshikawa's novelization has greatly influenced successive
fictional depictions (including the ongoing manga Vagabond by Takehiko
Inoue) and is often mistaken for a factual account of Musashi's life.

[edit] See also

 Miyamoto Musashi Station

[edit] Bibliography

1. Hyodokyo (The Mirror of the Way of Strategy)

2. Hyoho Sanjugo Kajo (Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy)
3. Hyoho Shijuni Kajo (Forty-two Instructions on Strategy)
4. Dokkodo (The Way to be Followed Alone)
5. Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings; a reference to the Five Rings of Zen
Buddhism)

[edit] References