The Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works

by Miyamoto Musashi, Graham Sayer (Foreword), Alexander Bennett (Translator)

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) is the most famous Samurai who ever lived. His magnum opus, the Go-Rin-Sho or Book of Five Rings is a classic that is still read by tens of thousands of people each year--Japanese and foreigners alike.

Alex Bennett's groundbreaking new translation of The Book of Five Rings reveals the true meaning of this text for the first time. Like Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Musashi's book offers unique insights, not just for warriors, but for anyone wanting to apply the Zen Buddhist principle of awareness to achieve success in their endeavors. This book sheds new light on Japanese history and on the philosophical meaning of Bushido--the ancient code of the Japanese warrior.

Unlike other translations that are based on incomplete and inaccurate versions of Musashi's work, Bennett's is the first to be based on a careful reconstruction of the long-lost original manuscript. Capturing the subtle nuances of the original Japanese classic, the result is a far more accurate and meaningful English version of The Book of Five Rings text.

Richly annotated and with an extensive introduction to Musashi's life, this version includes a collection of his other writings--translated into English for the first time. A respected scholar, as well as a skilled martial artist, Bennett's understanding of Musashi's life and work is unparalleled.

This book will be widely read by students of Japanese culture, history, military strategy, and martial arts. It sets a new standard against which all other translations will be measured.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Classics, History, Japan, Audiobook, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2018

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

[Mike Stolfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intellectual/emotional review of this collected work is irrelevant to what's contained.
I'm sure others can blather on about it, but not me.
Sure, technically I finished it, but it's the kind of thing you keep reviewing endlessly until you've absorbed it all.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone claiming to have gained any kind of deeper insight a la Sun Tzu's The Art of War from this book must be lying or posturing. Because this book is about as profound as an instruction manual for a VCR (now there's a reference for the kids).

Almost the entire book are very technical descriptions of stances etc, while at the same time presupposing that the reader already knows a fair bit about a particular style of sword fighting. Which makes sense, because this book is an instruction manual for his students. I think it's giving Musashi too much credit to assign this book any deeper philosophical meaning, when his chief purpose was in fact writing an instruction manual.

The few times he actually tries to be a bit more profound his musings are about as deep as a fortune cookie where most little nuggets of wisdom are fairly self evident in the style of "wiping one's ass before taking a shit serves little purpose" or "remember to exhale after inhaling before inhaling again". Study this well.



And I'm sorry, but the constant yammering about The Way couldn't help but reminding me of the Ugandan Knuckles meme. After a while I couldn't stop reading that phrase with a faux Ugandan accent in my head.



I would only recommend this book to anyone super into kendo, and especially Musashi's style. Although I'm not sure how much they'll learn from his short descriptions which often ends with saying that this is difficult to put in writing. For anyone else it's a bit of historical curiosity that one can breeze through quite quickly.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett's translation, not merely of Musashi's Book of Five Rings but his other surviving works on swordsmanship, is honestly grand. Less for the Book of Five Rings section: this is fairly straight-forward and not unlike other good translations. But the other materials collected in the book and Bennett's honest biographical work (as opposed to the more common hagiographical presentations) is completely worth the read for anyone interested in the topic. Additionally, Bennett does an excellent job of noting the places wherein the collected texts overlap and where they differ, giving a view into Musashi's growth as an instructor.

The only way I could have been happier about this book is if it could have been published in a bilingual edition.

[Антон · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Today is a victory over yourself of yesterday, tomorrow is your victory over lesser men."

[Jeff Whistler · Rating 4 out of 5]

These writings Masashi, the greatest samurai, reminds me a lot of the writings of Clausewitz. It might be because their lives bare many similarities. Clausewitz spent his career through the Napoleonic wars, Battling the French Emperor was the fire that honed his philosophy and understanding of war. For Musashi, his martial knowledge was sharpened in the closing days of the Sengoku period. Musashi veers from Clausewitz by his detailed exposition on hand to hand combat with swords.

[Marquis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book on the concept of "The Way." Miyamoto Musashi's Book of the Five Rings discusses the art of the dual sword. He goes into depth about the tactics of using the sword and the advantages of using two. Being a fan of Japanese culture and sword culture I was intrigued by this read but I hoped it would be more of a mental insight when it was more of a physical strategic guide. This version does give a good time line of his life before the actual scrolls but had a lot of name jargon. Fun read but didn't take too much from it.

[Demetri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible translation with a great introduction and very helpful annotations. Besides that, Musashi was a qualified sword saint and strategist who wrote in such great detail. Now I know what to shout when slashing.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who practices martial arts should probably read this

[Shayaz Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I were to be his contemporary, I would have been impressed back then. No substantial knowledge. ANCIENT WISDOM is not enough it seems..

[Troy Klessig · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointed with the translations done within this book. Will need to get a different copy of the Book of Five Rings.

[Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do not remember having read this book. I have notes so I must have done it, but when I saw the title and book cover, I had no clue whatsoever. That is very telling.
My notes tell me something about some man who apparently didn't loose a single fight between the age of 13 and 29 even though it had been more than 60 fights. Apparently that sounded like someone was stroking his own ego to me.
The book had rules on how to do the right steps during walking and seems like I was wondering what that has to do with swordsmanship. The stuff about concentrating and all was fine, but this seems a tad ridiculous.
And looks like as if by about 1/3 into the book I was saying to myself: "No way will I remember most of this." It was at a place where the author was babbling on about how to stand but he doesn't even describe sufficiently how to do it. He says himself he can't do it here. So it comes across to me like some common guide/self-help book.
At about half of the book I asked: "Did anyone actually learn sowrdfighting from this?"
Btw. This first part was the Book of Water and afterwards there was the Book of Fire and I have no notes on this book. My next note is at about 81% and the next book is the Book of Wind. Again, I have no notes on this book and my second to last note talks how boring this is and that there is something about ball players and the like. And I was considering to end this early as I had no interest in this book anymore. And then the text just stopped. That was it. I have no idea what was in this book. I have no real clue why I read it. I think that... maybe... a friend of mine recommended this, but I remember nothing of this book.

[Lilah Gran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok first and foremost, I would not recommend this book if you’re not at least interested in martial arts, in any form. Better if you’re practicing because at least you can visualize the instructions.

Though predominantly instructional, I think this book is still worth the read. He said it so himself, “Just reading about it will not suffice. You will only grasp it when it is taught directly.” But in between the text, you will definitely absorb one or two strategies that are so practical that you can also apply it in real life, in business or in day to day interaction with people. This book also contain photos so it’s like visiting an history museum at the same time. It also contain footnotes so it’s much easier to read. I can only assume because this is the only edition I read.

Swords/knives fight have always fascinated me. I have longed to study the arts for a while and I have slowly begun my journey. I can say that a majority of Musashi’s teachings parallel the arts that I sought, so it wasn’t a waste of my time at all. Just like what he said, “Mastering combat strategy requires studying the Ways of other schools.” but be wary because “Thinking there are assorted ways to strike a man with a sword is indicative of a confused mind.”

[Books on Asia · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were impressed with this version of Gorinnosho, the Book of Five Rings, as well as the other short writings accompanying it. We've read some pretty bad translations of Book of Five Rings so this was a pleasure to read as it is sharp, concise and is more creative with repetitive phrases which seems to be the bane of many translations of this book (and other books written by masters on other subjects) since every major point ends with "study this diligently." We appreciated the author's effort to explore all the different ways one can translate this sentiment for ease of reading for the native English speaker (I remember slamming shut earlier translations of Book of 5 Rings because I couldn't take one more repetition of "study this diligently"!). There are also helpful photos and stylized ink illustrations that add to the text. As Japanophiles, we appreciated the inclusion of kanji characters for the subheadings next to the English. Copious footnotes help direct the reader to a treasure trove of reference materials and other possible books to read as Miyamoto Musashi is a source of endless fascination

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would be a great resource for kendo practitioners but was lost on me. It's less theory and more nuts and bolts of how to sword fight.

[Nando Gigaba · Rating 3 out of 5]

While eager to delve into Miyamoto Musashi's wisdom in "The Book of Five Rings," the first half of "The Complete Musashi" swept me through a detailed history of swords, wars, and Japan's warrior class. Admittedly, it wasn't what I initially signed up for. However, it proved an informative, if unexpected, journey. By the time I reached Musashi's masterpiece, I felt equipped with a deeper understanding of the context and cultural nuances fueling his teachings.

Alexander Bennett's translation deserves high praise. His work rendered Musashi's words accessible and insightful, even for a non-Japanese speaker like myself. And let's not forget Richard Trapp's narration! His masterful handling of both English and Japanese seamlessly brought Musashi's world to life.

Overall, while the initial detour wasn't part of the plan, it enriched my experience with "The Book of Five Rings." Bennett's translation and Trapp's narration shone, making this edition a valuable testament to Musashi's enduring legacy.

[Jay Ahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

My rating is towards this particular edition/translation.

The aim of Bennett's book is to be the most complete package of Musashi's writings. Not only does it contain the 35 articles and Dokkoudo, it even includes earlier manuals Musashi wrote on swordsmanship. Bennett also provides a very thorough introduction, explaining the history and myth surrounding Musashi, as well as, being a martial artist himself, several budo concepts and combat terminology.

However, I feel that the translation is not the best. Directness and straightforwardness were important parts of the pragmatism in Musashi's words, and I feel Bennett's word choices sometimes beats around the bush, or tries to evoke a poetic feeling. Bennett also, perhaps out of his love for the subject, makes heavy use of footnotes, and sometimes it is hard to tell if one is mainly reading Musashi with commentary, or if one is mostly reading commentary with pieces of Musashi.

I did however enjoy this excerpt from the Wind Scroll:

"He who hurries falls down and will end up being too slow. Slowness is also not good. Those who are highly accomplished may seem slow but they never lose their timing. Whatever the case, a skilled practitioner never appears to be rushed."

[HFEpro · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is the first translation of the Bo5R i've read. i have one more in my possession, so i plan to see how they compare to each other.

on its own however, this translation is competent. it's got me thinking about how i'll be writing a couple of my characters going forward. i wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't already interested in the subject matter. it's really dry, although i don't blame the translator or even the original author for this. people with literal minds like mine might also struggle to apply these teachings to other aspects of their lives.

i didn't take notes on every section (because my brain exploded when the later ones started running together), but i found quite a few things that i wanted to keep for my own ease of reference. in the context of a book review, i believe this piece from the Earth Scroll is the most relevant: "the warrior must practice [their] craft in such a way that it is practical and functional in all things and at all times". If an entire book about swordsmanship in that writing style sounds like a good time to you, have at it.

[Brandon Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because I love ninjas and samurais. This is considered by many as the quintessential book on Japanese Sword fighting. The book was written by an ancient samurai swordsman who spent his last few years documenting his techniques in a cave.

At times the book is very deep with some sentences requiring a lifetime to process. As he said 1,000 days to train 10,000 to polish.

Other times he says I cannot tell you everything so go to my school and learn it. Sometimes it was hard to imagine certain moves without seeing a photo of them. I loved this book. This is great for anyone who wants to learn more about how to fight with a sword. I recommend the complete edition since the commentary was very helpful.


Here are my key top 10 takeaways:
1. Miamoto Musashi is a legendary swordsman having never lost a sword fight he won 60/60 battles
2.His school is based on practicing with two swords. The Katana & Wakizashi
3. Katanas were used more for slashing rather then stabbing.
4. His teachings revolve around using holistic strategies over memorized techniques
5. There is a time a a place when to use certain weapons & strategies
6. There are five different fighting styles (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Void or Heaven)
Earth= Stances & grounding oneself
Water=Adaptability
Fire= Agression & intensity
Wind= Studying other schools and your oppnents
Void= spiritualness (inuition)

7. He primarily foccuses on the fire techniques of being aggressive and unrelenting
8. Learning to think like your opponent is crucial for winning
9. Look for patterns of weakness in your opponent
10. The battle is just as much in th mind as it is in the body

[Prisca A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing a review for this book is a bit like leaving a review for the Colosseum or Chichén Itzá... anything you say doesn't really have any weight because you are dealing with such an important piece of historical heritage, that it doesn't really matter what you think about it, since the mere fact that it exists is already mind blowing. We are so lucky to have access to this piece of history, written by arguably one of the greatest warriors that ever lived.

Whether you are a martial artist or not, whether you are into history or not, the Book of Five Rings has a message for everyone. Some parts may appear dry to some, but I would urge those people to take a wider interpretation of "the enemy". When you look at Musashi's strategy as advice to be used in the face of any adversity, and not just a physical warrior that wants to kill you, that's where this book really opens up as a strategy for the spirit. Keep the high ground in combat, look through your enemy rather than at them, hold your body in a way that makes you appear big etc.: these are more than just notes about war strategy, they are a guide for facing whatever life has to throw at you. They are pearls of wisdom of a warrior and can be applied to all sorts of situations. This edition also has a very informative introduction, which helps frame the historical context in which the scrolls were written.

I am undoubtedly biased, due to my love for Japanese martial arts and culture, but I genuinely think that this book can help reflect on a lot of the principles that martial arts teach: resilience, respect, focus, discipline. The fact that almost every paragraph ends with "study this well" or "examine this carefully" provides an insight into the warrior's ethos and the Japanese approach to completing tasks. This is a direct line to history and is definitely worth a read.

[Connor Dieck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to review, not only thanks to its translation across language and time, but also the challenge of applying its lessons to modern concepts and endeavors. At its heart, The Book of Five Rings is a book about mastery - or as Musashi puts it, The Way. The book's universal appeal is largely thanks to the lack of detail in Musashi's writing. As a result, the reader must work to apply the lessons to his or her own life (encouraged by the author's repeated urges to "study this carefully") - a quality which encourages rereading.

[Nik Havert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good translation, but it can be confusing if you've never done sword training or any kind of martial arts. There's some Zen in this, but you have to be open minded to see it (like all Zen, really).

The book has a lot of great bonus material in it, such as the translation of Musashi's monument and early / earlier writings. It could use photographs of the different stances and positioning described by Musashi, as the writings leave you often puzzled as to what you're supposed to be doing.

[Philippe Fanaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is much more profound than you think. Musashi mainly talks about swordsmanship, but everything there is highly generalizable to other craftsmanships and sports. For more info about the book, read a more thorough review on this post: http://fanaro.com.br/musashi-craftsma...

The translation and editing is great, from a very experienced translator and Kendo practitioner.

[Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro interesante que esconde lecciones muy importantes sobre Estrategia y la adquisición de Maestría en cualquier ámbito, escondido detrás de lo que parece un complejo manual de artes marciales centrado en el uso de dos espadas en la era de los samurais en Japón. Esta edición en concreto ofrece un gran contexto sobre la época en la que se escribió el libro, el background del autor y además contiene otras obras del mismo. Muy recomendable.

[Miguel Rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bennet's work on the research, introduction, and expanding notes is indeed amazing. I only feel a bit disappointed with the actual writings of Musashi itself. I've got here looking for philosophy, life guidance, and the like, but could only find literal swordsmanship in textual format. Maybe if you're very imaginative you can somehow bring it to life advice, otherwise I'd prefer to watch an video on the subject.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new translation, with additional translated scrolls. There was a fad some years back for seeing this book as a management tool. On their own, these are fascinating windows into a culture and era that's been mythologized. The emphasis on detail and practice and the appreciation for other Ways comes through even more strongly.

[Azam Ch. · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book of five rings and dokodo in it were nice,
the rest is about sword dueling musashi wrote prior to all his life experience and contemplation over the years coming together and him writing his magnum opus's (those two named above).

nice work by the translator of the collection - Alexander Bennett, pretty nice footnotes too.

[Jun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great gathering of history and writings from Miyamoto Musashi. The book of 5 rings talks mainly about sword stances, battle, and attitude towards these things.

These lessons are meant to be taken as analogies towards life, at least to me. I personally find myself listening to this relatively short book every so often and find it helpful and thought provoking.

Great buy, worth a read for me.

[Farhang Farvahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

اگر هنر جنگ رو خوندین این کتاب رو هم دوست خواهید داشت. اگر به فرهنگ سامورایی علاقه مندید شمارو به سرچشمه هاش خواهد برد. در کا کتاب جالبیه و بد نیست تو زندگی گاهی ساماروایی باشیم
لینک در طاقچه:
https://taaghche.com/book/40723/%DA%A...

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book of Five Rings is in itself worth reading from this. The other writings of Musashi included are interesting as well but it definitely slowed my pace down. All in all, the wisdom to gain from such a seasoned warrior is well worth learning. This is the Way.

[Mitja Rupnik]

While not as universally applicable as Sunzi's Art of War, Musashi still holds a few pearls that can easily be used in everyday life, be it in boardgames, job or otherwise.

Much recommended.