The Book of Five Rings. The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin No Sho?)
Is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work. The modern-day Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū employs it as a manual of technique and philosophy. Musashi establishes a "no-nonsense" theme throughout the text. For instance, he repeatedly remarks that technical flourishes are excessive, and contrasts worrying about such things with the principle that all technique is simply a method of cutting down one's opponent.
Musashi describes and advocates a two-sword style (nitōjutsu): that is, wielding both katana and wakizashi, contrary to the more traditional method of wielding the katana two-handed. The five books[edit] The Book of Water[edit] Miyamoto Musashi. 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,[1] was a 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. Biography[edit] Birth[edit] The details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify. Munisai and Musashi's birth date[edit] Munisai's tomb says he died in 1580, which obviously conflicts with the accepted birth date of 1584 for Musashi. Because of the uncertainty centering on Munisai (when he died, whether he was truly Musashi's father, etc.), Musashi's mother is known with even less confidence.
Munisai's tomb was correct. Bushido. Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s.
Photograph by Felice Beato Bushidō (武士道?) , literally "samurai's way", is a Japanese word for the way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. Bushido, a modern term rather than a historical one, originates from the samurai moral values, most commonly stressing some combination of frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor unto death. Born from Neo-Confucianism during times of peace in Tokugawa Japan and following Confucian texts, Bushido was also influenced by Shinto and Zen Buddhism, allowing the violent existence of the samurai to be tempered by wisdom and serenity.
Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, some aspects of warrior values became formalized into Japanese feudal law.[2] The word was first used in Japan during the 17th century.[3] It came into common usage in Japan and the West after the 1899 publication of Nitobe Inazō's Bushido: The Soul of Japan.[4] In Bushido (1899), Nitobe wrote: Historical development[edit]