Musashi's Book of Five Rings. Stephen F. Kaufman

is meant by the sword being the soul of the samurai.

      A warrior must be proficient in all the tools of his trade. He should understand the functions of all weapons and the functions of all military regimentation. A lancer should understand the sword, a kempoist should understand jujitsu technique, and a doctor should know carpentry. How else could they meet the unexpected without knowing how the opposition’s weapons work? It is also suggested that the warrior familiarize himself with the actual workings of other weapons. In this way a foreign attack will not overwhelm him with its technique, even if it has never been encountered before. Constant study of every aspect of the warrior’s craft is essential to understanding the true value of one’s particular skills. This is what the ancients meant when they said to think deeply about things. This is another way to grow in your skills. For example, what would your reaction be if you were studying one craft of warriorness and then found that you truly enjoyed working with a different weapon? Contemplate the reality of this.

      Do not make the mistake of thinking that it is sufficient to finish one section of a job without having planned its continuation. If you are going to construct a desk you must plan for drawers, knobs, etc. If not, the work may appear to be aesthetically pleasing but in reality will be disharmonious with the Universe. Masters plan for contingency even when it appears that they are only improvising. The presentation of an idea, apparently improvised, is only valid if there has been adequate study and preparation on the part of the teacher who can then deliver the information in the proper sequences. A master achieves the Way by being devoted to the art, while the art itself reveals its true identity to a warrior only when the “spirit of the thing itself ” feels comfortable with the warrior as a vehicle for its own expression.

      If you wish to learn my Way of strategy you must do sufficient research and study. Doing sufficient research means that you must devote yourself as much as possible to the study of these ideas—to the degree with which you feel that you will have accomplished that which you wanted to accomplish. The level of commitment that you give to it will indicate to it what to reveal of itself to you. I knew what I was going to do when I began this book, and my steadfast devotion permitted the “spirit of the thing itself ” to produce the results.

      THE MEANING OF THE FIVE PARTS

       OF THIS BOOK OF STRATEGY

      The name of this book is Five Rings. Buddhist teachings contain the five elements of the universe. Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and No-thing-ness.

      In the Book of Earth the strategy of my school is explained. You are being told the reasons for my writings as well as their structure. You must not depend on understanding your art only by studying the one art with which you are involved. It is difficult to understand the universe if you study only one planet. One must be aware of all of the arts by becoming familiar with many of them as part of one’s complete devotion to one of them. Endeavor to know all things. Though you cannot ever do this, you will become more aware of the world around you, an essential strategy if you choose to be a warrior

      In the Book of Water I explain that water fills all shapes and eventually wears down any form of captivity. I clearly explain what my Ichi school proposes for the study of strategy. There are many ways of understanding simple things, but generally the opposite is true for difficult ideas.

      Study what I say with the desire to understand my Way of strategy. When you have mastered the basics of sword fighting you will be able to beat one man or many men. The result would be the same if you were fighting a countless horde so long as your strength remained with you. The amount of strength you have depends upon the training and practice you have put into your art. It is important to remember that all things can only be built from the ground up and in one stage at a time. Spirit is the thing that must be concentrated upon. To know ten thousand things, know one well. It is difficult to understand these ideas broadly through the use of words. The realities are mostly intuitive. The proper attitude of spirit must be constantly studied. The Book of Water explains the specifics and particulars of my Ichi school.

      The Book of Fire is about fighting. When a man fights in real combat his spirit becomes fierce. There is a time for the spirit to be large and a time for the spirit to be small. In order to be able to determine the possible outcomes of combat situations you must constantly maintain the proper attitude by practicing diligently. You can only fight the way you practice. By maintaining the proper attitude, you will always practice diligently with the proper spirit and ensure your ability to become that much stronger. Through practice you will be able to properly maintain yourself at all times.

      It is hard to perceive small movements in an enemy but it is easy to see large movements in many men. When studying the art of strategy it is necessary to practice day and night. I cannot stress this enough. You will come to realize what I am saying as the Way to strategy. Your normal life must be a life of strategy. Full combat in battle is explained in this book. Your spirit must remain unchanged as long as you study. As long as you live the warrior life.

      The Book of Wind concerns itself with the strategies and teachings of other schools and the traditions of the past. There are obvious differences and there are differences that are not so easy to ascertain. One must be careful not to study traditional methods that diverge from the true teaching of the path. I make the differences very clear and easy to understand. A slight error in judgment while at sea can throw you miles off course. You must constantly study your Way to ensure that you do not lose your way. It is very easy to be side-tracked from the direct method. You must understand what I am talking about when the differences between the Ichi school and others are explained. It is not wrong to think that methods that teach only sword fighting are incorrect, but the advantage of my Ichi school’s style of two-sword fighting lies in its mental and physical technique.

      To learn technique is essential. However, strategic thinking has its own principles and they can be applied to anything that has to do with war and combat. In this way the Ichi school breaks from traditional teaching.

      It is easy to understand the first four books of the Five Rings. Introductory remarks concerning the outline of the five books should be understood upon simple review. Nothing profound is revealed in the introduction. The basic idea of the Way of strategy is the attitude of being or not-being and will be expanded upon. However, in the Book of No-thing-ness you will learn that the Way of strategy is also the Way of nature and that there is no difference except for what we ourselves conceive or misconceive as truth. When you understand the Way of strategy you will be able to hit a man without a thought in a completely natural manner. There is a sound approach to understanding the entire subject. The Book of No-thing-ness is also the shortest of the written tracts, and is at the same time both simple and difficult to comprehend.

      WHY I CALL MY SCHOOL

       “ONE WAY—TWO SWORDS”

      It is common for a warrior to carry two swords. One is a long sword and the other is a short sword. The names for the swords varies from place to place and time to time. My school teaches the proper use of both swords in combat even though a warrior can rely on either one or the other. Spears, lances and bows with arrows are generally used out of doors, as is the sword. Swords are used indoors and outdoors but mainly for close combat. You must be able to wield the swords in any situation. The comparison between halberds, spears, bows and arrows is evident and makes perfect sense in the context of a combat situation. The sword is easier to deal with regardless of the terrain where you happen to be fighting. At the beginning of training, lances, spears, and other weapons are certain to prove difficult, especially if you have never had experience with them. But in time all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart. I insist that my students start their training with both swords in either hand. In a combat situation you must understand how to make complete use of your weapons. Any other reasoning is foolish. If you are going to die in battle then you should do so with the utmost respectability and dignity. It is a terrible shame to die in battle with your sword undrawn or yourself unable to use it correctly. Because my system employs both swords, a warrior must hold the sword in one hand. It is hard to use a sword