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Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
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Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 61 duels . He is considered the Kensei, sword-saint of Japan. He was the founder of the Niten Ichi-ryū school or Nito Ichi-ryū style of swordsmanship, and in his final years authored The Book of Five Rings , and Dokkōdō . Both documents were given to Terao Magonojō, the most important of Musashi's students, seven days before Musashi's death. The Book of Five Rings deals primarily with the character of his Niten Ichi-ryū school in a concrete sense e.g. his own practical martial art and its generic significance; The Path of Aloneness on the other hand, deals with the ideas that lie behind it, as well as his life's philosophy in a few short aphoristic sentences. The Musashi Budokan training center - in a remarkable architecture - located in Mimasaka, Okayama prefecture, Japan was erected to honor his name and legend. Wikipedia  

✵ 1584 – 19. May 1645
Miyamoto Musashi photo
Miyamoto Musashi: 100   quotes 40   likes

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes

“In large-scale strategy you can frighten the enemy not by what you present to their eyes, but by shouting, making a small force seem large, or by threatening them from the flank without warning. These things all frighten. You can win by making best use of the enemy's frightened rhythm.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

“You cannot profit from small techniques particularly when full armor is worn. My Way of strategy is the sure method to win when fighting for your life one man against five or ten.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Life , Way , Fight

“Everything can collapse. Houses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged.
In large-scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse you must pursue him without letting the chance go. If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Chance , Housing

“The Ni To Ichi Way of strategy is recorded in this the Book of the Void.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Book No-Thing-ness

Books , Way

“When you have mastered the Way of strategy you can suddenly make your body like a rock, and ten thousand things cannot touch you. This is the body of a rock.
You will not be moved.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Way

“"To know the times" means to know the enemy's disposition in battle. Is is flourishing or waning? By observing the spirit of the enemy's men and getting the best position, you can work out the enemy's disposition and move your men accordingly.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Men , Time

“This is the Way for men who want to learn my strategy:
Do not think dishonestly.
The Way is in training.
Become acquainted with every art.
Know the Ways of all professions.
Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything.
Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
Pay attention even to trifles.
Do nothing which is of no use.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Ground Book

Men , Art , Way , Understanding

“The true Way of sword fencing is the craft of defeating the enemy in a fight, and nothing other than this.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Way , Fight

“This book is a spiritual guide for the man who wishes to learn the Way.
My heart has been inclined to the Way of strategy from my youth onwards. I have devoted myself to training my hand, tempering my body, and attaining the many spiritual attitudes of sword fencing. If we watch men of other schools discussing theory, and concentrating on techniques with the hands, even though they seem skilful to watch, they have not the slightest true spirit.
Of course, men who study in this way think they are training the body and spirit, but it is an obstacle to the true Way, and its bad influence remains for ever.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Men , Books , Youth , School

“"Attitude No-Attitude" means that there is no need for what are known as long sword attitudes.
Even so, attitudes exist as the five ways of holding the long sword. However you hold the sword it must be in such a way that it is easy to cut the enemy well, in accordance with the situation, the place, and your relation to the enemy.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Way

“It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Variant translation: First, as is often said, a samurai must have both literary and martial skills: to be versed in the two is his duty. Even if he has no natural ability, a samurai must train assiduously in both skills to a degree appropriate to his status. On the whole, if you are to assess the samurai's mind, you may think it is simply attentiveness to the manner of dying.
Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Ground Book

Death , Way , Nature

“"Treading" does not simply mean treading with the feet. Tread with the body, tread with the spirit, and, of course, tread and cut with the long sword. You must achieve the spirit of not allowing the enemy to attack a second time. This is the spirit of forestalling in every sense. Once at the enemy, you should not aspire just to strike him, but to cling after the attack. You must study this deeply.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Sense , Study , Time

“You win in battles with the timing in the Void born of the timing of cunning by knowing the enemies' timing, and this using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
All the five books are chiefly concerned with timing. You must train sufficiently to appreciate all this.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Ground Book

Books , Time , Training

“Step by step walk the thousand-mile road.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

“Many things are said to be passed on. Sleepiness can be passed on, and yawning can be passed on. Time can be passed on also.
In large-scale strategy, when the enemy is agitated and shows an inclination to rush, do not mind in the least. Make a show of complete calmness, and the enemy will be taken by this and will become relaxed. When you see that this spirit has been passed on, you can bring about the enemy's defeat by attacking strongly with a Void spirit.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Time

“In single combat, we can confuse the enemy by attacking with varied techniques when the chance arises. Feint a thrust or cut, or make the enemy think you are going close to him, and when he is confused you can easily win.
This is the essence of fighting, and you must research it deeply.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Thinking , Chance , Fight

“From olden times it has been said: "Great and small go together." So do not unconditionally dislike extra-long swords. What I dislike is the inclination towards the long sword.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Wind Book
Context: It is difficult for these people to cut the enemy when at close quarters because of the length of the long sword. The blade path is large so the long sword is an encumbrance, and they are at a disadvantage compared to the man armed with a short companion sword.
From olden times it has been said: "Great and small go together." So do not unconditionally dislike extra-long swords. What I dislike is the inclination towards the long sword. If we consider large-scale strategy, we can think of large forces in terms of long swords, and small forces as short swords. Cannot few men give battle against many? There are many instances of few men overcoming many.

Time

“The three shouts are divided thus: before, during and after. Shout according to the situation. The voice is a thing of life. We shout against fires and so on, against the wind and the waves. The voice shows energy.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

Life

“Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword fencing, and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body. But is dexterity alone sufficient to win? This is not the essence of the Way.
I have recorded the unsatisfactory points of other schools one by one in this book.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Wind Book

Books , World , School , Way

“You can know how to win through strategy with the long sword, but it cannot be clearly explained in writing. You must practise diligently in order to understand how to win.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Understanding

“Fixed formation is bad. Study this well.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Study

“Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. … Even if you kill an enemy, if it is not based on what you have learned it is not the true Way.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Men , Way , Study , Learning

“In large-scale strategy, it is beneficial to strike at the corners of the enemy's force, If the corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole body will be overthrown.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

“Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

“I have climbed mountain Iwato of Higo in Kyushu to pay homage to heaven, pray to Kwannon, and kneel before Buddha. I am a warrior of Harima province, Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin, age sixty years.
From youth my heart has been inclined toward the Way of strategy. My first duel was when I was thirteen, I struck down a strategist of the Shinto school, one Arima Kihei. When I was sixteen I struck down an able strategist Tadashima Akiyama. When I was twenty-one I went up to the capital and met all manner of strategists, never once failing to win in many contests.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), Introduction

Youth , Age , School , Way

“The spirit of the smacking parry is not parrying, or smacking strongly, but smacking the enemy's long sword in accordance with his attacking cut, primarily intent on quickly cutting him. If you understand the timing of smacking, however hard your long swords clash together, your swordpoint will not be knocked back even a little. You must research sufficiently to realise this.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Understanding , Time

“People in this world look at things mistakenly, and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Book No-Thing-ness

People , World , Understanding , Thinking

“I have been many years training in the Way of strategy, called Ni Ten Ichi Ryu, and now I think I will explain it in writing for the first time.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), Introduction

Way , Thinking , Time , Training

“Examine your environment.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Fire Book

“Generally, I dislike fixedness in both long swords and hands. Fixedness means a dead hand. Pliability is a living hand. You must bear this in mind.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Dead

“If you merely read this book you will not reach the Way of strategy. Absorb the things written in this book. Do not just read, memorise or imitate, but so that you realise the principle from within your own heart study hard to absorb these things into your body.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Study , Reading , Heart , Books

“In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance. You must research this well.”

Miyamoto Musashi

Go Rin No Sho (1645), The Water Book

Life

“Never be jealous.”

Miyamoto Musashi book Dokkōdō

Dokkodo

“Remain detached from desire.”

Miyamoto Musashi book Dokkōdō

Dokkodo