June 3, 2020
The Book Of Five Rings
Musashi On Being A Warrior
- Warrior's should have a taste for both; pen and sword.
- You should not have a favourite weapon, as to become over-familiar with one is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.
- Meet your situations without tenseness, yet not recklessly.
- Do not let your body influence your spirit and vice-versa.
- Do not let the enemy see your spirit.
- You must train continually.
- Always chase the enemy into bad footholds.
- Use virtues of the place to establish influential positions.
- When the enemy starts to collapse, you must pursue them without letting go.
- If you attempt a technique which you have previously tried unsuccessfully and failed yet again, then you must change your attacking method.
Musashi On Leadership
- Take into account the abilities and limitations of your people.
- Don't ask for anything unreasonable from your people.
- You should know the morale and spirit of your people, encouraging them when necessary.
- When we become preoccupied with the small details, we must think about the big picture.
Musashi On Life
- Appreciate the power of nature and understand its rhythm.
- When you sacrifice your life, you must make the fullest use of your weaponry.
- Everything seems confusing at first.
- Do not think dishonestly.
- Do nothing which is of no use.
- Become acquainted with every art.
- Know the way of all professions.
- Develop intuitive judgement and understanding an of everything.
- Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
- You should be determined yet calm.
- You walk a thousand-mile road step-by-step.
- Today is victory over yourself of yesterday.
Musashi On Strategy
- A strategy is having to know one thing, to know ten-thousand.
- If you don't look at things at scale, it will be difficult for you to master strategy.
- When people cannot deceive you, you will have realised the wisdom of strategy.
- In all forms of strategy, it's essential to maintain your combat stance.
- In strategy, it's important to see distant things are if they were close. And, to take a distanced view of close things.
- You cannot beat a person using their method.
- You can win quickly by taking the lead.
- People are always under the impression that the enemy is strong, hence become cautious.
- Put yourself in the enemy's position.
- When you cannot see the enemy, indicate you're going to attack to discover their resources.
- The essence of strategy is to bring about the oppositions speedy downfall.
- Your opponent must not influence you.
- Distinguish between gain and loss.
