The Book of Five Rings (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) [Hardcover]

Miyamoto Musashi (Author), William Scott Wilson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002 | Series: Bushido--The Way of the Warrior

Setting down his thoughts on swordplay, on winning, and on spirituality, legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi intended this modest work as a guide for his immediate disciples and future generations of samurai. He had little idea he was penning a masterpiece that would be eagerly devoured by people in all walks of life centuries after his death.

Along with The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings has long been regarded as an invaluable treatise on the strategy of winning. Musashi's timeless advice on defeating an adversary, throwing an opponent off-guard, creating confusion, and other techniques for overpowering an assailant was addressed to the readers of earlier times on the battlefield, and now serves the modern reader in the battle of life.

In this new rendering by the translator of Hagakure and The Unfettered Mind, William Scott Wilson adheres rigorously to the seventeenth-century Japanese text and clarifies points of ambiguity in earlier translations. In addition, he offers an extensive introduction and a translation of Musashi's rarely published The Way of Walking Alone. This gift-book edition also features original art by Musashi himself as well as new calligraphy by Japanese artist Shiro Tsujimura.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"On Wall Street, when Musashi talks, people listen" -Time Magazine

"Musashi's teachings read like lessons from the latest business management gurus. Who couldn't succeed in business by applying Musahi's insights to conflicts and strategy." -Inc. Magazine

About the Author

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI (1584-1645) was a renowned swordsman and painter. A masterless samurai, he developed the two-sword style of fighting and emerged victorious in more than 60 sword fights in his travels throughout Japan. The author of The Book of Five Rings, he is also the subject of the novel Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.

WILLIAM SCOTT WILSON, the translator, was born in 1944 and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College in 1966, he was invited by a friend to join a three-month kayak trip up the coast of Japan from Shimonoseki to Tokyo. This eye-opening journey, beautifully documented in National Geographic, spurred Wilson's fascination with the culture and history of Japan.

After receiving a B.A. degree in political science from Dartmouth, Wilson earned a second B.A. in Japanese language and literature from the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies in Monterey, California, then undertook extensive research on Edo-period (1603-1868) philosophy at the Aichi Prefectural University, in Nagoya, Japan.

Wilson completed his first translation, Hagakure, while living in an old farmhouse deep in the Japanese countryside. Hagakure saw publication in 1979, the same year Wilson completed an M.A. in Japanese language and literature at the University of Washington. Wilson's other translations include The Book of Five Rings, The Life-Giving Sword, The Unfettered Mind, the Eiji Yoshikawa novel Taiko, and Ideals of the Samurai, which has been used as a college textbook on Japanese history and thought. Two decades after its initial publication, Hagakure was prominently featured in the Jim Jarmusch film Ghost Dog.

Wilson currently lives in Miami, Florida.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA; 1st edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770028016
• ISBN-13: 978-4770028013
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

164 of 169 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best translation available August 25, 2005

By D. Thomas

Format:Hardcover

I have studied this book for years, and have read five different translations. The William Scott Wilson translation is by far the best. I always get the feeling that other translators are putting too much of themselves or their ideas about what Musashi is saying into the translations. Wilson's translation is clear and concise and yet does not feel filtered.

Here is a passage from the Thomas Cleary translation "Upset happens in all sorts of things. One way it happens is through a feeling of being under acute pressure. Another is through a feeling of unreasonable strain. A third is through a feeling of surprise at the unexpected."

Here is the same passage translated by Wilson "There are many kinds of agitation. One is a feeling of danger, a second is a feeling that something is beyond your capability and a third is a feeling of the unexpected. This should be investigated thoroughly."

They say the same thing, but Wilson is clearer.

As for the book itself, it is a classic masterpiece that describes not only a style of swordsmanship, but a way of living.

138 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Some comments on the philosophy June 21, 2003

By magellan HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

As others have already written very complete reviews, I just had a few miscellaneous comments, mostly on how to understand Musashi's seemingly paradoxical ideas about technique.

This has become a legendary book. Written by the famous swordsman, sometimes referred to in the west as "The Lone Ranger of Japan," Musashi claimed to have been in over 60 sword battles, triumphing each time, so it's no wonder Musashi's name has become legendary in both Japan and the west.

The book sets out Musashi's philosophy and correct Way of the Sword. But the principles Musashi espouses are bound to sound perplexing to many people. Musashi says that the best stance is no stance, that too much strength is bad (your sword may shatter when clashing swords), and that even too much speed is bad (it may upset your balance), and that none of these are the true Way of the Sword. The best technique is, in fact, no technique.

This sort of philosophy is bound to be more than a little confusing, so I'll see if I can clarify it a little. I'm not sure I understand Musashi either, although I've studied martial arts for many years and have read my share of eastern philosophy, but I'll give you my ideas on how I relate to them just in case you find them useful.

Basically what Musashi is saying is that once you've learned a technique and committed it to memory and especially "muscle memory," it becomes fixed and is no longer adaptive. Your body becomes channalized into this form or technique, which then becomes limiting, preventing you from achieving true mastery, which is the ability to adapt and flow with any of the infinite number of situations you may encounter. Fixity is therefore dysfunctional and is not the true Way of the Sword.... This might be what Musashi means when he speaks of the Way of Emptiness being his way and the true Way of the Sword. In other words, his technique is no technique because it is empty of all fixed, unchangeable, and unadaptive aspects.

There is an analogous principle in Zen. In Zen, the highest level of technique is called "the technique that can't be seen." This doesn't mean that the technique is so fast it's invisible. It's that the technique is so advanced and subtle that its principles aren't obvious and easily seen. Musashi's ideas seem to reflect this Zen Buddhist principle also.

Interestingly enough, this idea has some support from western research into learning and the brain. In learning theory, there is the idea of "stereotyping," (which has nothing to do with social or racial stereotypes), where motor movements that have been learned become fixed into a certain sequence or pattern, but which is not necessarily the most efficient or effective. My learning theory instructor used the example of shaving strokes. He realized after some years that he always did his shaving strokes in the same way, after having learned how to do them, but that they weren't necessarily the best way to shave, anymore. Now that he'd been shaving for years, he "re-engineered" his shaving strokes so that they were more efficient.

This may apply to the martial arts too. After we've learned a certain movement and achieved a certain level of skill with it, we may become complacent and never go back and question the movement again. All because we believe we've achieved a level of "skill." I notice Paul Vunak, an important martial artist in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino martial arts, also emphasizes the learning of principles rather than "technique," and specifically mentions this in his seminars. The idea is that once one has learned the principle behind the technique, one can do an infinite number of those techniques, depending on the situation.

Another interesting physiological principle that is almost as paradoxical as Musashi's ideas has been found by western science. There is a phenomenon in neuromuscular physiology known as reciprocal inhibition of flexor-extensor pairs. This means that during muscle activity the opposing muscle tension is inhibited to reduce effort on the flexing muscle. So if you're trying to do a straight punch, the tricep tenses and the bicep relaxes, thus reducing resistance. The paradoxical aspect arises from the fact that by performing a small jerk backwards in the opposite direction to the punch the outward extensor motion can be speeded up. In kinesiology they refer to this as a "pliometric jerk," and is how basketball players jump higher. But it also has equal application to the martial arts, and I've had good results using this to get more speed and snap in my own techniques and for my students.

Anyway, I just thought I'd offer a few suggestions from my own experience on Musashi's book, although I can't say I fully understand it either. But I hope you find them helpful in some small way in your own understanding and training. Read more ›

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Translation Ever! November 25, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

William Scott Wilson is one of the best translators I have ever read. I think this version is the best of the ones that I have read. I love the book and the binding. The book is a wonderful presentation.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Black Fleet February 25, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This book is incredible. Musashi, however, assumes you are decently trained in the martial arts. He describes his art as a sure way of always being victorious, so whoever can master it is probably near impossible to defeat. This book, though, does not offer easy learning. It provides basic ideas that must be meditated upon to sort of understand what's being said. Great skill and power in the martial arts is the crystal produced from years and years of training, it's not so cheap it can be gained merely by willpower. Musashi mentions the importance of training repeatedly. "You should investigate this" is mentioned after almost each lesson. This book is one of the few that need to be in every true martial artist's library.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A fair translation, well presented November 1, 2003

By S

Format:Hardcover

Having read and annotated this book, I must admit that this book has confirmed what I always knew about martial arts. It is a value system and not a believe system, it is strongly based on self discipline and requires you not to lie about just reading books, but to actually go out there and practise over and over.

The translation itself is decent, without overemphasis in any one area (military, religous etc.) and the book presentation itself is admittedly good.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This guy knows Japanese March 15, 2006

By Benjamin Thompson

Format:Hardcover

I've read several versions of this book and William Scott Wilson seems to have the best understanding of the Japanese language and desire to keep it as "word for word" as he can keep it without making the text obscure. I highly recommend this translation. Oh yeah, and this book is highly valuable for philosophers and martial artists alike. Musashi was a genius of both martial arts and life.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Master July 5, 2005

By Donald C. Renfro

Format:Hardcover

There is only one reason to fight an apponent and that is to cut him down and win. The "Way" is the only way to assure victory in any engagement, at anytime, anywhere, with anyone. One must dedicate and commit all one has to living the "Way" and then one can reach the level of complete mastery over oneself. Nothing else matters. Not fighting stances, thoughts, beliefs, but only the single determintion to cut down your opponent and win. Nothing can come between your goal and the outcome you desire. If you think about doing anything, you have lost before you have started. While the other person is thinking about how to strike, or how to stand, or where to look, you have already cut him down. He's dead or close to it.

There is a similarity in Bruce Lee's "Dao of Jeet Ken Do" where there is no "style", only response to action. One must be water. Musashi flows like water. To do so one must practice and attain spirit, awareness, and discipline.

Being self-taught, Musashi wasn't bound by the rigid formality that binds all minds (and it is the mind that wins) in any endeavor. He was free of form and could respond accordingly to any situation. You should investigate this and also read this book.