Musashi's Book of Five Rings: A Military Scientific Explanation Made Easy

Contrary to popular belief, the Book of Five Rings was likely written for the individual swordsman and not for martial artists in general, and certainly not for modern business people in the Western world looking for suitable strategies for bringing down their enemies. While it is true that meeting an adversary in a battle of life and death requires mastery of one's physical capabilities with the weapon, as well as courage and mastery of one's emotions, it is a long shot to draw useful parallels between the seventeenth century Japanese swordsman and the modern civilian businessperson. The reason why Musashi’s work is often viewed as a universal guide to leadership is because, after World War II, "Japanese corporations hijacked Musashi and the samurai way. The Book of Five Rings became a business bible for an emerging economic superpower." Or as with "any significant text, each generation can reinvent its own meaning."

That said, Musashi's book offers a fascinating study into the Japanese mindset of a samurai, who had dedicated his life to perfecting not only his physical skill with the sword, but his mental composure, and who had a clear sense of the fine line that separates the living from the dead in a sword battle. Musashi understood that in a dangerous environment, one risked one's life daily and must be prepared to wield one's weapon with absolute precision and intent to eliminate the enemy. One stroke with the sword could kill or dismember an adversary. Understanding the capacity of the weapon therefore encouraged the samurai to treat it with utmost respect. The sword proved particularly dangerous when wielded by a trained swordsman, which was a reason why the samurai were held in such high regard. Or as Musashi said, one should pick up a sword only when one is prepared to use it for its intended purpose: in a struggle of life and death.

While the difference between science and art is often debated in modern martial arts, and while it is tempting to view the "art" part of martial arts as the individual expression of the discipline, or even as a peaceful practice of a martial science, what set Musashi apart from modern martial artists, was that he approached swordsmanship, not as an art practiced primarily for self-improvement, but as a science, or a truth to be relied upon in matters of life and death. Participating in his first duel at age thirteen, he took to serious and continuous study of martial science. By the age of twenty-one, he had partaken in numerous duels against other martial artists from different schools. Some sources indicate that Musashi's first duel was fought with sticks rather than with live swords, and subsequent duels were sometimes fought with wooden swords and to the death, or until the opponent was disabled or humiliated.

Nearing advanced age at sixty, and having dedicated his life to swordsmanship in the samurai tradition, Musashi wrote the Book of Five Rings by looking through a scientific prism, much like a general in any war, who focuses on the ends of his actions. Rather than providing a list of steps one might take in specific circumstances, as is often the case in the Chinese treatises, the Book of Five Rings offers a direct route to victory. Musashi attributed his undefeated record to an understanding of scientific principles as applied to sword fighting. Victory related not only to oneself, but also to circumstance, and was further influenced by the enemy’s skill or lack thereof.

In order to attain total focus while staying aware of the surroundings and respond to threats with perfect timing, Musashi noted the need to develop an inwardly calm in the midst of chaos. Moving the sword as if it were an extension of the body was the result of muscle memory developed through extensive practice. An accomplished martial artist would no doubt have experienced times when he could enact techniques with precision, yet without thought. A person unfamiliar with the martial arts may have had similar experiences driving a car without thought, yet perfectly safe, while engaged in intellectual conversation with a passenger. Or you might have had a similar experience typing a paper for school, fingers moving effortlessly on the keyboard, yet striking the proper keys.

As a samurai, warrior, and soldier, Musashi naturally viewed sword fighting as a study in strategy and tactics. A general in war thinks only of the quickest way to defeat the enemy; he thinks not of higher political motives, nor about benevolence, nor about creating a so-called win-win (as is often promoted in business practices). War strategy is a zero-sum game. He wins who can ably apply his understanding of strategy to enhance his tactics, and his opponent loses. The Book of Five Rings was written by an individual swordsman, but from a general's perspective. As much as we would like to view it as a book about self-actualization or the achievement of business aims, the Book of Five Rings is primarily a military treatise, written by a man who understood the brutality of war and the necessity to take a fight to the finish.

 

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