Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was an expert Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent and unique double bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 60 duels. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and in his final years authored The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionSoldier
CountryJapan
Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world
If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you
This is truth: When you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry. It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon as yet undrawn.
Even if a man has no natural ability, he can be a warrior.
Speed is not part of the true Way of strategy. Speed implies that things seem fast or slow, according to whether or not they are in rhythm. Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast.
When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy...attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last.
It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet
No man is invincible, and therefore no man can fully understand that which would make him invincible. Even with complete and thorough study there is always the possibility of being defeated and although one may be expert in a particular form, mastery is something a man never stops seeking to attain.
In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.
Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.
Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea.
Accept everything just the way it is.
There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.
Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals