"[FIRST TECHNIQUE] […] your sword now having bounced upward, leave it as it is until the opponent strikes again, whereupon you strike the opponent's hands from below. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"[SECOND TECHNIQUE] […] If your sword misses the opponent, leave it there for the moment, until the opponent strikes again, whereupon you strike from below, sweeping upwards.[…]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"[THIRD TECHNIQUE] [...] as the opponent strikes, you strike at his hands from below. [...] as he tries to knock your sword down, bring it up in rhythm, then chop off his arms sideways. The point is to strike an opponent down all at once from the lower position just as he strikes. [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Having a position without a position, or a guard without a guard, means that the long sword is not supposed to be kept in a fixed position. [...] Where you hold your sword depends on your relationship to the opponent, depends on the place, and must conform to the situation; wherever you hold it, the idea is to hold it so that it will be easy to kill the opponent. [...] Even though you may catch, hit, or block an opponent's slashing sword, or tie it up or obstruct it, all of these moves are opportunities for cutting the opponent down. This must be understood. [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"In my individual school, one can win with the long sword, and one can win with the short sword as well. For this reason, the precise size of the sword is not fixed. The way of my school is the spirit of gaining victory by any means. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"In the present age, not only the bow but also the other arts have more flowers than fruit. Such skills are useless where there is a real need. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Other schools become theatrical, dressing up and showing off to make a living, commercializing martial arts. […] Do you think you have realized how to attain victory just by learning to wield a long sword and training your body and your hands? This is not a certain way in any case. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Speaking in terms of carpentry, soldiers sharpen their own tools, make various useful implements, and keep them in their utility boxes. […] An essential habit for carpenters is to have sharp tools and keep them whetted.[…]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"The field of martial arts is particularly rife with flamboyant showmanship, with commercial popularization and profiteering on the part of both those who teach the science and those who study it. The result of this must be, as someone said, that "amateuristic martial arts are a source of serious wounds". (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"The master carpenter, knowing the measurements and designs of all sorts of structures, employs people to build houses. In this respect, the master carpenter is the same as the master warrior. . . . As the master carpenter directs the journeymen, he knows their various levels of skill and gives them appropriate tasks. . . . Efficiency and smooth progress, prudence in all matters, recognizing true courage, recognizing different levels of morale, instilling confidence, and realizing what can and cannot be reasonably expected-such are the matters on the mind of the master carpenter. The principle of martial arts is like this [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"[…] the power of knowledge of the art of the sword. This is something that requires thorough examination, with a thousand days of practice for training and ten thousand days of practice for refinement. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Thus in my individual school there is an aversion to a narrow, biased attitude. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"The Way of the warrior does not include other ways, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, certain traditions, artistic accomplishments, and dancing. But even though these are not part of the Way, if you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"The way of warrior skill is the way of nature. When you are in line with the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of all situations, you will be able to cut and strike the enemy naturally." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish the twofold spirit heart and mind, and sharpen the twofold gaze perception and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Whatever guard you adopt, do not think of it as being on guard; think of it as part of the act of killing. [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"When your life is on the line, you want to make use of all your tools. [...] We find that whatever the weapon, there is a time and situation in which it is appropriate. [...] Both the spear and the halberd depend on circumstances; neither is very useful in crowded situations. [...] they should be reserved for use on the battlefield. [...] [the bow] is inadequate for seiging a castle.[...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"Whether you adopt a large or small guard depends on the situation; follow whatever is most advantageous. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"You should not have any particular fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. […] Pragmatic thinking is essential. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"You should not have any particular fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else for that matter." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"You must contemplate the Way of the warrior's skill so you will be able to beat a man in combat by the use of your eye. With diligent training, you will be able to beat ten men in combat by using your spirit." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)
"If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult for you to master strategy. If you learn and attain this strategy, you will never lose, even to twenty or thirty enemies. More than anything … you must set your heart on strategy and earnestly stick to the Way." (Miyamoto Musashi)
"One can win with the long sword, and one can win with the short sword as well. For this reason, the precise size of the sword is not fixed. The way of my school is the spirit of gaining victory by any means […]" (Miyamoto Musashi)
"Strategy is the craft of the warrior." (Miyamoto Musashi)
"Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men." (Miyamoto Musashi)
"Whatever state of mind you are in, ignore it. Think only of cutting." (Miyamoto Musashi)
"You can only fight the way you practice." (Miyamoto Musashi)
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