Alan Armstrong Posted November 19, 2016 Posted November 19, 2016 Miyamoto Musashi, know by the Japanese to be the greatest Samurai swordsman of all time.He wrote a book over 400 years ago. He knew that he had a talented because he was never defeated in battle.Fortunately for us his written works has been translated in to English.The title of his writings is called "The Book of Five Rings"The five rings are: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Void.If you truly are a martial artist, then 'Miyamoto's advice in his book, will always serve you well.A challenge for you. Which is/are your favorite ring(s) and why?
sensei8 Posted November 19, 2016 Posted November 19, 2016 I love the book; a classic of classics!As of which of the five rings do I like...well...for me...I like them all equally because at one time or another, each ring will serve me quite well when that ring is called upon; no one ring is greater than the other.As Spock said it so well..."The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."From time to time, and when that time is appropriate, each ring will be called upon, and without any ambiguity and/or regret. Like the six senses, we humans we call upon them one at a time, or several at once, to serve its obligations in aiding that which must be needed, or wanted for that exacting moment. I can't choose one over the other; that's not within me to do so, and to do so might be counterproductive one way or another.Imho!! **Proof is on the floor!!!
tallgeese Posted November 19, 2016 Posted November 19, 2016 Miyamoto Musashi, know by the Japanese to be the greatest Samurai swordsman of all time.He wrote a book over 400 years ago. He knew that he had a talented because he was never defeated in battle.Fortunately for us his written works has been translated in to English.The title of his writings is called "The Book of Five Rings"The five rings are: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Void.If you truly are a martial artist, then 'Miyamoto's advice in his book, will always serve you well.A challenge for you. Which is/are your favorite ring(s) and why?Great discussion. I'm a fan of the Fire Scroll. That's the most directly related to the tactics of combat. In particular bladed combat. In Kali, you can see the strategy application of many of the passages. I learn something more about the blade and the book each time I go thru it. http://alphajiujitsu.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhRVuwbm__LwXPvFMReMww
Alan Armstrong Posted November 20, 2016 Author Posted November 20, 2016 My first experience using the rings was with "Void" sparring in a TKD class in about 1997.Becoming connected and aware of the void while maneuvering around fellow students felt very surreal, as if I was sparring in an alternate reality while everyone else was in normal time, almost comic bookish in being able to move within space and time and around objects with total ease.
Alan Armstrong Posted August 8, 2017 Author Posted August 8, 2017 Free download of: Book of five ringshttps://archive.org/details/MiyamotoMusashi-BookOfFiveRingsgoRinNoSho
Alan Armstrong Posted December 17, 2017 Author Posted December 17, 2017 For those that have the time to listen instead of reading, the complete audio of "The book of five rings" here is a link to doing just that.
MatsuShinshii Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 One of my all time favorites. It relates to not only war but also business and every day interactions with people. Awesome read. The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one who never fails-but the one who moves on in spite of failure. Charles R. Swindoll
LLLEARNER Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 I am working my way through it now. "Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know." ~ Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching"Walk a single path, becoming neither cocky with victory nor broken with defeat, without forgetting caution when all is quiet or becoming frightened when danger threatens." ~ Jigaro Kano
JR 137 Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 I’ve read it a few times. I’ve got to admit, most of it makes me feel stupid. I always feel like I’m genuinely missing something that everyone else sees that I don’t. I’m not very good with interpreting literature at a deep level. I guess I’m too much of a face value guy when it comes to this stuff. I need a version that spells it out for me, but then everyone disagrees with that author’s interpretation and I feel like I wasted my time with it.Kinda explains my C in my essentials of literature class in college. The professor was kind to me with that grade. The only reason why she gave me that vs the one I actually earned was because I showed up, genuinely tried, and participated in class. Had she gave me the grade I actually earned, I would’ve had to repeat the class, probably a few times. It was a required gen ed class. I was a bio/sports medicine major, so it wasn’t like I was going to make my living interpreting Shakespeare.
singularity6 Posted December 21, 2017 Posted December 21, 2017 I read it a couple of months ago. It had some really nice quotes, but some others were very outdated. 5th Geup Jidokwan Tae Kwon Do/Hap Ki Do(Never officially tested in aikido, iaido or kendo)
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