The Book of Five Rings

Introduction.  The Book of Five Rings, translated from its original Japanese name Go Rin no Sho, is the technical martial arts manual written around 1645 by legendary sword master Miyamoto Musashi.  The book is composed of five short sub-books, or scrolls, which were intended to transmit Musashi’s renowned sword fighting techniques to his dōjō students.  Although it was common in this era for sword masters to pass their techniques to their students, conveying techniques via written scrolls was unconventional, due to the myriad minutiae of the techniques that can be very difficult to capture through text.  Additionally, Musashi imbues the scrolls with his philosophies on combat, which enrich the text with an added layer of applicability. 

Analysis.  Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings is structured around five individual scrolls, each covering a unique dynamic of his martial arts philosophy: The Scroll of Earth introduces fundamental training principles and leadership; The Scroll of Water covers positioning and initiative; The Scroll of Fire delves into combat dynamics like timing and tempo; The Scroll of Wind offers insights into the strengths and weaknesses of alternative martial arts schools; and The Scroll of the Void addresses combat preparation and the warrior’s mindset, both on and off the battlefield.

Discussion.  While the nuanced sword fighting techniques are lost on most readers, including myself, the philosophies behind the techniques provide excellent and timeless advice about how one should prepare for and engage in combat.  In fact, ironically enough, the sword techniques almost become a metaphor for demonstrating the philosophies, despite the intention of writing the scrolls having been the other way around.  For example, Musashi writes in The Scroll of Water about taking the initiative in a sword fight.  In this passage, he describes a combatant taking the initiative by striking an opponent at the very moment the opponent seeks to make a move.  If the opponent is going to “jump,” then taking the initiative is cutting them down at “ju-“ so that they cannot complete the action.  In doing so, a person can control their opponent and retain the upper hand.  This advice can be applied to any form of competition between two rivals grappling for an advantage.

Conclusion.  Although relatively short compared to more in-depth guides on combat and warfare, such as Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings offers concise and straightforward advice that is applicable across a wide array of competitive settings.  I highly recommend this book to any dedicated student of combat and/or martial arts.  I believe it certainly warrants a place alongside its more popular contemporaries.

Interested? Get the book on Amazon here.