The Book of Five Rings

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The Book of Five Rings is a book that pops up over and over again in many other titles I've read. It was only a matter of time before I got to it myself. In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness. The book assumes that the one reading will have already spent much time in learning and study and plans to move on with the learning. The book's 5 rings can in many ways be looked at as "headings" or "reminders". These are in many ways outlines of much larger subjects. (1000 days of practice equals 10,000 days or instruction.) 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. In-One Timing" refers to the technique of biding one's time until a suitable gap can be found in the enemies' defense, to which one will deliver one fatal blow to the enemy. Although this is said to be difficult, Musashi notes that masters of this technique are usually masters of the five attitudes because they must be perceptive of weaknesses. It is rumored that Musashi disgraced a former sword master by using such a technique with a bokken, but there are no descriptions mentioning "In one" timing. [ citation needed]

It was hard for me to properly rate The Book of Five Rings. Sadly, there were a few sizeable impediments to my full enjoyment of this ancient text... Along with the Niten Ichi-Ryu principle, however, also lies a spiritual journey within the book that has the potential to bring out the best in the reader, to be able to see the world in a new light through the eyes of Musashi whose prodigious legacy still lives on to this day. The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists and people across East Asia: for instance, some foreign business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work in a business context. The modern-day Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū employs it as a manual of technique and philosophy.Students of Zen would do well to read the book, particularly the final Ring - entitled The Void. Afterward the perceptive student would take up an individual sport - not necessarily fencing, tennis would do just as well - and give up trying to solve koans. After all, even the Masters say that the more you study Zen the further from enlightenment you get and there can be little doubt that Musashi was a master. The Earth book, [1] according to "Go Rin No Sho", refers expressly to the strategy taught by Musashi at the Ichi School. It is said to be how to distinguish the Way through "Sword-Fencing", or "Swordsmanship". The idea of strategy would be encouraged to be very astute in their study and strategy: The Book of Earth ends with nine basic principles – the "ground" upon which the samurai must rely. These are "practical" or "worldly," each intended to help develop an understanding of strategy (while the other books focus on tactics and movement). These rules are for his students, and are complemented by the 21 "spiritual principles" for all to follow, which are found in the Dokkōdō (Musashi's final work). The principles are: [ citation needed] He notes that an enemy's formation can fall if they lose rhythm. It was known that in such battles, drummers drummed a tune for their other fellow soldiers to march to; and, if the rhythm was lost, it led to a "collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged".

The third chapter is The Fire Chapter, which focusses on the matter of battle because, like fire, battles can be small or large. Musashi takes into consideration the best placement of light, using your surroundings to your advantage, and strategies in using your mind during battle. The Wind Chapter comes next, which is not about Musashi’s Way, but the issues of various other styles and martial arts, and what makes his Way superior. The final chapter is the Emptiness Chapter, which is the shortest section, which Musashi has written "so that you might naturally enter the Way of Truth" (15). Clan War was a miniature based model strategy game produced by AEG, whose story line is derived from the Legend of the Five Rings setting. This game is currently out of print. In 2010, however, a limited selection of the metal miniatures used to play the game was released by Valiant Enterprises Ltd. [5] A second Legend of the Five Rings board game titled Art of War has been demonstrated several times but never released. [6] The Book of Fire chapter refers to the heat of battle, and discusses matters such as different types of timing. The spiritual bearing in strategy, which Musashi writes about concerns your temperament and spirituality whilst in the midst of, or in formulation of a battle. Being a Buddhist, most of what is written in the section concerning spirituality refers to principles of calmness, tranquility and spiritual balance:Fantasy Flight Games Acquires Legend of the Five Rings". www.tabletopgamingnews.com . Retrieved 10 September 2015. There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. You win battles with the timing in the Emptiness born of the timing of cunning by knowing the enemies' timing, and thus using a timing which the enemy does not expect. We shout during the fight to get into rhythm. Musashi describes and advocates a two-sword fencing style (nitōjutsu): that is, wielding both katana and wakizashi, contrary to the more traditional method of wielding the katana two-handed. However, he only explicitly describes wielding two swords in a section on fighting against many adversaries. The stories of his many duels rarely refer to Musashi himself wielding two swords, although, since they are mostly oral traditions, their details may be inaccurate. Musashi states within the volume that one should train with a long sword in each hand, thereby training the body and improving one's ability to use two blades simultaneously. The Fire Book refers to fighting methods unlike the specific fighting techniques listed in the Water Book. It goes into a broader scope in terms of hints as to assess a situation, as well as specific situational instructions. Other kinds of tactics which of Musashi tells are way of ensuring that the enemy is at a disadvantage. Forcing yourself on the non-dominant side of a trooper is one way because the left side is difficult for a right-handed soldier. Other disadvantages, such as forcing enemies into footholds, swamps, ditches, and other difficult terrain, force the enemy to be uncertain of his situation.

You should not have a favorite weapon. To be overfamiliar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” Upon their mastery of the strategy and timing listed in the five books, Musashi states that people will be able to defeat ten men as easily as they could defeat one, and asks: "When you have reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible?"De Lange, William (2010). The Real Musashi: The Bushu denraiki. Floating World Editions. ISBN 978-1-891640-56-8. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. International Olympic Committee legal issues [ edit ] Five rings in an arrangement resembling those on the original Lot5R cards The book, written in 1643, by the undefeated samurai, divides into five scrolls: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Emptiness. He goes into details about sword fighting, which I don’t study yet, but found his teachings inspirational in my studies, with practical advice and wisdom. The Book of Nothing, according to Musashi, is the true meaning of the strategy of Ni Ten Ichi Ryu. It seems very esoteric in nature because he emphasizes that people must learn to perceive that which they cannot understand or comprehend. He notes that in this Void, what can be comprehended are things which we do and see, such as the way of the warrior, martial arts, and Ni Ten Ichi Ryu. At the same time, in the Void, things we do not do or see (which he calls Spirit) are part of the information which we perceive on a conscious level, but with which we have no physical relationship. It is arguable whether Musashi is referring to religious spirituality or if he is actually explaining a way to live a life and to process thoughts.