The Way of Musashi: Principles for Modern Mastery

Musashi's principles emphasize mastering the general strategy applicable to all, continuous practice, and control over spirit in combat and life.

### Principles of Musashi's "Gorin no Sho" (The Book of Five Rings)
* ⛰ Musashi's philosophy emphasizes the importance of **mastering general principles** applicable across various disciplines, rather than specializing in a **single art**.
* 🧠 To achieve mastery, one must **practice continuously**, living the mindset of **combat strategy** in all aspects of life.
* 4️⃣ Musashi stresses the need to **control one's spirit**, maintaining a **calm facade** to **deceive the enemy and crush their will**.
* 🌊 The principle of "**Do not do anything that is useless**" underscores the importance of **maintaining focus and avoiding distractions**.
* 🔥 Musashi advocates for **direct, practical action**, striking decisively to achieve goals without **overcomplicating**.
* 💨 Schools that deviate from the true path by creating unnecessary forms and teachings are criticized for **losing sight of practical strategy**.
* 🧠 The student plays a **central role in their own progress**, with the teacher serving as a **guide**.
* 🌊 While theory provides direction, **true understanding comes through practice and absorption of the principles**.

Why is Gorin no Sho so popular? Is it all exaggeration or is there something deeper? What follows is a complete breakdown of each principle I see contained in the book. I struggle to call this a summary, as it is almost as long as the book itself; perhaps we can call it a meditation, as that word works well in the algorithm. Now, Gorin no Sho was written in 1645, in a land, a language, and a culture very different from mine. In summarizing it, part of my own worldview inevitably emerges, so if you ever have doubts about the truth of something, go back and check the original to make your own decision. The translation I used was by Alexander Bennett. That being said, I have genuinely tried not to distort the meaning. It is easy to get carried away by such summaries and start talking about crushing your business rivals or seeing Dave from Sales in front of you and hearing the wails of his women, but I have done my best to avoid this. Sometimes I offer some suggestions on how Musashi's words can be applied to life in the 21st century, but I hope that when I do, it is clear that these are my own thoughts and not those of a samurai from the 17th century. You can take them or leave them. Musashi structures his book into five scrolls or 'rings', represented by the elements Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether. In very general terms

My summary rearranges the concepts of each of these scrolls, allowing those with strong connections to flow together. I have marked all concepts and quotes with a elemental marker to indicate their source: ⛰️ 🌊 🔥 💨 🌌 With disclaimers and throat clearings, let's begin. The following are the principles of the Way of Musashi. 1. ⛰️ Generality in all disciplines Having reached the essence of the combat strategy of the Way, I practice the disciplines of many arts without needing a master in any of them. ⛰️ While there are many arts, each with its own skills, there is a broad Way that is applicable to all. Mastering the general principles associated with this Way allows one to excel in all areas. ...knowing a Way in the broad sense means that you will find common points in all of them. ⛰️ Therefore: Familiarize yourself with all the arts, know the Ways of all vocations ⛰️ I teach that the warrior must practice his craft in such a way that it is practical and functional in all things and at all times, for this is the true form of combat strategy. ⛰️ Furthermore, a good strategy is generally applicable on all scales, large and small. Although the principles I set out here are explained from the perspective of individual combat, it is important that they be interpreted as relevant to battles between armies of ten

In this sense, The Way Musashi teaches is not something confined to the training room; it encapsulates all elements of life all the time. As such... Mastery is a continuous practice. You become what you continuously do, so to become masterful, you must practice mastery at all times, not just during training. You need to live it. The mindset on the Path of combat should not be different from one's normal mental state. In the course of your daily life, and when you dedicate yourself to strategy, there should be no change in your perspective. This means that your mindset, focus, and drive should be the same in everyday life as during training or combat. With all martial postures, it is essential to maintain a combat posture in your daily life and a daily posture in combat. A mindset for this is to see the universe itself as a constant training partner. Try to throw things in your way to disrupt you and create mental resistance; this can happen at any time and any place, so you must be constantly on guard against it. But do not interpret this as you should be agitated or aggressive; always maintain... Correct physical and mental posture. Regarding physical posture, Musashi says: The line of your head and nose should be straight, with the chin slightly protruding. The neck is upright with the nape tense, the shoulders down, the back straight,

Tuck your butt in and feel like your entire body from the shoulders down is a solid entity. Push down from the back of your knees to the tips of your toes and push the abdomen slightly forward so that the lower back does not arch. Modern research has shown how conscious adjustments to physical posture can directly influence mental well-being, considering the sedentary life many of us lead now, this feels very relevant. Regarding mental posture, Musashi says: Your mind should be expansive and direct, without tension but not casual. 'Staying centered' is a popular term nowadays. It is repeated in Musashi's writings when he advocates for a balance between good humor and relaxation. He warns against being carried away by emotional states, but also against relaxing to the point of lethargy. Keep your mind centered, without leaning too much to one side, swaying calmly and freely so that it does not stop in moments of change... Both an animated and a lethargic mind are signs of weakness. Musashi's vision is in line with the stoic sense of recognizing events for what they are and choosing how to react, rather than being carried away by emotion. Such behavior requires... 4. Control over your spirit A warrior obviously needs spirit, but Musashi believed that control over it was equally important. to forge a spirit that seeks victory through the application of strategic wisdom

He dedicates entire sections in some of his books to discussing shouting as a form of intimidation; however, he also mentions that it is not something that is done all the time. Yelling at your opponent does not mean you are yelling all the time. - 📖 HEIHŌ-KAKITSUKE The important point is that one's spirit should not be unlimited, but orderly and directed like any other force. There are moments to present a calm spirit to lure an enemy: remain perfectly serene while presenting a [feigned] sign of weakness. 🔥 And times to explode to overwhelm them. Another way is to free your mind with the sole intention of defeating the enemy from beginning to end and winning with a spirit brimming with energy. 🔥 You must have both the strength of spirit to do this and the strength of mind to reign. Only the spirit, properly engaged, can crush an opponent before a confrontation begins, mentally overwhelming and intimidating them into submission. ...overwhelm them just by looking with your eyes... with your spirit in tune with the Way, you will triumph over the enemy with your mind ⛰️ scream the vitality [of the enemy] 🔥 Also, when an enemy falters, it is important to crush their will to fight before considering them defeated. ...crush the enemy's spirit by tearing it apart so that it is defeated beyond doubt. Be careful.

Confirm this. This can be achieved through the use of a sword, with the body, or with the mind. There is no single way to achieve this. If not pulverized, his spirit will remain. Naturally aligned with this is the principle of believing in yourself, seeing yourself as strong and capable of winning, never contemplating defeat. Crushing is seeing your opponent as weak and yourself as strong and shattering them. On a large scale strategy, regardless of their number, the enemy will show vulnerability if in doubt or disoriented. At this point, crush the enemy from top to bottom. Engulf them with a burst of energy to push them back and destroy them. Consider how this relates to modern sports science and visualization practices of success to enhance physical performance. The recognition of the connection between the mind and the body is something that has only recently returned to Western thought. Musashi continues to point out that such a spirit is the only viable way to defeat multiple opponents. It is not feasible to defeat them conventionally; you must start by attacking the strongest on one side, then, when they are pushed back, alternate to attack the strongest on the other side. Show no intention of retreat and use an overwhelming spirit to force them to submit. ... when fighting alone against several opponents. Do not try to defeat each side. When the enemy is

Pushed back in one direction, turn and attack the opponent stronger on the opposite side. Feeling the rhythm of your opponents, move as if zigzagging on a path from the left to the right according to their reaction at a pace that suits you best. After determining the condition of your enemies, disappear among them and attack without any intention of retreating. 🔥 Such spirit requires not only absolute confidence in yourself but also an absolute commitment to any task once engaged. ...commit with a determined resolve to pursue your goal and attack without deviating. For instance, even if you have to divert the entire world, the flight of your sword must not deviate from its course. Purge yourself of fear. - 📖Heidōkyō This implies always intending success. From a stoic perspective, we do not always have control over the outcomes, but we do have control over our intentions, and surprise-surprise, intending to succeed makes us more likely to succeed. Strangely, it is easy to fall into the habit of never committing and almost planning to fail, either out of discouragement or simply to avoid ridicule. If after all you never truly try, you cannot be accused of failing. Unfortunately, starting with the expectation of failing leads to weak and uncommitted action. So, do not set out to lose. In Musashi's words The Way of my school is to win no matter what happens. ⛰️

Of course, when you are not in a life or death situation, you should moderate this mindset with a degree of common sense, not to mention morality. But the notion of firmly maintaining the intention of success should not leave you. This leads to the importance that Musashi gave to... 5. ⛰️ Maintaining the focus of Do not do anything that is useless. It is a line often repeated associated with Musashi seen to embody his unwavering commitment to focus. Actually, it is from his Dokkōdō, however, it clearly represents a thread from the Book of Five Rings. Avoiding everything that is 'useless' is probably an impossible goal to achieve, but the point is to stay alert against wayward actions, knowing that even one of those cases can lead to a lifetime of bad habits. What sets this Path apart from the others is the inherent risk that a judgment error or a moment of confusion will plunge you into bad habits 🌊 Such judgment errors can spread and worsen over time, while you mistakenly believe you are being disciplined. It is only after a while and when compared to the right path that the true extent of the error becomes evident. Rebellious spirit. You may believe that you are practicing your discipline diligently and that you are on the right path, but you will stray from the true Path if your mind wanders. The deviation from truth becomes evident when viewed from the right path. ⛰

Musashi's approach was not even to consider wayward action as an option, to remove all those considerations from his mind. When something is not an option, it cannot tempt you. Never think of deviating from the Path. Train tirelessly on the Path. ⛰️ [The warrior] must seek to put the Path into practice every hour of every day without getting tired or losing focus. 🌌 In modern life, we have more opportunities than ever for wayward action. Having them close and trying to resist them makes life harder than necessary. It is easier to maintain focus if you eliminate distractions completely; by doing so, you no longer need to resist them. Eliminate social media, discard unhealthy food, switch to a basic phone, put money in locked savings accounts, etc. Such actions allow you to focus on what truly matters. However, it requires... 🌊 Direct intention and practicality about the form The 'direct way' is the soul of combat - 📖 Heidōkyō Without the mind of the 'direct way,' your swords will have no life - 📖 Heidōkyō The principle of knowing your goal and heading directly towards it is fundamental to Musashi's Path. It constitutes a large part of his criticism of other schools and is decisively summarized in the verse: Take your sword with the intention to cut down the enemy. 🌊 One might think this is quite obvious, 'What

That it is not my goal. But in practice, it is easy to lose sight of your goal or become obsessed with the intermediate steps instead of your intended purpose. For example, when assuming a combat stance, it is easy to become obsessed with it and forget that it should only serve as an aid to your true purpose of cutting down the enemy. When taking any of the stances, do not dwell too much on what it is. Just think about cutting down the enemy. 🌊 Musashi referred to this specific case as Position without posture, the idea being that while the postures existed and were important, they were not where your focus should be: you should not focus your mind on assuming a particular combat position. 🌊 That's why I teach 'There are postures, but there are no postures'. 🌊 However, the concept extends to everything. All stages of a sword duel are in service of 'cutting down the enemy', and the obsession with any other part, even the art of striking, is a distraction. If you become obsessed with the act of parrying, slapping, hitting, striking, or pressing your opponent's weapon, the next strike will lack vigor. 🌊 The principles of heading directly towards a goal and staying focused on it instead of its intermediate steps are clearly transferable to modern life. You just have to replace assuming postures with deleting emails to see an example

The overall complexity of the systems and organizations we operate in today has increased. It is more difficult to maintain focus and easier to hide our lack of progress from ourselves and others when we do not. In general, any work that does not directly move us towards our goals can be considered as busywork. Examples include emails, to-do lists, meetings, research, planning, filing, and organizing. Occasionally, it is necessary to do these things, but indulging in them is equivalent to procrastination since it usually means we are prioritizing comfortable but unimportant tasks over difficult but important ones. Insisting on weak and small techniques while preparing to kill an enemy is illogical. Small techniques are particularly inappropriate when wearing armor. 🔥 In both combat and work, we must prioritize function over form, and do what works over what is 'right' or smart. Again, this sounds simple, but the ways in which we undermine ourselves are numerous. Ego may lead us to focus on form over function to try to look good. An example of this would be pretentious emails and meetings. Reverence may mean we respect an art too much to question the functionality of a form (think of martial arts or blindly following any guru). Ignorance at times may mean we simply do not know the purpose of a form and therefore can only mimic it. This last mechanism can be

In creators who imitate the long introduction styles of television broadcasts without realizing that such frivolities serve no purpose online. Once any of these practices take root, tradition and habit can mean they will never change, with the 'form' of things like recurring meetings and TPS reports continuing long after their function has completely disappeared. It is bad [to inhibit oneself and] settle [into a fixed position]. 🌊 Ultimately, sometimes the sheer overwhelm and complexity of a project can mean we simply lose sight of our purpose. An example of this would be an entrepreneur who is concerned about the form and accessories to start a business rather than the product they are introducing to the market. In all cases, a form is established to serve a function, but over time the focus shifts towards the form, and the function is lost. Maintaining focus and remembering to question the function of things can counteract this. However, ironically, questioning everything can be as paralyzing as questioning nothing, so this same form of constant questioning must be moderated with practicality in mind. Musashi's mantra of wield your sword with the intention of... considered before each important action could perhaps serve as a good grounding method to do this. With frankness in mind, Musashi offered his... 7. 🌊 One Count Strike ... deflect it with a single blow.

Before having time to think about drawing his sword, changing his posture, or launching an attack. 🌊 This strike aims to end engagements before they begin. It encapsulates the ideas of frankness and not excessive complication, as well as the control over the necessary spirit to obscure one's intention. The striking rhythm called 'one count' (itsu-byōshi) is to prevent your will from manifesting in your body and mind and striking from emptiness. - 📖 HEIHŌ-KAKITSUKE The principle of immediate action can be extended to modern life regarding our natural tendency to overwork solutions and inflate disproportionate projects. A famous business refrain from Peter Thiel says: If you have a 10-year plan on how to get [somewhere], you should ask yourself: Why can't you do this in 6 months? – Peter Thiel You could also consider the value of channeling your spirit in such a way that you strike and complete tasks without feeling the need to announce your intentions to the world first. The principle of being judged by your actions rather than words. Implicit in the strike of a count is the importance of... 8. 🌊 Not overcomplicating There are only five sword postures and mastering them is enough for success. Practicing these [five] techniques thoroughly every day and perfecting your skills in combat will lead you to a sure victory 🌊 The point here is that,

By grasping and practicing these five, you will obtain victory. By carefully studying these five outer forms, you will grasp your own path of the sword and learn to deal with all kinds of attacks launched by the enemy. Note that there are no other forms in Nitō besides these five. Make sure to immerse yourself in them. 🌊 This principle of simplicity can be applied to individual arts like fencing or extended to life in general. Whatever the level of detail, the concept is that there are generally a few fundamental forms from which more advanced techniques are derived, and if mastered on their own, will lead to success. In that case, do not get distracted by investigating special techniques or forms when you do not master the basics. Do not overcomplicate things. For example, in strength training, the bench press, deadlift, squats, shoulder press, and pull-ups are sometimes called the big five. The number five is incidental, but the point is the same, a small basic set of compound lifts can provide most of the necessary results for progress, and it is more important to dedicate time and effort to these than to investigate secret techniques. Expanded to life in general, there are basic fundamental concepts that must be corrected to put life in order, and delving into obscure techniques or 'forms' tends to be a distraction. It is both daunting and liberating to recognize that at any given moment you have within you the desire to progress, and that you are not

but rather the drive to execute it. You know the basic basics, it is the will to act that is the challenge. (In general terms, this idea has some similarity to the modern Pareto principle, however, it is more about the existence of basic forms on which all other techniques are built, rather than the diminishing returns described in 80/20). Associated with avoiding complicating too much is the call to... 9. 💨 Avoid developing teachings for their own sake. Musashi's main criticism of other schools was that they deviated from frankness and created forms, specializations, and teachings to justify themselves commercially. ...they create a myriad of forms for sword work, transmitting the various postures as 'external' teachings and the Way as 'internal'... those schools have deviated from the true path of strategy. built around the teachings. One starts with the intention of studying combat, but when facing students, the goal transforms into running a school. So, success consists of increasing the number of students rather than perfecting the art. Today we might call this 'mission drift' or 'goal displacement'. Of course, it can also arise for purely commercial reasons, as Musashi says: Teaching countless sword techniques is essentially exploiting the Way as a commercial enterprise. By deceiving novices with countless movements,

Teachers make them believe that their training method is profound. This focus on strategy should be rejected. Thinking that there are several ways to hit a man with a sword is indicative of a confused mind. There are not so many ways to cut in the world. 💨 Combat in the real world tends to serve as a corrective mechanism for hot air. Practitioners quickly discover what does not work when their lives depend on it, even if it is the last thing they discover. By the time Musashi wrote his treatise, Japan had been experiencing a period of relative peace. Possibly, this explains the rise of the 'commercial' schools he mentions, as there were fewer 'corrective mechanisms' to highlight their flaws. Other schools extol the virtues of their colorful and flowery techniques as products sold to make a living. Isn't this a deviation from the true Path? 💨 An interesting parallel can be seen with modern UFC. Before unrestricted combat, there was much debate about which martial art was the best, and even a certain mystical aura surrounded many of the Eastern ones. After the UFC, the debate largely ceased, what worked and what did not work was proven, and the spectrum of practical styles collapsed. In the words of Musashi: ...they have no validity when viewed from the perspective of worldly truth. 💨 A secondary mechanism through which false teachings can arise can be found in modern psychology.

It has long been demonstrated that humans first provide emotional responses and then seek to justify themselves with logical rationalizations. Now consider the topic of where to place your gaze during combat. Musashi says, Certain schools maintain that the gaze should be fixed on the enemy's sword. Others teach students to focus on the hands, face, feet of the enemy, etc. Fixating the gaze on specific points will generate uncertainty and negatively affect your strategy. It is likely that after a lifetime of combat, a fighter learns to intuit an opponent's behavior and predict their strikes. But when asked to explain how they do it, they rationalize a response like always fix your gaze on the enemy's sword! In fact, that's not how they do it, but in the moment, it is the response they provide, which is then rationalized, transmitted, and taught as truth. As Musashi says, There is no need to fix your gaze, as you can intuitively see what they are doing through much training. Likewise, on the Path of combat strategy, the warrior learns by facing different opponents to determine the weight of an enemy's mind. With practice on the Path, you will come to see everything, from the reach to the speed of the sword. In general terms, 'fixing the gaze' in strategy is fixing it on the mind of an enemy. This indicates that the purpose is to observe the mind of an enemy and thus see their intentions.

But he talks about a much more holistic way to achieve it. 'Fixing the gaze' is not about fixing the gaze on a particular point, but about intuiting the intention by looking into someone's mind. Both on a large and small scale strategy, refrain from fixing your gaze narrowly. 💨 Moreover, it is possible that the younger Musashi fell into this trap. In his 1604 treatise Heidōkyō (兵道鏡) he says: “Direct your eyes to the enemy's face. Do not focus on anything else. Since the mind is projected in [facial] expressions, there is no more revealing place than the face to fix the gaze” - 📖 Heidōkyō. This seems to contradict his later teaching that fixing the gaze on a point ... would negatively affect your strategy. Musashi, at the age of 20, may have been repeating what he had been taught, or perhaps he developed the teaching himself but revised it later in his life. However, this is just my conjecture. The question of where to place the gaze leads to the differentiation between... 10. 🔥 Observing and perceiving Musashi differentiated 'looking inside' and 'looking' as two types of perception. “The two approaches to observing are the eyes of kan ('looking inside') and ken ('looking').” 💨 “Perceive and know what cannot be seen with the eyes. Pay attention even to the

Elsewhere, he mentions two layers of the mind as the heart of perception and the heart of intention. Collectively, these differentiations seem to be a recognition that there are superficial level observations of material events and intuitive observations of reasons and intentions. [The warrior] must polish the two layers of his mind, the 'heart of perception' and the 'heart of intention,' and sharpen his two powers of observation, the looks of kan ('looking inside') and ken ('looking'). 🌌 The art of intuiting what is happening and seeing the intention beneath events is naturally not something that can be taught through writing. Therefore, it is difficult to say more on the subject other than that Musashi considered it important enough to point out the distinction. In his words, it is just something you need to 'investigate thoroughly.' ...the inability to see comprehensively the most fundamental issues will make it difficult to excel ⛰️ This leads to the point that... 11. ⛰️ The student is at the center of any progress. There is a modern school of thought that says the teacher should take primary responsibility for the success of their students. As an ideal for teachers, aspiring to this is admirable, but from a stoic perspective, it is also something beyond their control. While they can inspire, support, and motivate a student, the final decision to act lies with the student. In Musashi's words, the teacher is the needle and the student

You still spend time outside of school. So most of your opportunity for progress is in your own time. It's difficult to write about such matters in detail. Read what I have outlined here and find ways to resolve it for yourself. 🔥 However, if a book simply tells you to go and investigate things for yourself, what good is it? While intuition cannot be taught, areas where learning can be found can be pointed out, and the individual can seek it there for themselves. It is analogous to a map indicating where the treasure is, or in Musashi's words, ...what I have recorded will serve as a guide for those dedicated to following this Path. 🔥 There is also a profound need for humility in any perceived progress. With something truly complex, even years of practice do not guarantee a proper understanding. Musashi offers himself as an example of this: I dedicated myself to studying the discipline of combat strategy since I was young... I remained undefeated in over sixty contests... After turning thirty, I recalled past experiences and realized that my success could not be credited to a true mastery of strategy... From then on, I studied diligently from morning till night in a quest to discover the deepest principles. I was about fifty years old when I realized the true meaning of the strategy of the Way of combat. ⛰️ This naturally leads to the concept of... 12. 🌊 Practice over theory.

A thousand days of training to forge, ten thousand days of training to refine. 🌊 Almost all progress comes through practice, and throughout the book, Musashi ends passages with the line you must investigate this well, reinforcing the point that theory alone is merely directional; it can point the way but not provide complete understanding. It is impossible to grasp the five outer forms simply by reading about them. You must embody the movements through actual practice with swords. 🌊 Personally, I believe this is valid even for theoretical disciplines like mathematics and physics. Many times, reading a textbook, I felt I understood a topic only to feel humbled when I tried to do the calculations. At the end of the day, it is only through practice in the real world that you come to understand things practically. Physical training must also be done to the point where in pressing situations, your conscious mind is no longer involved, and your hands and body act on their own. Musashi refers to this as no-thought no-form, today we would call it muscle memory. ...your hands will also strike spontaneously with power, speed, and without warning. This is the strike of 'no-thought no-form' and is of utmost importance. It is often found, so it must be learned well. 🌊 This leads to the idea that you should... 13. 🌊 Absorb, not just memorize. Memorizing, understanding, and absorbing are three.

Different levels of learning. Musashi emphasizes that the principles must be absorbed in such a way that they become part of you, not simply memorized or emulated. They need to be embodied at all times. Simply reading these scrolls will not lead you to master the combat strategy of the Way. Although the concepts presented here were written especially for you, do not think that it is just about reading, learning, or emulating my instructions. Think of the principles as if they were emanating from your own heart and study hard to devise ways to embody them at all times. 🌊 Obviously, this is easy to state and difficult to achieve, as it is only accomplished through continuous practice. However, it is useful to recognize that there are different levels of understanding. Even if words are insufficient, careful contemplation should enhance the intuitive understanding of the principles I am trying to convey. 🌊 Now, just as physical muscle memory can allow your hands to 'strike spontaneously,' 'mental' muscle memory can allow your mind to strike spontaneously. Everyone has absorbed some level of this in different areas of their lives. Most of us do not consider littering, smoking indoors, or cutting in line, for example, and yet, such behaviors are learned principles, not inherent. They constitute our habits and our culture and could be considered as mental muscle memory, or actions performed without mental consideration. On a more conceptual level, one can first learn and then, over time, embody the action

Such behavior begins as a conscious and effortful choice based on understanding principles, but over time, it gets absorbed until such principles 'emanate from your heart.' Musashi, of course, refers to internalizing the principles of strategy and The Way, not just good habits and worldviews, but the concept remains the same. Just as muscle memory can control instinctive physical actions, mental muscle memory can control instinctive mental behaviors. However, establishing such instinctive behavior requires a deep absorption of the principles; it is not enough to understand them rationally. When studying anything, you must be attentive to... 14. 🌊 Not becoming a one-trick pony. You should not become too dependent on any weapon or technique. The warrior must avoid harboring a preference for any given weapon. ⛰️ Musashi pointed out that many schools were promoted based on their specialization with a single weapon, like the long sword school or the short sword school, for example. But he believed you should use the weapon that makes the most sense, not have a bias towards a particular one. If you rely on the short sword, you get used to blocking instead of seeking to win, and if you prefer the long sword, you rely on keeping distance. Without understanding the [deeper] principles of strategy, they seek to win from a safer distance with a longer weapon. This is indicative of a weak mind, and that is why I see their strategies as weak.

and master carpenters. To continue with the analogy, imagine competing carpentry schools that self-proclaim as the wooden plane school or the ear hammer school and favor one tool over the other. Such a situation would be a farce, and perhaps it conveys Musashi's frustration with martial arts schools that do the same. So mix things up voluntarily from time to time and keep curiosity alive. If you ever find yourself in a situation where a technique keeps bringing you success, remember that it won't always work. Eventually, conditions will change, or your opposition will adapt. Train hard now so that you lack nothing when that happens. ...when you are in a place where only a short sword is allowed, a preference for a long sword will be your downfall, as it is an evasion in strategic ability 🌊 Nowadays, there are numerous online niches that can be exploited, and in doing so, you may feel like you have stumbled upon a secret technique for success. But such niches are also prone to disappear overnight as technology advances or the world catches up, so keep this principle in mind. Regarding combat, a special case of a single trick to keep in mind is... 15. 💨 Do not rely on speed The discipline of the sword is not based on the speed of the attack. ⛰️ Too much of something is as bad as not enough. 🌊 With a fast opponent, feign an attack.

With your body and mind, bring down your opponent after they respond. - 📖 Heihō Sanjūgo-Kajō Theoretically considered, speed is always beneficial. But Musashi only spoke practically, and in practice, he said it was overrated. Overcoming anything is a risk, and just like with overconfidence in long or short swords, there are moments when speed can work against you. Specifically, Musashi mentions that swampy environments tire you out, large-scale battles are chaotic, or moments when cutting too quickly can simply cause the cut to fail. ...if you try to cut quickly with a sword, speed will prevent it from cutting. 💨 Also, in the case of a large-scale strategy, the idea of rushing things is dangerous. 💨 The speed interruption technique is not limited to sword fighting, and the principle is demonstrated very well in a famous video of Michael Jai White and Kimbo Slice. Kimbo easily dodges Michael's fast punches but is stunned when hit by the slow ones. In the video, Michael says: Look, the idea is... I go straight, I'm not telegraphing. Shifting the focus to speed interrupts both things and dodges the blow. While this may seem contradictory, it is a demonstration of real-world effects on theory. Interestingly, a point that Seneca often pointed out about the duration of life was that we have plenty.

Time, whenever we use it wisely, the constant theme is that there is no need to rush as long as we are acting in a direct and decisive manner. We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it. - Seneca. An objection may arise, What if I maintain good technique and still increase speed? And this leads to a fascinating, albeit esoteric, point about rhythm. Speed in combat is irrelevant in the royal road. In all things, what is called 'fast' means that the intervals are not synchronized with the rhythm. 💨 And as we will see in part 2, maintaining rhythm is paramount. And if that interests you, click here.

The 24 Principles ⛩ Book of Five Rings | Summary 1/2

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The Principles of Gorin no Sho by Musashi

Gorin no Sho, written in 1645 by Musashi, contains principles that are still relevant today.

The book is structured into five scrolls representing different elements, emphasizing the generality in all disciplines and the continuous practice of mastery.

Musashi also highlights the importance of maintaining both physical and mental posture, as well as the control over one's spirit in seeking victory through strategic wisdom.

Mastering the Art of Intimidation and Success

Musashi discusses the use of shouting as a form of intimidation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a calm spirit as well as knowing when to explode with energy.

He highlights the need to crush the enemy's spirit and always maintain the intention of success.

Musashi also emphasizes the importance of avoiding anything useless to stay focused and disciplined, as judgment errors can lead to a lifetime of bad habits.

Musashi's approach emphasizes removing all distractions to stay focused on the path.

He highlights the importance of direct intention and practicality in pursuing one's goals.

The philosophy of prioritizing function over form is applicable to modern life, where the emphasis is on eliminating busywork and focusing on tasks that directly contribute to the intended goals.

The Pitfalls of Focusing on Form Over Function

Imitating TV broadcast styles online and clinging to traditional practices can hinder progress.

Losing sight of the primary purpose by obsessing over the form can be detrimental to projects.

Embracing simplicity, immediate action, and mastering the basics is crucial for success, whether in business, martial arts, or life in general.

The Pitfalls of Deviating from True Combat Strategy

Musashi criticizes the commercialization of martial arts and the focus on creating numerous techniques for profit.

He also highlights how false teachings can arise from the need to rationalize responses, leading to a deviation from true combat strategy.

There is a parallel drawn between the rise of 'commercial' schools in Musashi's time and the collapse of impractical martial arts styles after the rise of modern UFC.

Musashi's Evolution of Gaze and Perception in Combat Strategy

Musashi's concept of "fixing the gaze" evolved from focusing on the enemy's face to a more holistic intuitive perception.

He emphasized the importance of the student's own progress and intuition in understanding his teachings.

Musashi also highlighted the need for humility and the emphasis on practical practice over theoretical knowledge in mastering combat strategy.

The Importance of Practice and Absorption in Mastering Skills

Practice is essential for true understanding and mastery, whether in swordsmanship or theoretical disciplines like mathematics and physics.

Musashi emphasizes the need to absorb principles, not just memorize them, in order to embody them at all times.

He also warns against becoming too dependent on a single technique, advocating for a deep understanding of the principles of strategy instead of favoring a specific weapon.

Musashi's teachings caution against relying on speed in combat, emphasizing the risk of overconfidence.

He highlights the dangers of rushing in both sword fighting and large-scale strategy, emphasizing the importance of overcoming overreliance on speed.

This principle is demonstrated in a real-world context by Michael Jai White and Kimbo Slice, showing how speed interruption can be more effective than pure speed.