Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings by Hanshi Steve Kaufman

by Miyamoto Musashi

Paperback

About the author

Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645), 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 swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (五輪の書 Go Rin No Sho), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.

Reviews

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a while for me to realize how this information could be used in life and business. Finally I realized that Shinmen Musashi is discussing how each of the four “Ways “ he mentioned, warrior, artisans, merchant, and farmer; each have a “Way”. It is how one understands the way in relation to one’s life, how to interpret and adapt the methods of that particular “Way” so that a person recognizes and reacts correctly to the situation without a great deal of confused thought. The “Way” should become integrated as a response so reacting is done without considering the how only focusing on the results.