"Le Traité des Cinq Roues", écrit par le légendaire samouraï Miyamoto Musashi, est un ouvrage classique qui détaille des techniques et des stratégies de combat, ainsi que des réflexions profondes sur les arts martiaux et la philosophie de vie. Divisé en cinq chapitres, chacun correspondant à un élément - Terre, Eau, Feu, Vent et Vide - ce texte explore les nuances de la stratégie martiale et offre des enseignements qui transcendent le temps, applicables tant dans la confrontation physique que dans les défis de la vie quotidienne.
Nouveautés de cette édition : Cette nouvelle édition apporte une dimension supplémentaire à l'œuvre classique de Miyamoto Musashi. Elle inclut une biographie détaillée qui éclaire sur la vie et l'époque du samouraï, offrant un contexte enrichissant pour mieux comprendre ses enseignements. De plus, le livre est agrémenté d'illustrations qui visualisent les concepts et les stratégies décrits, offrant une expérience de lecture immersive. La traduction originale en français moderne rend le texte plus accessible, ouvrant la sagesse de Miyamoto Musashi à un public plus large et facilitant la compréhension de ses stratégies et philosophies intemporelles.
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.
I found this much more impressive than The Art of War. Full of philosophy as well as martial arts strategy, this should be required reading alongside its more famous cousin. I was really moved in parts by Miyamoto's clear thinking and how his principles could be applied to every day life, not to mention business and politics.
I'm not even sure how this book ended up in my Kindle recommendations, but I'm glad it did. It can be a bit dense in parts, and like a lot of Buddhist ideas, Miyamoto's idea about The Void was a bit head-scratching.
This e-book had some superb illustrations but I can't find any credits for the artist. It also includes a Miyamoto biography, also anonymous.
Anytime you get a look into the mind of a true legend, you have to find something to take away. Miyamoto Musashi is nothing if not a legend. We are 500 years removed from his life. His teachings and philosophies have made their way to English and have been read all over the world. What a reach. Unfathomable for his time.
All that said, the primary subject is sword fighting. Not exactly relevant to anybody’s life today. There are some good takeaways for competing and strategy. Most of which aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but when included in every facet of your training, they should become second nature.
He also describes the limitation language has on his teachings. There are things we cannot understand without training and physically practicing. You cannot become elite at a craft by reading about it. He emphasizes a need for intentional training.
Reading, being taught, having mentors are all important. They’re important for better framing and helping with questions that only experience yields answers to. But you can’t outsource hard work when perfecting a craft. You can’t read about Allen Iverson’s Crossover and go do it. You can’t read about Steph Curry’s jumper and go do it. At the end of the day, hard work prevails.
Moreover, hard work is more than brute force. Mediation and understanding your own goals is part of the success story. In competition, understanding your opponent’s strengths, weaknesses, motivations, etc. gives you an edge.
Miyamoto is said to have won 60+ duals without ever losing one. The biography was the most interesting part of the book to me.
I’m giving this 5 stars from a martial artist’s perspective. I think people who not have participated in martial arts along with philosophy might not think this is a 5 star book. I may be wrong…