Go Rin No Sho (Book of the Five Rings)

7/30/2019 Go Rin No Sho (Book of the Five Rings)

1/61

Japan during Musashi's lifetime

http://www.samurai.com/5rings/

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

four centuries of internal strife. he tra!itional rule of the emperors ha! been overthrown

in the twelfth century, an! although each successive emperor remaine! the figurehea!

of Japan, his powers were very much re!uce!. "ince that time, Japan ha! seen almost

continuous civil war between the provincial lor!s, warrior mon#s an! brigan!s, all

fighting each other for lan! an! power. $n the fifteenth an! si%teenth centuries the lor!s,

calle! !aimyo, built huge stone castles to protect themselves an! their lor!s an! castle

towns outsi!e the walls began to grow up. hese wars naturally restricte! the growth of

tra!e an! impoverishe! the whole country.

$n 15&', however, one man, (!a )obunga, came to the fore in Japan. *e became the

"hogun, or military !ictator, an! for nine years succee!e! in gaining control of almost

the whole of the country. +hen )obunga was assassinate! in 158, a commoner too#

over the government. oyotomi *i!eyoshi continue! the wor# of unifying Japan which

)obunaga ha! begun, ruthlessly putting !own any traces of insurrection. *e revive! the

ol! gulf between the warriors of Japan - the samurai - an! the commoners by

intro!ucing restrictions on the wearing of swor!s. *i!eyoshis swor!-hunt, as it was

#nown, meant that only samurai were allowe! to wear two swor!s, the short one which

everyone coul! wear an! the long one which !istinguishe! the samurai from the rest of

the population.

0lthough *i!eyoshi !i! much to settle Japan an! increase tra!e with the outsi!e worl!,

by the time of his !eath in 158 internal !isturbances still ha! not been completely

eliminate!. he real isolation an! unification of Japan began with the inauguration of the

great o#ugawa rule. $n 123' o#ugawa $eyasu, a former associate of both *i!eyoshi

an! )obunaga, formally became "hogun of Japan, after !efeating *i!eyoshis son

*i!eyori at the battle of "e#i ga *ara.
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/http://www.samurai.com/5rings/


2/61

$eyasu establishe! his government at !o, present-!ay o#yo, where he ha! a huge

castle. *is was a stable, peaceful government beginning a perio! of Japanese history

which was to last until the $mperial estoration of 1828, for although $eyasu himself !ie!

in 1212 members of his family succee!e! each other an! the title "hogun became

virtually an here!itary one for the o#ugawas.

$eyasu was !etermine! to ensure his an! his familys !ictatorship. o this en!, he pai!

lip-service to the emperor in 6yoto, who remaine! the titular hea! of Japan, while

curtailing his !uties an! involvement in the government. he real threat to $eyasus

position coul! only come from the lor!s, an! he effectively !ecrease! their opportunities

for revolt by !evising schemes whereby all lor!s ha! to live in !o for alternate years

an! by placing great restrictions on travelling. *e allotte! lan! in e%change for oaths of

allegiance, an! gave the provincial castles aroun! !o to members of his own family.

*e also employe! a networ# of secret police an! assassins.

he o#ugawa perio! mar#s a great change in the social history of Japan. he

bureaucracy of the o#ugawas was all-perva!ing. )ot only were e!ucation, law,

government an! class controlle!, be even the costume an! behavior of each class. he

tra!itional class consciousness of Japan har!ene! into a rigi! class structure. here

were basically four classes of person: samurai, farmers, artisans an! merchants. he

samurai were the highest - in esteem if not in wealth - an! inclu!e! the lor!s, senior

government officials, warriors, an! minor officials an! foot sol!iers. )e%t in the hierarchy

came the farmers, not because they were well thought of but because they provi!e! the

essential rice crops. heir lot was a rather unhappy one, as they were force! to give

most of their crops to the lor!s an! were not allowe! to leave their farms. hen came

the artisans an! craftsmen, an! last of all the merchants, who, though loo#e! !own

upon, eventually rose to prominence because of the vast wealth they accumulate!. 7ew

people were outsi!e this rigi! hierarchy.

Musashi belonge! to the samurai class. +e fin! the origins of the samurai class in the

6on!ei "talwart 9outh system establishe! in & 0;, whereby the Japanese army -

which ha! until then constitute! mainly of spear-wiel!ing foot sol!iers - was revive! by

stiffening the ran#s with permanent training officers recruite! from among the young


3/61

sons of the high families. hese officers were mounte!, wore armour, an! use! the bow

an! swor!. $n &8 the emperor 6ammu starte! buil!ing 6yoto, an! in 6yoto he built a

training hall which e%ists to this !ay calle! the


4/61

of 6en!o. ;uels of revenge an! tests of s#ill were commonplace, an! fencing schools

multiplie!. wo schools e%pecially, the $tto school an! the 9agyu school, were

sponsore! by the o#ugawas. he $tto school provi!e! an unbro#en line of 6en!o

teachers, an! the 9agyu school eventually became the secret police of the o#ugawa

bureaucracy.


5/61

Kendo

ra!itionally, the fencing halls of Japan, calle! ;o@o, were associate! with shrines an!

temples, but !uring Musashis lifetime numerous schools sprang up in the new castletowns. ach !aimyo or lor! sponsore! a 6en!o school, where his retainers coul! be

traine! an! his sons e!ucate!. he hope of every ronin was that he coul! !efeat the

stu!ents an! master of a ;o@o in combat, thus increasing his fame an! bringing his

name to the ears of one who might employ him.

he samurai wore two swor!s thrust through the belt with the cutting e!ge uppermost.

he longer swor! was carrie! out of !oors only, the shorter swor! was worn at all times.

7or training, woo!en swor!s an! bamboo swor!s were often use!. ;uelling an! other

tests of arms were common, with both real an! practice swor!s. hese too# place in

fencing halls an! before shrines, in the streets an! within castle walls. ;uels were often

fought to the !eath or until one of the contestants was !isable!, but a few generations

after Musashis time the shinai, a pliable bamboo swor!, an! later pa!!e! fencing

armour, came to be wi!ely use!, so the chances of in@ury were greatly re!uce!. he

samurai stu!ie! with all #in!s of weapons: halber!s, stic#s, swor!s, chain an! sic#le,

an! others. Many schools using such weapons survive in tra!itional form in Japan

to!ay.

o train in 6en!o one must sub@ugate the self, bear the pain of gruelling practise, an!

cultivate a level min! in the face of peril.


6/61

Kendo and Zen

he +ay of the swor! is the moral teaching of the samurai, fostere! by the >onfucianist

philosophy which shape! the o#ugawa system, together with the native "hinto religionof Japan. he warrior courts of Japan from the 6ama#ura perio! to the Muromachi

perio! encourage! the austre =en stu!y among the samurai, an! =en went han! in

han! with the arts of war. $n =en the are no elaborations, it aims !irectly at the true

nature of things. here are no ceremonies, no teachings: the priAe of =en is essentially

personal. nlightenment in =en !oes not mean a change in behavior, but realisation of

the nature of or!inary life. he en! point is the beginning, an! the great virtue is

simplicity. he secret teaching of the $tto yu school of 6en!o, 6iriotoshi, is the first

techniBue of some hun!re! or so. he teaching is 0i Cchi, meaning to cut the

opponent @ust as he cuts you. his is the ultimate training... it is lac# of anger. $t means

to treat your enemy as an honoure! guest. $t also means to aban!on your life or throw

away fear.

he first techniBue is the last, the beginner an! the master behave in the same way.

6nowle!ge is a full circle. he first of Musashis chapter hea!ings is Droun!, for the

basis of 6en!o an! =en, an! the last boo# is Eoi!, for that un!erstan!ing which can

only be e%presse! as nothingness. he teachings of 6en!o are li#e the fierce verbal

forays to which the =en stu!ent is sub@ecte!. 0ssaile! with !oubts an! misery, his min!

an! spirit in a whirl, the stu!ent is gra!ually gui!e! to realisation an! un!erstan!ing by

his teacher. he 6en!o stu!ent practises furiously, thousan!s of cuts morning an! night,

learning fierce techniBues of horrible war, until eventually swor! becomes no swor!,

intention becomes no intention, a spontaneous #nowle!ge of every situation. he first

elementary teaching becomes the highest #nowle!ge, an! the master still continues to

practise this simple training, his every!ay prayer.


7/61

Concerning the life of Miyamoto Musashi

"hinmen Musashi )o 6ami 7u@iwara )o Denshin, or as he is commonly #nown

Miyamoto Musashi, was born in the village calle! Miyamoto in the province Mimasa#a in1584. Musashi is the name of an area south-west of o#yo, an! the appellation )o

6ami means noble person of the area, while 7u@iwara is the name of a noble family

foremost in Japan over a thousan! years ago.

Musashis ancestors were a branch of the powerful *arima clan in 6yushu, the souther

islan! of Japan. *ira!a "ho#an, his gran!father, was a retainer of "hinmen $ga )o

6ami "u!eshige, the lor! of a#eyama castle. *ira!a "ho#an was highly thought of by

his lor! an! eventually marrie! his lor!s !aughter.

+hen Musashi was seven, his father, Munisai, either !ie! or aban!one! the chil!. 0s

his mother ha! !ie!,


8/61

his part of Musashis life was spent living apart from society while he !evote! himself

with a ferocious single-min!e!ness to the search for enlightenment by the +ay of the

swor!. >oncerne! only with perfecting his s#ill, he live! as men nee! not live,

wan!ering over Japan soa#e! by the col! win!s of winter, not !ressing his hair, nor

ta#ing a wife, nor following any profession save his stu!y. $t is sai! he never entere! a

bathtub lest he was caught unawares without a weapon, an! that his appearance was

uncouth an! wretche!.

$n the battle which resulte! in $eyasu succee!ing *i!eyoshi as "hogun of Japan, "e#i

ga *ara, Musashi @oine! the ran#s of the 0shi#aga army to fight against $eyasu. *e

survive! the terrible three !ays !uring which seventy thousan! people !ie!, an! also

survive! the hunting !own an! massacre of the vanBuishe! army.

*e went up to 6yoto, the capital, when he was twenty-one. his was the scene of his

ven!etta against the 9oshio#a family. he 9oshio#as ha! been fencing instructors to the

0shi#aga house for generations. Fater forbi!!en to teach 6en!o by lor! o#ugawa, the

family became !yers, an! are !yers to!ay. Munisai, Musashis father, ha! been invite!

to 6yoto some years before by the "hogun 0shi#aga 9oshia#a. Munisai was a

competent swor!sman, an! an e%pert with the @itte, a #in! of iron truncheon with a

tongue for catching swor! bla!es. he story has it that Munisai fought three of the

9oshio#as, winning two of the !uels, an! perhaps this has some bearing on Musashis

behavior towar!s the family.

9oshio#a "ei@iro, the hea! of the family, was the first to fight Musashi, on the moor

outsi!e the city. "ei@iro was arme! with a real swor!, an! Musashi with a woo!en swor!.

Musashi lai! "ei@iro out with a fierce attac# an! beat him savagely as he lay on the

groun!. he retainers carrie! their lor! home on a rain-shutter, where for shame he cut

off his samurai top#not.

Musashi lingere! on in the capital, an! his continue! presence further ir#e! the

9oshio#as. he secon! brother, ;enshichiro, applie! to Musashi for a !uel. 0s a military

ploy, Musashi arrive! late on the appointe! !ay, an! secon!s after the start of the fight

he bro#e his opponents s#ull with one blow of his woo!en swor!. ;enshichiro was


9/61

!ea!. he house issue! yet another challenge with *anshichiro, the young son of

"ei@iro, as champion. *anshichiro was a mere boy, not yet in his teens. he contest was

to be hel! by a pine tree a!@acent to ricefiel!s. Musashi arrive! at the meeting place

well before the appointe! time an! waite! in hi!ing for his enemy to come. he chil!

arrive! !resse! formally in war gear, with a party of well-arme! retainers, !etermine! to

!o away with Musashi. Musashi waite! conceale! in the sha!ows, an! @ust as they

were thin#ing that he ha! thought better of it an! ha! !eci!e! to leave 6yoto, he

su!!enly appeare! in the mi!st of them, an! cut the boy !own. hen, !rawing both

swor!s, he cut a path through them an! ma!e his escape.

0fter that frightful episo!e Musashi wan!ere! over Japan, becoming a legen! in his

own time. +e fin! mention of his name an! stories of his prowess in registers, !iaries,

on monuments, an! in fol# memory from o#yo to 6yushu. *e ha! more than si%ty

contests before he was twenty-nine, an! won them all. he earliest account of his

contests appears in Niten Ki, or wo *eavens >hronicle, a recor! compile! by his

pupils a generation after his !eath.

$n the year of the 9oshio#a affair, 1235, he visite! the temple *oAoin in the south of the

capital. *ere he ha! a contest with (#u *oAoin, the )ichiren sect pupil of the =en priest

*oin $nei. he priest was a spearman, but no match for Musashi who !efeate! him

twice with his short woo!en swor!. Musashi staye! at the temple for some time

stu!ying fighting techniBues an! en@oying tal#s with the priests. here is still to!ay a

tra!itional spear fighting form practise! by the mon#s of *oAoin. $t is interesting that in

ancient times the wor! (sho, which now means priest, use! to mean spear teacher.

*oin $nei was pupil to $Aumi Musashi no 6ami, a master of "hinto 6en!o. he priest

use! spears with cross-shape! bla!es #ept outsi!e the temple un!er the eaves an!

use! in fire fighting.

+hen Musashi was in $ga province he met a s#ille! chain an! sic#le fighter name!

"hishi!o


10/61

$n !o, a fighter name! Muso Donosu#e visite! Musashi reBuesting a !uel. Musashi

was cutting woo! to ma#e a bow, an! granting Donosu#es reBuest stoo! up inten!ing

to use the slen!er wan! he was cutting as a swor!. Donosu#e ma!e a fierce attac#, but

Musashi steppe! straight in an! bange! him on the hea!. Donosu#e went away.

?assing through $Aumo province, Musashi visite! lor! Matsu!aira an! as#e! permission

to fight with his strongest 6en!o e%pert. here were many goo! strategists in $Aumo.

?ermission was grante! against a man who use! an eight foot long he%agonal woo!en

pole. he contest was hel! in the lor!s library gar!en. Musashi use! two woo!en

swor!s. *e chase! the samurai up the two woo!en steps of the library veran!a, thrust

at his face on the secon! step, an! hit him on both arms as he flinche! away. o the

surprise of the assemble! retainers, lor! Matsu!aira as#e! Musashi to fight him.

Musashi !rove the lor! up the library steps as before, an! when he trie! to ma#e a

resolute fencing attitu!e Musashi hit his swor! with the 7ire an! "tones >ut, brea#ing

it in two. he lor! bowe! in !efeat, an! Musashi staye! for some time as his teacher.

Musashis most well-#nown !uel was in the seventeenth year of 6eicho, 121, when he

was in (gura in


11/61

he boat neare! the place of combat an! 6o@iro an! the waiting officials were

astoun!e! to see the strange figure of Musashi, with his un#empt hair tie! up in a towel,

leap from the boat bran!ishing the long woo!en oar an! rush through the waves up the

beach towar!s his enemy. 6o@iro !rew his long swor!, a fine bla!e ma!e by )agamitsu

of hristians. Musashi was a member of the fiel! staff at "himawara where the >hristians


12/61

were massacre!. 0fter this, $eyasu close! the ports of Japan to foreign intercourse, an!

they remaine! close! for over two hun!re! years.

0fter si% years in (gura, Musashi was invite! to stay with >huri, the *oso#awa lor! of

6umamoto castle, as a guest. *e staye! a few years with lor! >huri an! spent his time

teaching an! painting. $n 124', he retire! to a life of seclusion in a cave calle!

eigen!o. *ere he wrote Go Rin No Sho, a!!resse! to his pupil eruo )obuyu#i, a

few wee#s before his !eath on the nineteenth of May, 1245.

Musashi is #nown to the Japanese as 6insei, that is, "wor! "aint. Go Rin No Sho

hea!s every 6en!o bibliography, being uniBue among boo#s of martial art in that it

!eals with both the strategy of warfare an! the metho!s of single combat in e%actly the

same way. he boo# is not a thesis on strategy, it is in Musashis wor!s a gui!e for

men who want to learn strategy an!, as a gui!e always lea!s, so the contents are

always beyon! the stu!ents un!erstan!ing. he more one rea!s the boo# the more one

fin!s in its pages. $t is Musashis last will, the #ey to the path he tro!. +hen, at twenty-

eight or twenty-nine, he ha! become such a strong fighter, he !i! not settle !own an!

buil! a school, replete with success, but became !oubly engrosse! with his stu!y. $n his

last !ays even, he scorne! the life of comfort with lor! *oso#awa an! live! two years

alone in a mountain cave !eep in contemplation. he behavior of this cruel, hea!strong

man was evi!ently most humble an! honest.

Musashi wrote +hen you have attaine! the +ay of strategy there will be not one thing

that you cannot un!erstan! an! 9ou will see the +ay in everything. *e !i!, in fact,

become a master of arts an! crafts. *e pro!uce! masterpieces of in# painting, probably

more highly value! by the Japanese than the in# paintings of any other. *is wor#s

inclu!e cormorants, herons, *otei the "hinto Do!, !ragons, bir!s with flowers, bir! in a

!ea! tree, ;aruma


13/61

sai! also that he was commissione! by the "hogun $emitsu to paint the sunrise over

!o castle.

*is paintings are sometimes impresse! with his seal, Musashi, or his nom !e plume

)iten. )iten means wo *eavens, sai! by some to allu!e to his fighting attitu!e with

a swor! in each haan! hel! above his hea!. $n some places he establishe! schools

#nown as )iten ryu, an! in other places calle! it nmei ryu clear circle.

*e wrote "tu!y the +ays of all professions. $t is evi!ent that he !i! @ust that. *e

sought out not only great swor!smen but also priests, strategists, artists an! craftsmen,

eager to broa!en his #nowle!ge.

Musashi writes about the various aspects of 6en!o in such a way that it is possible for

the beginner to stu!y at beginners level, an! for 6en!o masters to stu!y the same

wor!s on a higher level. his applies not @ust to military strategy, but to any situation

where plans an! tactics are use!. Japanese businessmen have use! Go Rin No Shoas

a gui!e for business practice, ma#ing sales campaigns li#e military operations, using

the same energetic metho!s. $n the same way that Musashi seems to have been a

horribly cruel man, yet was following logically an honest i!eal, so successful business

sems to most people to be without conscience.

Musashis life stu!y is thus as relevant in the twentieth century as it was on the

me!ieval battlegroun!, an! applies not @ust to the Japanese race but to all nations. $

suppose you coul! sum up his inspiration as humility an! har! wor#.


14/61

The Ground Book

"tategy is the craft of the warrior. >omman!ers must enact the craft, an! troopers

shoul! #now this +ay. here is no warrior in the worl! to!ay who really un!erstan!s the+ay of strategy.

here are various +ays. here is the +ay of salvation by the law of onfucius governing the +ay of learning, the +ay of healing as a !octor, as a poet

teaching the +ay of +a#a, tea, archery, an! many arts an! s#ills. ach man practices

as he feels incline!.

$t is sai! the warriors is the twofol! +ay of pen an! swor!, an! he shoul! have a taste

for both +ays. ven if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by stic#ing

assi!uously to both !ivisions of the +ay. Denerally spea#ing, the +ay of the warrior is

resolute acceptance of !eath. 0lthough not only warriors but priests, women, peasants

an! lowlier fol# have been #nown to !ie rea!ily in the cause of !uty or out of shame, this

is a !ifferent thing. he warrior is !ifferent in that stu!ying the +ay of strategy is base!

on overcoming men.


15/61

swor!-fencing. he true value of swor!-fencing cannot be seen withing the confines of

swor!-fencing techniBue.

$f we loo# at the worl! we see arts for sale. Men use eBuipment to sell their own selves.

0s if with the nut an! the flower, the nut has become less than the flower. $n this #in! of

+ay of strategy, both those teaching an! those learning the way are concerne! with

colouring an! showing off their techniBue, trying to hasten the bloom of the flower. hey

spea# of his ;o@o an! hat ;o@o. hey are loo#ing for profit. "omeone once sai!

$mmature strategy is the cause of grief. hat was a true saying.

here are four +aysin which men pass through life: as gentlemen, farmers, artisans

an! merchants.

he way of the farmer. Csing agricultural instruments, he sees springs through to

autumns with an eye on the changes of season.

"econ! is the +ay of the merchant. he wine ma#er obtains his ingre!ients an! puts

them to use to ma#e his living. he +ay of the merchant is always to live by ta#ing

profit. his is the +ay of the merchant.

hir!ly the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of his +ay. he +ay of the warrior

is to master the virtue of his weapons. $f a gentleman !isli#es strategy he will not

appreciate the benefit of weaponry, so must he not have a little taste for thisG

7ourthly the +ay of the artisan. he +ay of the carpenteris to become proficient in the

use of his tools, first to lay his plans with a true measure an! then perform his wor#

accor!ing to plan. hus he passes through life. hese are the four +ays of the

gentleman, the farmer, the artisan an! the merchant.

>omparing the +ay of the carpenter to strategy

he comparison with carpentry is through the connection with houses. *ouses of the

nobility, houses of warriors, the 7our houses,ruin of houses, thriving of houses, the

style of the house, the tra!ition of the house, an! the name of the house. he carpenter

uses a master plan of the buil!ing, an! the +ay of strategy is similar in that there is a
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/16.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/17.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/18.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/19.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/19.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/16.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/17.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/18.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/19.html


16/61

plan of campaign. $f you want to learn the craft of war, pon!er over this boo#. he

teacher is as a nee!le, the !isciple is as threa!. 9ou must practice constantly.

Fi#e the foreman carpenter, the comman!er must #now natural rules, an! the rules of

the country, an! the rules of houses. his is the +ay of the foreman.

he foreman carpenter must #now the architectural theory of towers an! temples, an!

the plans of palaces, an! must employ men to raise up houses. he +ay of the foreman

carpenter is the same as the +ay of the comman!er of a warrior house.

$n the contruction of houses, choice of woo!s is ma!e. "traight un-#notte! timber of

goo! appearance is use! for the reveale! pillars, straight timber with small !efects is

use! for the innter pillars. imber of the finest appearance, even if a little wea#, is use!

for the threshol!s, lintels, !oors, an! sli!ing !oors, an! so on. Doo! strong timber,

though it be gnarle! an! #notte!, can always be use! !iscreetly in construction. imber

which is wea# or #notte! throughout shoul! be use! as scaffol!ing, an! later for

firewoo!.

he foreman carpenter allots his men wor# accor!ing to their ability. 7loor layers,

ma#ers of sli!ing !oors, threshol!s an! lintels, ceilings an! so on. hose of poor ability

lay the floor @oist, an! those of lesser ability carve we!ges an! !o such miscellaneous

wor#. $f the foreman #nows an! !eploys his men well the finishe! wor# will be goo!.

he foreman shoul! ta#e into account the abilities an! limitations of his men, circulating

among them an! as#ing nothing unreasonable. *e shoul! #now their morale an! spirit,

an! encourage them when necessary. his is the same as the principle of strategy.

he +ay of "trategy

Fi#e a trooper, the carpenter sharpens his own tools. *e carries his eBuipment in histool bo%, an! wor#s un!er the !irection of his foreman. *e ma#es culumns an! gir!ers

with an a%e, shapes floorboar!s an! shelves with a plane, cuts fine openwor# an!

carvings accurately, giving as e%cellent a finish as his s#ill will allow. his is the craft of

carpenters. +hen the carpenter becomes s#ille! an! un!erstan!s measures he can

become a foreman
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/20.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/21.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/22.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/20.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/21.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/22.html


17/61

he carpenters attainment is, having tools which will cut well, to ma#e small shrines,

writing shelves, tables, paper lanterns, chopping boar!s an! pot-li!s. hese are the

specialities of the carpenter. hings are similar for the trooper. 9ou ought to thin# !eeply

about this.

he attainment of the carpenter is that his wor# is not warpe!, that the @oints are not

misaligne!, an! that the wor# is truly plane! so that it meets well an! is not merely

finishe! in sections. his is essential.

$f you want to learn this +ay, !eeply consi!er the things written in this boo# one at a

time. 9ou must !o sufficient research.

(utline of the 7ive


18/61

hir! is the 7ire boo#. his boo# is about fighting. he spirit of fire is fierce, whether the

fire be small or bigH an! so it is with battles. he +ay of battles is the same for man to

man fights an! for ten thousan! a si!e battles. 9ou must appreciate that spirit can

become big or small. +hat is big is easy to perceive: what is small is !ifficult to

perceive. $n short, it is !ifficult for large numbers of men to change position, so their

movements can be easily pre!icte!. 0n in!ivi!ual can easily change his min!, so his

movements are !ifficult to pre!ict. 9ou must appreciate this. he essence of this boo# is

that you must train !ay an! night in or!er to ma#e Buic# !ecisions. $n strategy it is

necessary to treat training as a part of normal life with your spirit unchanging. hus

combat in battle is !escribe! in the 7ire boo#.

7ourthly the +in! boo#. his boo# is not concerne! with my $chi school but with other

schools of strategy.


19/61

+arriors, both comman!ers an! troopers, carry two swor!sat their belt. $n ol!en times

these were calle! the long swor! an! the swor!H nowa!ays they are #nown as the

swor! an! the companion swor!. Fet it suffice to say that in our lan!, whatever the

reason, a warrior carries two swor!s at his belt. $t is the +ay of the warrior.

)ito $chi yu shows the a!vantage of using both swor!s.

he spear an! halber!are weapons that are carrie! out of !oors.

"tu!ents of the $chi school +ay of strategy shoul! train from the start with the swor!

an! long swor! in either han!. his is the truth: when you sacrifice your life, you must

ma#e fullest use of your weaponry. $t is false not to !o so, an! to !ie with a weapon yet

un!rawn.

$f you hol! a swor! with both han!s, it is !ifficult to wiel! it freely to left an! right, so my

metho! is to carry the swor! in one han!. his !oes not apply to large weapons such as

the spear or halber!, but swor!s an! companion swor!s can be carrie! in one han!. $t

is encumbering to hol! a swor! in both han!s when you are on horsebac#, when

running on uneven roa!s, on swampy groun!, mu!!y rice fiel!s, stony groun!, or in a

crow! of people. o hol! the long swor! in both han!s is not the true +ay, for if you

carry a bow or spear or other arms in your left han! you have only one han! free for the

long swor!. *owever, when it is !ifficult to cut an enemy !own with one han!, you must

use both han!s. $t is not !ifficult to wiel! a swor! in one han!H the +ay to learn this is to

train with two long swor!s, one in each han!. $t will seem !ifficult at first, but everything

is !ifficult at first.


20/61

0ccor!ing to this $chi school, you can win with a long weapon, an! yet you can also win

with a short weapon. $n short, the +ay of the $chi school is the spirit of winning,

whatever the weapon an! whatever its siAe.

$t is better to use two swor!s rather than one when you are fighting a crow! an!

especially if you want to ta#e a prisoner.

hese things cannot be e%plaine! in !etail. 7rom one thing, #now ten thousan! things.

+hen you attain the +ay of strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. 9ou

must stu!y har!.

he haracters rea!ing "trategy

Masters of the long swor! are calle! strategists. 0s for the other military arts, those who

master the bow are calle! archers, those who master the spear are calle! spearmen,

those who master the gunare calle! mar#smen, those who master the halber! are

calle! halber!iers.


21/61

he best use of the companion swor! is in a confine! space, or when you are engage!

closely with an opponent. he long swor! can be use! effectively in all situations.

he halber! is inferior to the spear on the battlefiel!. +ith the spear you can ta#e the

initiativeH the halber! is !efensive. $n the han!s of one of two men of eBual ability, the

spear gives a little e%tra strength. "pear an! halber! both have their uses, but neither is

very beneficial in confine! spaces. hey cannot be use! for ta#ing a prisoner. hey are

essentially weapons for the fiel!.

0nyway, if you learn in!oor techniBues, you will thin# narrowly an! forget the true +ay.

hus you will have !ifficulty in actual encounters.

he bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a

moor, as it is possible to shoot Buic#ly from among the spearmen. *owever, it is

unsatisfactory in sieges, or when the enemy is more than forty yar!s away. 7or this

reason there are nowa!ays few tra!itional schools of archery. here is little use

nowa!ays for this #in! of s#ill.

7rom insi!e fortifications, the gun has no eBual among weapons. $t is the supreme

weapon on the fiel! before the ran#s clash, but once swor!s are crosse! the gun

becomes useless.

(ne of the virtues of the bow is that you can see the arrows in flight an! correct your

aim accor!ingly, whereas gunshot cannot be seen. 9ou must appreciate the importance

of this.

Just as a horse must have en!urance an! no !efects, so it is with weapons. *orses

shoul! wal# strongly, an! swor!s an! companion swor!s shoul! cut strongly. "pears

an! halber!s must stan! up to heavy use: bows an! guns must be stur!y. +eapons

shoul! be har!y rather than !ecorative.

9ou shoul! not have a favourite weapon. o become over-familiar with one weapon is

as much a fault as not #nowing it sufficiently well. 9ou shoul! not copy others, but use

weapons which you can han!le properly. $t is ba! for comman!ers an! troops to have

li#es an! !isli#es. hese are things you must learn thoroughly.
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/31.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/ground/31.html


22/61

iming in strategy

here is timing in everything. iming in strategy cannot be mastere! without a great

!eal of practice.

iming is important in !ancing an! pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if

timing is goo!. iming an! rhythm are also involve! in the military arts, shooting bows

an! guns, an! ri!ing horses. $n all s#ills an! abilities there is timing.

here is also timing in the Eoi!.

here is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving an! !eclining, in his

harmony an! !iscor!. "imilarly, there is timing in the +ay of the merchant, in the rise

an! fall of capital. 0ll things entail rising an! falling timing. 9ou must be able to !iscern

this. $n strategy there are various timing consi!erations. 7rom the outset you must #now

the applicable timing an! the inapplicable timing, an! from among the large an! small

things an! the fast an! slow timings fin! the relevant timing, first seeing the !istance

timing an! the bac#groun! timing. his is the main thing in strategy. $t is especially

important to #now the bac#groun! timing, otherwise your strategy will become

uncertain.

9ou win in battles with the timing in the Eoi! born of the timing of cunning by #nowing

the enemies timing, an! this using a timing which the enemy !oes not e%pect.

0ll the five boo#s are chiefly concerne! with timing. 9ou must train sufficiently to

appreciate all this.

$f you practise !ay an! night in the above $chi school strategy, your spirit will naturally

broa!en. hus is large scale strategy an! the strategy of han! to han! combat

propagate! in the worl!. his is recor!e! for the first time in the five boo#s of Droun!,+ater, 7ire, ra!ition +in!, an! Eoi!. his is the +ay for men who want to learn my

strategy:

;o not thin# !ishonestly.

he +ay is in training.


23/61


24/61

The Water Book

he spirit of the )i en $chi school of strategy is base! on water, an! this +ater


25/61

!ifferent arts one by one. +hen you cannot be !eceive! by men you will have realise!

the wis!om of strategy.

he wis!om of strategy is !ifferent from other things. (n the battlefiel!, even when you

are har!-presse!, you shoul! ceaselessly research the principles of strategy so that you

can !evelop a stea!y spirit.

"tance in "trategy

0!opt a stance with the hea! erect, neither hanging !own, nor loo#ing up, nor twiste!.

9our forehea! an! the space between your eyes shoul! not be wrin#le!. ;o not roll

your eyes nor allow them to blin#, but slightly narrow them. +ith your features

compose!, #eep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your

nostrils. *ol! the line of the rear of the nec# straight: instill vigour into your hairline, an!

in the same way from the shoul!ers !own through your entire bo!y. Fower both

shoul!ers an!, without the buttoc#s @utting out, put strength into your legs from the

#nees to the tops of your toes.


26/61

$t is necessary in strategy to be able to loo# to both si!es without moving the eyeballs.

9ou cannot master this ability Buic#ly. Fearn what is written here: use this gaAe in

every!ay life an! !o not vary it whatever happens.

*ol!ing the Fong "wor!

Drip the long swor! with a rather floating feeling in your thumb an! forefinger, with the

mi!!le finger neither tight nor slac#, an! with the last two fingers tight. $t is ba! to have

play in your han!s.

+hen you ta#e up a swor!, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy. 0s you cut an

enemy you must not change your grip, an! your han!s must not cower. +hen you

!ash the enemys swor! asi!e, or war! it off, or force it !own, you must slightly change

the feeling in your thumb an! forefinger. 0bove all, you must be intent on cutting the

enemy in the way you grip the swor!.

he grip for combat an! for swor!-testing is the same. here is no such thing as a

man-cutting grip.

Denerally, $ !isli#e fi%e!ness in both long swor!s an! han!s. 7i%e!ness means a !ea!

han!. ?liability is a living han!. 9ou must bear this in min!.

7ootwor#

+ith the tips of your toes somewhat floating, trea! firmly with your heels. +hether you

move fast or slow, with large or small steps, your feet must always move as in normal

wal#ing. $ !isli#e the three wal#ing metho!s #nown as @umping-foot, floating-foot an!

fi%e!-steps.

"o-calle! 9in-9ang foot is important to the +ay. 9in-9ang foot means not moving only

one foot. $t means moving your feet left-right an! right-left when cutting, with!rawing, or

war!ing off a cut. 9ou shoul! not move one foot preferentially.

he 7ive 0ttitu!es
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/33.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/34.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/33.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/34.html


27/61

he five attitu!es are: Cpper, Mi!!le, Fower, ight "i!e, an! Feft "i!e. hese are the

five. 0lthough attitu!e has these five !imensions, the one purpose of all of them is to cut

the enemy. here are none but these five attitu!es.

+hatever attitu!e you are in, !o not be conscious of ma#ing the attitu!eH thin# only of

cutting.

9our attitu!e shoul! be large or small accor!ing to the situation. Cpper, Fower an!

Mi!!le attitu!es are !ecisive. Feft "i!e an! ight "i!e attitu!es are flui!. Feft an! ight

attitu!es shoul! be use! if there is an obstruction overhea! or to one si!e. he !ecision

to use Feft or ight !epen!s on the place.

he essence of the +ay is this. o un!erstan! attitu!e you must thoroughly un!erstan!

the Mi!!le attitu!e. he Mi!!le attitu!e is the heart of the attitu!es. $f we loo# at

strategy on a broa! scale, the Mi!!le attitu!e is the seat of the comman!er, with the

other four attitu!es following the comman!er. 9ou must appreciate this.

he +ay of the Fong "wor!

6nowing the +ay of the long swor!means we can wiel! with two fingers the swor! that

we usually carry. $f we #now the path of the swor! well, we can wiel! it easily.

$f you try to wiel! the long swor! Buic#ly you will mista#e the +ay. o wiel! the long

swor! well you must wiel! it calmly. $f you try to wiel! it Buic#ly, li#e a fol!ing fanor a

short swor!, you will err by using short swor! chopping. 9ou cannot cut a man with a

long swor! using this metho!.

+hen you have cut !ownwar!s with the long swor!, lift it straight upwar!s, when you

cut si!eways, return the swor! along a si!eways path. eturn the swor! in a reasonable

way, always stretching the elbows broa!ly. +iel! the swor! strongly. his is the +ay ofthe long swor!.

$f you learn to use the five approaches of my strategy, you will be able to wiel! a swor!

well. 9ou must train constantly.

he 7ive 0pproaches
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/35.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/35.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/36.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/37.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/35.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/36.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/37.html


28/61

he first approach is the Mi!!le attitu!e. >onfront the enemy with the point of your

swor! against his face. +hen he attac#s, !ash his swor! to the right an! ri!e it. (r,

when the enemy attac#s, !eflect the point of his swor! by hitting !ownwar!s, #eep your

long swor! where it is, an! as the enemy renews the attac# cut his arms from below.

his is the first metho!.

he five approaches are this #in! of thing. 9ou must train repeate!ly using a long swor!

in or!er to learn them. +hen you master my +ay of the long swor!, you will be able to

control any attac# the enemy ma#es. $ assure you, there are no attitu!es other than the

five attitu!es of the long swor! of )ito.

$n the secon! approach with the long swor!, from the Cpper attitu!e cut the enemy @ust

as he attac#s. $f the enemy eva!es the cut, #eep your swor! where it is an!, scooping

from below, cut him as he renews the attac#. $t is possible to repeat the cut from here.

$n this metho! there are various changes in timing an! spirit. 9ou will be able to

un!erstan! this by training in the $chi school. 9ou will always win with the five long

swor! metho!s. 9ou must train repeate!ly.

$n the thir! approach, a!opt the Fower attitu!e, anticipating scooping up. +hen the

enemy attac#es, hit his han!s from below. 0s you !o so, he may try to hit your swor!

!own. $f this is the case, cut his upper arms horiAontally with a feeling of crossing.

his means that from the Fower attitu!es you hit the enemy at the instant that he

attac#s.

9ou will encounter this metho! often, both as a beginner an! in later strategy. 9ou must

train hol!ing a long swor!.

$n this fourth approach, a!opt the Feft "i!e attitu!e. 0s the enemy attac#s, hit his han!s

from below. $f as you hit his han!s he attempts to !ash !own your swor!, with the

feeling of hitting his han!s, parry the path of his long swor! an! cut across from above

your shoul!er.

his is the +ay of the long swor!. hrough this metho! you win by parrying the line of

the enemys attac#. 9ou must stu!y this.


29/61

$n the fifth approach, the swor! is in the ight "i!e attitu!e. $n accor!ance with the

enemys attac#, cross your swor! from below at the si!e to the Cpper attitu!e. hen cut

straight from above.

his metho! is essential for #nowing the +ay of the long swor! well. $f you can use this

metho!, you can freely wiel! a heavy long swor!.

$ cannot !escribe in !etail how to use these five approaches. 9ou must become well

acBuainte! with my in harmony with the long swor! +ay, learn large-scale timing,

un!erstan! the enemys long swor!, an! become use! to the five approaches from the

outset. 9ou will always win by using these five metho!s, with various timing

consi!erations !iscerning the enemys spirit. 9ou must consi!er all this carefully.

he 0ttitu!e )o-0ttitu!e eaching

0ttitu!e )o-0ttitu!e means that there is no nee! for what are #nown as long swor!

attitu!es.

ven so, attitu!es e%ist as the five ways of hol!ing the long swor!. *owever you hol!

the swor! it must be in such a way that it is easy to cut the enemy well, in accor!ance

with the situation, the place, an! your relation to the enemy. 7rom the Cpper attitu!e as

your spirit lessens you can a!opt the Mi!!le attitu!e, an! from the Mi!!le attitu!e you

can raise the swor! a little in your techniBue an! a!opt the Cpper attitu!e. 7rom the

Fower attitu!e you can raise the swor! a little an! a!opt the Mi!!le attitu!es as the

occasion !eman!s. 0ccor!ing to the situation, if you turn your swor! from either the Feft

"i!e or ight "i!e attitu!e towar!s the centre, the Mi!!le or the Fower attitu!e results.

he principle of this is calle! %isting 0ttitu!e - )one%isting 0ttitu!e.

he primary thing when you ta#e a swor! in your han!s is your intention to cut theenemy, whatever the means. +henever you parry, hit, spring, stri#e or touch the

enemys cutting swor!, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. $t is essential to

attain this. $f you thin# only of hitting, springing, stri#ing or touching the enemy, you will

not be able actually to cut him. More than anything, you must be thin#ing of carrying

your movement through to cutting him. 9ou must thoroughly research this.


30/61


31/61

he 7ire an! "tones >ut

he 7ires an! "tones >ut means that when the enemys long swor! an! your long

swor! clash together you cut as strongly as possible without raising the swor! even a

little. his means cutting Buic#ly with the han!s, bo!y an! legs - all three cutting

strongly. $f you train well enough you will be able to stri#e strongly.

he e! Feaves >ut

he e! Feaves >utmeans #noc#ing !own the enemys long swor!. he spirit shoul!

be getting control of his swor!. +hen the enemy is in a long swor! attitu!e in front of

you an! intent on cutting, hitting an! parrying, you strongly hit the enemys swor! with

the 7ire an! "tones >ut, perhaps in the !esign of the )o ;esign, )o >onception >ut.

$f you then beat !own the point of his swor! with a stic#y feeling, he will necessarily

!rop the swor!. $f you practise this cut it becomes easy to ma#e the enemy !rop his

swor!. 9ou must train repetitively.

he utting, whatever form of cutting it is, is

!ecisive, with a resolute spirit. "lashing is nothing more than touching the enemy. ven

if you slash strongly, an! even if the enemy !ies instantly, it is slashing. +hen you cut,your spirit is resolve!. 9ou must appreciate this. $f you first slash the enemys han!s or

legs, you must then cut strongly. "lashing is in spirit the same as touching. +hen you

realise this, they become in!istinguishable. Fearn this well.

>hinese Mon#eys


32/61

he >hinese Mon#eys


33/61

stri#ing as strongly as possible in time with your breathing. $f you achieve this metho! of

closing with the enemy, you will be able to #noc# him ten or twenty feet away. $t is

possible to stri#e the enemy until he is !ea!. rain well.

hree +ays to ?arry *is 0ttac#

here are three metho!s to parry a cut:

7irst, by !ashing the enemys long swor! to your right, as if thrusting at his eyes, when

he ma#es an attac#.

(r, to parry by thrusting the enemys long swor! towar!s his right eye with the feeling of

snipping his nec#.

(r, when you have a short long swor!, without worrying about parrying the enemys

long swor!, to close with him Buic#ly, thrusting at his face with your left han!.

hese are the three ways of parrying. 9ou must bear in min! that you can always clench

your left han! an! thrust at the enemys face with your fist. 7or this it is necessary to

train well.

o "tab at the 7ace

o stab at the face means, when you are in controntation with the enemy, that your spirit

is intent on stabbing at his face, following the line of the bla!es with the point of your

long swor!. $f you are intent on stabbling at his face, his face an! bo!y will become

ri!able. +hen the enemy becomes ri!eable, there are various opportunities for winning.

9ou must concentrate on this. +hen fighting an! the enemys bo!y becomes as if

ri!eable, you can win Buic#ly, so you ought not to forget to stab at the face. 9ou must

persue the value of this techniBue through training.

o "tab at the *eart

o stab at the heart means, when fighting an! there are obstructions above or to the

si!es, an! whenever it is !ifficult to cut, to thrust at the enemy. 9ou must stab the

enemys breast without letting the point of your long swor! waver, showing the enemy


34/61

the ri!ge of the bla!e sBuare-on, an! with the spirit of !eflecting his long swor!. he

spirit of this principle is often useful when we become tire! or for some reason our long

swor! will not cut. 9ou must un!erstan! the application of this metho!.

o "col! ut-CI

"col! means that, when the enemy tries to counter-cut as you attac#, you counter-cut

again from below as if thrusting at him, trying to hol! him !own. +ith very Buic# timing

you cut, scol!ing the enemy. hrust up, utI, an! cut CI his timing is

encountere! time an! time again in e%changes of blows. he way to scol! ut-C is to

time the cut simultaneously with raising your long swor! as if to thrust the enemy. 9ou

must learn this through repetitive practice.

he "mac#ing ?arry


35/61

as if tying a line of fishes, an! when they are seen to be pile! up, cut them !own

strongly without giving them room to move.

he 0!vantage when coming to ut

9ou can with with certainty with the spirit of one cut. $t is !ifficult to attain this if you !o

not learn strategy well. $f you train well in this +ay, strategy will come from your heart

an! you will be able to win at will. 9ou must train !iligently.

;irect >ommunication

he spirit of ;irect >ommunication is how the true +ay of the )io $chi school is

receive! an! han!e! !own.

(ral tra!ition: each your bo!y strategy.

ecor!e! in the above boo# is an outline of $chi school swor! fighting.

o learn how to win with the long swor! in strategy, first learn the five approaches an!

the five attitu!es, an! absorb the +ay of the long swor! naturally in your bo!y. 9ou

must un!erstan! spirit an! timing, han!le the long swor! naturally, an! move bo!y an!

legs in harmony with your spirit. +hether beating one man or two, you will then #now

values in strategy.

"tu!y the contents of this boo#, ta#ing one item at a time, an! through fighting with

enemies you will gra!ually come to #now the principle of the +ay.

;eliberately, with a patient spirit, absorb the virtue of all this, from time to time raising

your han! in combat. Maintain this spirit whenever you cross swor!s with an enemy.
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/43.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/44.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/43.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/water/44.html


36/61

"tep by step wal# the thousan!-mile roa!.

"tu!y strategy over the years an! achieve the spirit of the warrior. o!ay is victory over

yourself of yester!ayH tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. )e%t, in or!er to beat

more s#ilful men, train accor!ing to this boo#, not allowing your heart to be swaye!

along a si!e-trac#. ven if you #ill an enemy, if it is not base! on what you have learne!

it is not the true +ay.

$f you attain this +ay of victory, then you will be able to beat several tens of men. +hat

remains is swor!-fighting ability, which you can attain in battles an! !uels.

he "econ! 9ear of "hoho, the twelfth !ay of the fifth month 1245

eruo Magono@o for "*$)M) MC"0"*$


37/61

The Fire Book

$n this the 7ire


38/61

"tan! in the sunH that is, ta#e up an attitu!e with the sun behin! you. $f the situation

!oes not allow this, yo umust try to #eep the sun on your right si!e. $n buil!ings, you

must stan! with the entrance behin! you or to your right. Ma#e sure that your rear is

unobstructe!, an! that there is free space on your left, your right si!e being occupie!

with your swor! attitu!e. 0t night, if the enemy can be seen, #eep the fire behin! you

an! the entrance to your right, an! otherwise ta#e up your attitu!e as above. 9ou must

loo# !own on the enemy, an! ta#e up your attitu!e on slightly higher places. 7or

e%ample, the 6amiAain a house is thought of as a high place.

+hen the fight comes, always en!eavour to chase the enemy aroun! to your left si!e.

>hase him towar!s aw#war! places, an! try to #eep him with his bac# to aw#war!

places. +hen the enemy gets into an inconvenient position, !o not let him loo# aroun!,

but conscientiously chase him aroun! an! pin him !own. $n houses, chase the enemy

into the threshol!s, lintels, !oors, veran!as, pillars, an! so on, again not letting him see

his situation.

0lways chase the enemy into ba! foothol!s, obstacles at the si!e, an! so on, using the

virtues of the place to establish pre!ominant positions from which to fight. 9ou must

research an! train !iligently in this.

he hree Metho!s to 7orestall the nemy

he first is to forestall him by attac#ing. his is calle! Ken No Sento set him up.

0nother metho! is to forestall him as he attac#s. his is calle! Tai No Sento wait for

the initiative.

he other metho! is when you an! the enemy attac# together. his is calle! Tai Tai No

Sento accompany him an! forestall him.

here are no metho!s of ta#ing the lea! other than these three.


39/61

he 7irst - 6en )o "en

+hen you !eci!e to attac#, #eep calm an! !ash in Buic#ly, forestalling the enemy. (r

you can a!vance seemingly strongly but with a reserve! spirit, forestalling him with the

reserve.

0lternately, a!vance with as strong a spirit as possible, an! when you reach the enemy

move with your feet a little Buic#er than normal, unsettling him an! overwhelming him

sharply.

(r, with your spirit calm, attac# with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from

first to last. he spirit is to win in the !epths of the enemy.

hese are all Ken No Sen.

he "econ! - ai )o "en

+hen the enemy attac#s, remain un!isturbe! but feign wea#ness. 0s the enemy

reaches you, su!!enly move away in!icating that you inten! to @ump asi!e, then !ash in

attac#ing strongly as soon as you see the enemy rela%. his is one way.

(r, as the enemy attac#s, attac# more strongly, ta#ing a!vantage of the resulting

!isor!er in his timing to win.

his is the Tai No Senprinciple.

he hir! - ai ai )o "en

+hen the enemy ma#es a Buic# attac#, you must attac# strongly an! calmly, aim for his

wea# point as he !raws near, an! strongly !efeat him.

(r, if the enemy attac#s calmly, you must observe his movement an!, with your bo!y

rather floating, @oin in with his movements as he !raws near. Move Buic#ly an! cut him

strongly.

his is Tai Tai No Sen


40/61

hese things cannot be clearly e%plaine! in wor!s. 9ou must research what is written

here. $n these three ways of forestalling, you must @u!ge the situation. his !oes not

mean that you always attac# firstH but if the enemy attac#s first you can lea! him

aroun!. $n strategy, you have effectively won when you forestall the enemy, so you must

train well to attain this.

o *ol! ;own a ?illow

o *ol! ;own a ?illowmeans not allowing the enemys hea! to rise.

$n contests of stategy it is ba! to be le! about by the enemy. 9ou must always be able to

lea! the enemy about. (bviously the enemy will also be thin#ing of !oing this, but he

cannot forestall you if you !o not allow him to come out. $n strategy, you must stop the

enemy as he attempts to cutH you must push !own his thrust, an! throw off his hol!

when he tries to grapple. his is the meaning of to hol! !own a pillow. +hen you have

graspe! this principle, whatever the enemy tries to bring about in the fight you will see in

a!vance an! suppress it. he spirit is to chec# his attac# at the syllable at..., when he

@umps chec# his a!vance at the syllable @u..., an! chec# his cut at cu....

he important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemys useful actions but allow his

useless actions. *owever, !oing this alone is !efensive. 7irst, you must act accor!ing to

the +ay, suppress the enemys techniBues, foiling his plans, an! thence comman! him

!irectly. +hen you can !o this you will be a master of strategy. 9ou must train well an!

research hol!ing !own a pillow.

>rossing at a 7or!

>rossing at a for! means, for e%ample, crossing the sea at a strait, or crossing over a

hun!re! miles of broa! sea at a crossing place. $ believe this crossing at a for! occurs

often in a mans lifetime. $t means setting sail even though your frien!s stay in harbour,

#nowing the route, #nowing the soun!ness of your ship an! the favour of the !ay. +hen

all the con!itions are met, an! there is perhaps a favourable win!, or a tailwin!, then set
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/fire/49.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/fire/49.html


41/61

sail. $f the win! changes within a few miles of your !estination, you must row across the

remaining !istance without sail.

$f you attain this spirit, it applies to every!ay life. 9ou must always thin# of crossing at a

for!.

$n strategy also it is important to cross at a for!. ;iscern the enemys capability an!,

#nowing your own strong points, cross the for! at the a!vantageous place, as a goo!

captain crosses a sea route. $f you succee! in crossing at the best place, you may ta#e

your ease. o cross at a for! means to attac# the enemys wea# point, an! to put

yourself in an a!vantageous position. his is how to win in large-scale strategy. he

spirit of crossing at a for! is necessary in both large- an! small-scale strategy.

9ou must research this well.

o 6now the imes

o #now the times means to #now the enemys !isposition in battle. $s is flourishing or

waningG


42/61

spirit is to attac# Buic#ly while the enemy is still shooting with bows or guns. he spirit is

to win by trea!ing !own as we receive the enemys attac#.

$n single combat, we cannot get a !ecisive victory by cutting, with a tee-!um tee-!um

feeling, in the wa#e of the enemys attac#ing long swor!. +e must !efeat him at the

start of his attac#, in the spirit of trea!ing him !own with the feet, so that he cannot rise

again to the attac#.

rea!ing !oes not simply mean trea!ing with the feet. rea! with the bo!y, trea! with

the spirit, an!, of course, trea! an! cut with the long swor!. 9ou must achieve the spirit

of not allowing the enemy to attac# a secon! time. his is the spirit of forestalling in

every sense. (nce at the enemy, you shoul! not aspire @ust to stri#e him, but to cling

after the attac#. 9ou must stu!y this !eeply.

o 6now >ollapse

verything can collapse. *ouses, bo!ies, an! enemies collapse when their rhythm

becomes !erange!.

$n large-scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse you must persue him without

letting the chance go. $f you fail to ta#e a!vantage of your enemies collapse, they may

recover.

$n single combat, the enemy sometimes loses timing an! collapses. $f you let this

opportunity pass, he may recover an! not be so negligent thereafter. 7i% your eye on

the enemys collapse, an! chase him, attac#ing so that you !o not let him recover. 9ou

must !o this. he chasing attac# is with a strong spirit. 9ou must utterly cut the enemy

!own so that he !oes not recover his position. 9ou must un!erstan! utterly how to cut

!own the enemy.

o


43/61

is no escape. *e who is shut insi!e is a pheasant. *e who enters to arrest is a haw#.

9ou must appreciate this.

$n large-scale strategy, people are always un!er the impression that the enemy is

strong, an! so ten! to become cautious.


44/61

swor!, thin#ing he sees your spirit. ause Foss of


45/61

$n large-scale strategy it is important to cause loss of balance. 0ttac# without warning

where the enemy is not e%pecting it, an! while his spirit is un!eci!e! follow up your

a!vantage an!, having the lea!, !efeat him.

(r, in single combat, start by ma#ing a show of being slow, then su!!enly attac#

strongly. +ithout allowing him space for breath to recover from the fluctuation of spirit,

you must grasp the opportunity to win. Det the feel of this.

o 7righten

7right often occurs, cause! by the une%pecte!.

$n large-scale strategy you can frighten the enemy not by what you present to their

eyes, but by shouting, ma#ing a small force seem large, or by threatening them from the

flan# without warning. hese things all frighten. 9ou can win by ma#ing best use of the

enemys frightene! rhythm.

$n single combat, also, you must use the a!vantage of ta#ing the enemy unawares by

frightening him with your bo!y, long swor!, or voice, to !efeat him. 9ou shoul! research

this well.

o "oa# $n

+hen you have come to grips an! are striving together with the enemy, an! you realise

that you cannot a!vance, you soa# in an! become one with the enemy. 9ou can win

by applying a suitable techniBue while you are mutually entangle!.

$n battles involving large numbers as well as in fights with small numbers, you can often

win !ecisively with the a!vantage of #nowing how to soa# into the enemy, whereas,

were you to !raw apart, you woul! lise the chance to win. esearch this well.

o $n@ure the >orners

$t is !ifficult to move strong things by pushing !irectly, so you shoul! in@ure the corners.


46/61

$n large-scale strategy, it is beneficial to stri#e at the corners of the enemys force, $f the

corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole bo!y will be overthrown. o !efeat the

enemy you must follow up the attac# when the corners have fallen.

$n single combat, it is easy to win once the enemy collapses. his happens when you

in@ure the corners of his bo!y, an! this wea#en him. $t is important to #now how to !o

this, so you must research this !eeply.

o hrow into >onfusion

his means ma#ing the enemy lose resolve.

$n large-scale strategy we can use our troops to confuse the enemy on the fiel!.

(bserving the enemys spirit, we can ma#e him thin#, *ereG hereG Fi#e thatG Fi#e

thisG "lowG 7astG Eictory is certain when the enemy is caught up in a rhythm that

confuses his spirit.

$n single combat, we can confuse the enemy by attac#ing with varie! techniBues when

the chance arises. 7eint a thrust or cut, or ma#e the enemy thing you are going close to

him, an! when he is confuse! you can easily win.

his is the essence of fighting, an! you must research it !eeply.

he hree "houts

he three shouts are !ivi!e! thus: before, !uring an! after. "hout accor!ing to the

situation. he voice is a thing of life. +e shout against fires an! so on, against the win!

an! the waves. he voice shows energy.

$n large-scale strategy, at the start of battle we shout as lou!ly as possible. ;uring the

fight, the voice is low-pitche!, shouting out as we attac#. 0fter the contest, we shout in

the wa#e of our victory. hese are the three shouts.

$n single combat, we ma#e as if to cut an! shout iI at the same time to !isturb the

enemy, then in the wa#e of our shout we cut with the long swor!. +e shout after we

have cut !own the enemy - this is to announce victory. his is calle! sen go no koe


47/61

before an! after voice. +e !o not shout simultaneously with flourishing the long

swor!. +e shout !uring the fight to get into rhythm. esearch this !eeply.

o Mingle

$n battles, when the armies are in confrontation, attac# the enemys strong points an!,

when you see that they are beaten bac#, Buic#ly separate an! attac# yet another strong

point on the periphery of his force. he spirit of this is li#e a win!ing mountain path.

his is an important fighting metho! for one man against many. "tri#e !own the

enemies in one Buarter, or !rive them bac#, then grasp the timing an! attac# further

strong points to right an! left, as if on a win!ing mountain path, weighing up the

enemies !isposition. +hen you #now the enemies level, attac# strongly with no trace of

retreating spirit.

$n single combat, too, use this spirit with the enemys strong points.

+hat is meant by mingling is the spirit of a!vancing an! becoming engage! with the

enemy, an! not with!rawing even one step. 9ou must un!erstan! this.

o >rush

his means to crush the enemy regar!ing him as being wea#.

$n large-scale strategy, when we see that the enemy has few men, or if he has many

men but his spirit is wea# an! !isor!ere!, we #noc# the hat over his eyes, crushing him

utterly. $f we crush lightly, he may recover. 9ou must learn the spirit of crushing as if with

a han!-grip.

$n single combat, if the enemy is less s#ilful than ourself, if his rhythm is !isorganiAe!, or

if he has fallen into evasive or retreating attitu!es, we must crush him straightaway, with

no concern for his presence an! without allowing him space for breath. $t is essential to

crush him all at once. he primary thing is not to let him recover his position even a

little. 9ou must research this !eeply.

he Mountain-"ea >hange


48/61

he mountain-sea spirit means that it is ba! to repeat the same thing several times

when fighting the enemy. here may be no help but to !o something twice, but !o not

try it a thir! time. $f you once ma#e an attac# an! fail, there is little chance of success if

you use the same approach again. $f you attempt a techniBue which you have

previously trie! unsucessfully an! fail yet again, then you must change your attac#ing

metho!.

$f the enemy thin#s of the mountains, attac# li#e the seaH an! if he thin#s of the sea,

attac# li#e the mountains. 9ou must research this !eeply.

o ?enetrate the ;epths

+hen we are fighting with the enemy, even when it can be seen that we can win on the

surface with the benefit of the +ay, if his spirit is not e%tinguishe!, he may be beaten

superficially yet un!efeate! in spirit !eep insi!e. +ith this principle of penetrating the

!epths we can !estroy the enemys spirit in its !epths, !emoralising him by Buic#ly

changing our spirit. his often occurs.

?enetrating the !epths means penetrating with the long swor!, penetrating with the

bo!y, an! penetrating with the spirit. his cannot be un!erstoo! in a generalisation.

(nce we have crushe! the enemy in the !epths, there is no nee! to remain spirite!.


49/61

$t is necessary to consi!er how to renew also applies in large-scale strategy. esearch

this !iligently.

ats *ea!, (%s )ec#

ats hea! an! o%s nec# means that, when we are fighting with the enemy an! both

he an! we have become occupie! with small points in an entangle! spirit, we must

always thin# of the +ay of strategy as being both a rats hea! an! an o%s nec#.

+henever we have become preoccupie! with small !etails, we must su!!enly change

into a large spirit, interchanging large with small.

his is one of the essences of strategy. $t is necessary that the warrior thin# in this spirit

in every!ay life. 9ou must not !epart from this spirit in large-scale strategy nor in single

combat.

he >omman!er 6nows the roops

he comman!er #nows the troops applies everywhere in fights in my +ay of strategy.

Csing the wis!om of strategy, thin# of the enemy as your own troops. +hen you thin# in

this way you can move him at will an! be able to chase him aroun!. 9ou become the

general an! the enemy becomes your troops. 9ou must master this.

o Fet Do the *ilt

here are various #in!s of spirit involve! in letting go the hilt.

here is the spirit of winning without a swor!. here is also the spirit of hol!ing the long

swor! but not winning. he various metho!s cannot be e%presse! in writing. 9ou must

train well.

he


50/61

+hat is recor!e! above is what has been constantly on my min! about $chi school

swor! fencing, written !own as it came to me. his is the first time $ have written about

my techniBue, an! the or!er of things is a bit confuse!. $t is !ifficult to e%press it clearly.

his boo# is a spiritual gui!e for the man who wishes to learn the +ay.

My heart has been incline! to the +ay of strategy from my youth onwar!s. $ have

!evote! myself to training my han!, tempering my bo!y, an! attaining the many spiritual

attitu!es of swor! fencing. $f we watch men of other schools !iscussing theory, an!

concentrating on techniBues with the han!s, even though they seem s#ilful to watch,

they have not the slightest true spirit.

(f course, men who stu!y in this way thin# they are training the bo!y an! spirit, but it is

an obstacle to the true +ay, an! its ba! influence remains for ever. hus the true +ay

of strategy is becoming !eca!ent an! !ying out.

he true +ay of swor! fencing is the craft of !efeating the enemy in a fight, an! nothing

other than this. $f you attain an! a!here to the wis!om of my strategy, you nee! never

!oubt that you will win.

he secon! year of "hoho, the fifth month, the twelfth !ay 1245



51/61

The Wind Book

$n strategy you must #now the +ays of other schools, so $ have written about various

other tra!itions of strategy in this the +in!


52/61

that men shoul! be !epen!ant on the length of their swor!, fighting from a !istance

without the benefit of strategy.

$ e%pect there is a case for the school in Buestion li#ing e%tra-long swor!s as part of its

!octrine, but if we compare this with real life it is unreasonable. "urely we nee! not

necessarily be !efeate! if we are using a short swor!, an! have no long swor!G

$t is !ifficult for these people to cut the enemy when at close Buarters because of the

length of the long swor!. he bla!e path is large so the long swor! is an encumbrance,

an! they are at a !isa!vantage compare! to the man arme! with a short companion

swor!.

7rom ol!en times it has been sai!: Dreat an! small go together. "o !o not

uncon!itionally !isli#e e%tra-long swor!s. +hat $ !isli#e is the inclination towar!s the

long swor!. $f we consi!er large-scale strategy, we can thin# of large forces in terms of

long swor!s, an! small forces as short swor!s. >annot few men give battle against

manyG here are many instances of few men overcoming many.

9our strategy is of no account if when calle! on to fight in a confine! space your heart is

incline! to the long swor!, or if you are in a house arme! only with your companion

swor!.


53/61

the enemy. ;o not try to cut strongly an!, of course, !o not thin# of cutting wea#ly. 9ou

shoul! only be concerne! with #illing the enemy.

$f you rely on strength, when you hit the enemys swor! you will inevitably hit too har!. $f

you !o this, your own swor! will be carrie! along as a result. hus the saying, he

strongest han! wins, has no meaning.

$n large-scale strategy, if you have a strong army an! are relying on strength to win, but

the enemy also has a strong army, the battle will be fierce. his is the same for both

si!es.

+ithout the correct principle the fight cannot be won.

he spirit of my school is to win through the wis!om of strategy, paying no attention to

trifles. "tu!y this well.

Cse of the "horter Fong "wor! in (ther "chools

Csing a shorter long swor! is not the true +ay to win.

$n ancient times, tachi an! katana meant long an! short swor!s. Men of superior

strength in the worl! can wiel! even a long swor! lightly, so there is no case for their

li#ing the short swor!. hey also ma#e use of the length of spears an! halber!s. "ome

men use a shorter long swor! with the intention of @umping in an! stabbing the enemy at

the unguar!e! moment when he flourishes his swor!. his inclination is ba!.

o aim for the enemys unguar!e! moment is completely !efensive, an! un!esirable at

close Buarters with the enemy. 7urthermore, you cannot use the metho! of @umping

insi!e his !efense with a short swor! if there are many enemies. "ome men thin# that if

they go against many enemies with a shorter long swor! they can unrestricte!ly fris#

aroun! cutting in sweeps, but they have to parry cuts continuously, an! eventually

become entangle! with the enemy. his is inconsistant with the true +ay of strategy.

he sure +ay to win thus is to chase the enemy aroun! in a confusing manner, causing

him to @ump asi!e, with your bo!y hel! strongly an! straight. he same principle applies

to large-scale strategy. he essence of strategy is to fall upon the enemy in large


54/61

numbers an! to bring about his spee!y !ownfall.


55/61

he reason is that this has been a prece!ent since ancient times, that there shoul! be

no such thing as his is the mo!ern way to !o it !uelling. 9ou must force the enemy

into inconvenient situations.

0ttitu!es are for situations in which you are not to be move!. hat is, for garrisoning

castles, battle array, an! so on, showing the spirit of not being move! even by a strong

assault. $n the +ay of !uelling, however, you must always be intent upon ta#ing the lea!

an! attac#ing. 0ttitu!e is the spirit of awaiting an attac#. 9ou must appreciate this.

$n !uels of strategy you must move the opponents attitu!e. 0ttac# where his spirit is la%,

throw him into confusion, irritate an! terrify him. a#e a!vantage of the enemys rhythm

when he is unsettle! an! you can win.

$ !isli#e the !efensive spirit #nown as attitu!e. herefore, in my +ay, there is

something calle! 0ttitu!e-)o 0ttitu!e.

$n large-scale strategy we !eploy our troops for battle bearing in min! our strength,

observing the enemys numbers, an! noting the !etails of the battlefiel!. his is at the

start of the battle.

he spirit of attac#ing is completely !ifferent from the spirit of being attac#e!.


56/61

are not limite! to the use of your eyes. ?eople such as master musicians have the

music score in front of their nose, or flourish the swor! in several ways when they have

mastere! the +ay, but this !oes not mean that they fi% their eyes on these things

specifically, or that they ma#e pointless movements of the swor!. $t means that they can

see naturally.

$n the +ay of strategy, when you have fought many times you will easily be able to

appraise the spee! an! position of the enemys swor!, an! having mastery of the +ay

you will see the weight of his spirit. $n strategy, fi%ing the eyes means gaAing at the

mans heart.

$n large-scale strategy the area to watch is the enemys strength. ?erception an!

sight are the two metho!s of seeing. ?erception consists of concentrating strongly on

the enemys spirit, ovserving the con!ition of the battle fiel!, fi%ing the gaAe strongly,

seeing the progress of the fight an! the changes of a!vantage. his is the sure way to

win.

$n single combat you must not fi% the eyes on !etails. 0s $ sai! before, if you fi% your

eyes on !etails an! neglect important things, your spirit will become bewil!ere!, an!

victory will escape you. esearch this principle well an! train !iligently.

Cse of the 7eet in (ther "chools

here are various metho!s of using the feet: floating foot, @umping foot, springing foot,

trea!ing foot, crows foot, an! such nible wal#ing metho!s. 7rom the point of view of my

strategy, these are all unsatisfactory.

$ !isli#e floating foot because the feet always ten! to float !uring the fight. he +ay

must be tro! firmly.

)either !o $ li#e @umping foot, because it encourages the habit of @umping, an! a @umpy

spirit. *owever much you @ump, there is no real @ustification for it, so @umping is ba!.

"pringing foot causes a springing spirit which is in!ecisive.

rea!ing foot is a waiting metho!, an! $ especially !isli#e it.


57/61

0part from these, there are various fast wal#ing metho!s, such as crows foot, an! so

on.

"ometimes, however, you may encounter the enemy on marshlan!, swampy groun!,

river valleys, stony groun!, or narrow roa!s, in which situations you cannot @ump or

move the feet Buic#ly.

$n my strategy, the footwor# !oes not change. $ always wal# as $ usually !o in the street.

9ou must never lose control of your feet. 0ccor!ing to the enemys rhythm, move fast or

slowly, a!@usting your bo!y not too much an! not too little.

>arrying the feet is important also in large-scale strategy. his is because, if you attac#

Buic#ly an! thoughtlessly without #nowing the enemys spirit, your rhythm will become

!erange! an! you will not be able to win. (r, if you a!vance too slowly, you will not be

able to ta#e a!vantage of the enemys !isor!er, the opportunity to win will escape, an!

you will not be able to finish the fight Buic#ly. 9ou must win by seiAing upon the enemys

!isor!er an! !erangement, an! by not accor!ing him even a little hope of recovery.

?ractise this well.

"pee! in (ther "chools

"ppe! is nor part of the true +ay of strategy. "pee! implies that things seem fast or

slow, accor!ing to whether or not they are in rhythm. +hatever the +ay, the master of

strategy !oes not appear fast.

"ome people can wal# as fast as a hun!re! or a hun!re! an! twenty miles in a !ay, but

this !oes not mean that they run continuously from morning till night. Cnpractise!

runners may seem to have been running all !ay, but their performance is poor.

$n the +ay of !ance, accomplishe! performers can sing while !ancing, but whenbeginners try this they slow !own an! their spirit becomes busy. he ol! pine tree

melo!y beaten on a leather !rum is tranBuil, but when beginners try this they slow !own

an! their spirit becomes busy. Eery s#ilful people can manage a fast rhythm, but it is

ba! to beat hurre!ly. $f you try to beat too Buic#ly you will get out of time. (f course,
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/wind/53.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/wind/53.html


58/61

slowness is ba!. eally s#ilful people never get out of time, an! are always !eliberate,

an! never appear busy. 7rom this e%ample, the principle can be seen.

+hat is #nown as spee! is especially ba! in the +ay of strategy. he reason for this is

that !epen!ing on the place, marsh or swamp an! so on, it may not be possible to

move the bo!y an! legs together Buic#ly. "till less will you be able to cut Buic#ly if you

have a long swor! in this situation. $f you try to cut Buic#ly, as if using a fan or short

swor!, you will not actually cut even a little. 9ou must appreciate this.

$n large-scale strategy also, a fast busy spirit is un!esirable. he spirit must be that of

hol!ing !own a pillow, then you will not be even a little late.

+hen you opponent is hurrying rec#lessly, you must act contrarily, an! #eep calm. 9ou

must not be influence! by the opponent. rain !iligently to attain this spirit.

$nterior an! "urface in (ther "chools

here is no interior nor surface in strategy.

he artistic accomplishments usually claim inner meaning an! secret tra!ition, an!

interior an! gate, but in combat there is no such thing as fighting on the surface, or

cutting with the interior. +hen $ teach my +ay, $ first teach by training in techniBues

which are easy for the pupil to un!erstan!, a !octrine which is easy to un!erstan!. $

gra!ually en!eavour to e%plain the !eep principle, points which it is har!ly possible to

comprehen!, accor!ing to the pupils progress. $n any event, because the way to

un!erstan!ing is through e%perience, $ !o not spea# of interior an! gate.

$n this worl!, if you go into the mountains, an! !eci!e to go !eeper an! yet !eeper,

instea! you will emerge at the gate. +hatever is the +ay, it has an interior, an! it is

sometimes a goo! thing to point out the gate. $n strategy, we cannot say what isconceale! an! what is reveale!.

0ccor!ingly $ !isli#e passing on my +ay through written ple!ges an! regulations.

?erceiving the ability of my pupils, $ teach the !irect +ay, remove the ba! influence of

other schools, an! gra!ually intro!uce them to the true +ay of the warrior.
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/wind/54.htmlhttp://www.samurai.com/5rings/wind/54.html


59/61

he metho! of teaching my strategy is with a trustworthy spirit. 9ou must train !iligently.

$ have trie! to recor! an outline of the strategy of other schools in the above nine

sections. $ coul! now continue by giving a specific account of these schools one by one,

from the gate to the interior, but $ have intentionally not name! the schools or their

main points. he reason for this is that !ifferent branches of schools give !ifferent

interpretations of the !octrines. $n as much as mens opinions !iffer, so there must be

!iffering i!eas on the same matter. hus no one mans conception is vali! for any

school.

$ have shown the general ten!encies of other schools on nine points. $f we loo# at them

from an honest viewpoint, we see that people always ten! to li#e long swor!s or short

swor!s, an! become concerne! with strength in both large an! small matters. 9ou can

see why $ !o not !eal with the gates of other schools.

$n my $chi school of the long swor! there is neither gate nor interior. here is no inner

meaning in swor! attitu!es. 9ou must simply #eep your spirit true to realise the virtue of

strategy.

welfth !ay of the fifth month, the secon! year of "hoho 1245



60/61

The Book of the oid

he )i o $chi +ay of strategy is recor!e! in this the


61/61


Go Rin No Sho (Book of the Five Rings)

Documents

Transcript of Go Rin No Sho (Book of the Five Rings)