Strategy is the craft of a warrior - Miyamoto Musashi Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi's Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world, too. Musashi's no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small- scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than merely reading about them. Produced using beautiful traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques, Five Rings Illustrated is presented in an exquisite illustrated edition with a brand new modern translation.

Strategy is the craft of a warrior – Miyamoto Musashi Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi’s Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world, too. Musashi’s no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small- scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than merely reading about them. Produced in a handy pocket format, Five Rings is presented in an exquisite illustrated edition with a brand new modern translation.

This classic interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's famous Book of Five Rings is explicitly intended for the martial artist--as Miyamoto Musashi originally intended. It explains the underlying truths necessary for a full understanding of Musashi's message for warriors. The result is an enthralling book on military strategy that combines the instincts of the warrior with the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Taoism. It is a crucial book for every martial artist to read and understand. Like the original, this classic book of strategy is divided into five sections. The Book of Earth lays the groundwork for anyone wishing to understand Musashi's teachings; the Book of Water explains the warrior's approach to strategy; the Book of Fire teaches fundamental fighting techniques based on the Earth and Water principles; the Book of Wind describes differences between Musashi's own martial style and the styles of other fighting schools; while the Book of No-thing describes the "way of nature" as understood through an "unthinking" existing preconception. Famed martial artist and bestselling author Stephen Kaufman has translated this classic without the usual academic or commercial bias, driving straight into the heart of Musashi's martial teachings and interpreting them for his fellow martial artists. The result is an enthralling combination of warrior wisdom and philosophical truths that Musashi offered to other warriors who wished to master the martial way of bushido.

"The Book of Five Rings " is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction.
"The Book of Five Rings " was composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Thomas Cleary's translation is immediately accessible, with an introduction that presents the spiritual background of the warrior tradition. Along with Musashi's text, Cleary translates here another important Japanese classic on leadership and strategy, "The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War " by Yagyu Munenori, which highlights the ethical and spiritual insights of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior.

"The Complete Book of Five Rings" is an authoritative version of Musashi's classic "The Book of Five Rings, " translated and annotated by a modern martial arts master, Kenji Tokitsu. Tokitsu has spent most of his life researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, and in this book he illuminates this seminal text, along with several other works by Musashi. These include "The Mirror of the Way of Strategy," which Musashi wrote when he was in his twenties; "Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy," and "Forty-two Instructions on Strategy," which were precursors to "The Book of Five Rings;" and "The Way to Be Followed Alone," which Musashi wrote just days before his death. Read together, these five texts give readers an unusually detailed, nuanced view of Musashi's ideas on swordsmanship, strategy, and self-cultivation.
Tokitsu puts all these writings into historical and philosophical context and makes them accessible and relevant to today's readers and martial arts students. Tokitsu understands Musashi's writings--and Musashi as a martial artist--unusually well and is able to provide a rare insight into the man and his historical contribution.

In "A Book of Five Rings," Miyamoto Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, discipline, honesty and purity of thought. Written originally for warriors and samurai in a completely different time and culture, Musashi's book provides a remarkable source of inspiration for self-development today. His teachings are concise and to the point. 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. While some of his guidelines are are not directly applicable in our time and age, those about striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside couldn't be more on target. Taken literally this book is about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. It's value comes from reading between the lines--lines which speak volumes.

When the undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi retreated to a cave in 1643 and wrote "The Book of Five Rings," a manifesto on swordsmanship, strategy, and winning for his students and generations of samurai to come, he created one of the most perceptive and incisive texts on strategic thinking ever to come from Asia.
Musashi gives timeless advice on defeating an adversary, throwing an opponent off-guard, creating confusion, and other techniques for overpowering an assailant that will resonate with both martial artists and everyone else interested in skillfully dealing with conflict. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess--and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in "The Book of Five Rings."
William Scott Wilson's translation is faithful to the original seventeenth-century Japanese text while being wonderfully clear and readable. His scholarship and insight into the deep meaning of this classic are evident in his introduction and notes to the text. This edition also includes a translation of one of Musashi's earlier writings, "The Way of Walking Alone," and calligraphy by Japanese artist Shiro Tsujimura.

There are various Ways. There is the Way of salvation by the law of Buddha, the Way of Confucius governing the Way of learning, the Way of healing as a doctor, as a poet teaching the Way of Waka, tea, archery, and many arts and skills. Each man practises as he feels inclined. 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.

My Way of strategy is the sure method to win when fighting for your life one man against five or ten. There is nothing wrong with the principle "one man can beat ten, so a thousand men can beat ten thousand." You must research this. Of course you cannot assemble a thousand or ten thousand men for everyday training. But you can become a master of strategy by training alone with a sword, so that you can understand the enemy's stratagems, his strength and resources, and come to appreciate how to apply strategy to beat ten thousand enemies.