The Book Of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho)
By Miyamoto MusashiIntroduction to Musashi
Musashi's ancestors were a branch of the powerful Harima clan in Kyushu and his grandfather, Hirada Shokan, was a retainer of the lord of Takeyama castle. At age seven, his father having died (or abandoned him?) the young Musashi was left in the care of an uncle, his mother having already died a few years earlier.
He was a boisterous youth, physically large for his age and either urged on by his uncle, or his aggressive nature, he took up Kendo and at age thirteen slew his first opponent; Arima Kigei, a samurai of the Shinto Ryu school of military arts. Two years later he left home to embark on his legendary "Warrior Pilgimage."
When he was twenty-one he went to Kyoto, the scene of his vendetta against the Yoshioka family. This feud was probably fuelled by the duels his father's fought with three of the Yoshioka clan a few years earlier.
Yoshioka Seijiro, the family head, was the first to fight Musashi. Seijiro was armed with a real sword while Musashi fought with a wooden bokken. Musashi attacked his opponent and brutally beat him while he lay on the ground. The deafeat so shamed Seijiro that he had his samurai topknot removed.
Musashi's continued presence in the capital ridiculed and angered the Yoshiokas and it wasn't long befor a second challenger stepped forward, Denshichiro, the second brother, pertioned Musashi for a duel. Musashi agreed and deliberatly arrived late on the appointed day. A few seconds into the fight and Musashi broke his opponent's skull with one blow of his wooden sword. With Denshichiro dead, Hanshichiro, a mere boy, not yet in his teens and the young son of Seijiro, issued a third challenge.
Musashi arrived at the meeting place well before the appointed time and strategically waited in hiding for his opponent to arrive. Hanshichiro, dressed in formal war gear, duly arrived with a party of well-armed retainers. Concealed in the shadows, Musashi waited and, just as Hanshichiro convinced himself that Musashi had decided to leave Kyoto, Musashi suddenly appeared in among them, cut the boy down and, drawing two swords, proceeded to cut a path through the stunned retainers before making his escape.
Wandering all over Japan, Musashi fought more than sixty contests before he was twenty nine, won them all and became a living legend. The earliest account of his contests appear in Niten Ki, or "Two Heavens Chronicle", compiled by his students a generation after his death.
Musashi's most famous duel was in 1612, against Sasaki Kojiro, Bunzen province. Kojiro, a young swordsman, had developed a unique fencing technique known as Tsubame-gaeshi, or "swallow counter." Musashi applied to Hosokawa Tadaoki, Kojiro's lord, for permission to fight Kojiro, permission was granted and the contest was arranged for eight o'clock the following morning, the venue an island a few miles away.
The next day, Musashi got up, drank the water that had been supplied for him to wash with, wrapped a towel over his head and went straight down to the shore. As he was rowed across to the island Musashi fashioned a wooden sword from a spare oar. Kojiro and the waiting officials were astonished to see the unkempt figure of Musashi, hair covered by a towel, leap from the boat brandishing his newly fashioned wooden sword. He rushed through the surf, up the beach towards the waiting Kojiro who drew his sword and threw away his scabbard.
"You have no more need of that!" Said Musashi as he rushed forward with his oar held to one side. Provoked, Kojiro threw the first sword strike and Musashi, lashing upward at the blade, brought the oar down on Kojiro's head. Kojiro fell, his sword, cutting the towel from Musashi's hair. Musashi noted Kojiro's condition, bowed to the astounded officials then ran back to the boat. Some sources quote that after having killed Kojiro, Musashi threw down his oar and, after leaping back several paces, drew both his swords and flourished them with a shout at his fallen enemy.
Finally, at the age of fifty, having reached the end of his 'pilgramage' he settled down, choosing to live apart from society and devoting himself to the search for enlightenment by the Way of the sword.
Musashi is known as "Kinsei", "Sword Saint". The book of five Rings is unique among martial art books because it deals with both warfare and single combat strategy in the same way.
Today Japanese businessmen have used the Go Rin No Sho as a guide for business practice, sales campaigns and marketing strategies planned with military presicion.
The following links will lead you to the various 'Five Rings' chapters. These have been translated by Victor Harris
Musashi's Introduction
The Ground Book
The Water Book
The Fire Book
The Wind Book
The Book Of The Void
| If you arrived at this page via a search engine click here to go to our home page |  |