The Book of Five Rings is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1643

Limited Time Promotional Offer The Book of Five Rings In "The Book of Five Rings," Miyamoto Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, discipline, honesty and purity of thought. Written originally for warriors and samurai in a completely different time and culture, Musashi's book provides a remarkable source of inspiration for self-development today. His teachings are concise and to the point. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. While some of his guidelines are are not directly applicable in our time and age, those about striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside couldn't be more on target. Taken literally this book is about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. It's value comes from reading between the lines... lines which speak volumes. About Miyamoto Musashi: Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), was a Japanese swordsman and ronin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. The founder of a style of swordsmanship, he also wrote The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered a Kensei and one of the greatest warriors of all time.

The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin no Sho) is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi around 1645. Along with Sun Tzu's The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings is considered to be one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asia. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists and people across East Asia: for instance, some foreign business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work in a business context. 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. He also continually makes the point that the understandings expressed in the book are important for combat on any scale, whether a one-on-one duel or a massive battle. Descriptions of principles are often followed by admonitions to "investigate this thoroughly" through practice rather than trying to learn them by merely reading.Musashi describes and advocates a two-sword fencing style (nitōjutsu): that is, wielding both katana and wakizashi, contrary to the more traditional method of wielding the katana two-handed. However, he only explicitly describes wielding two swords in a section on fighting against many adversaries. The stories of his many duels rarely refer to Musashi himself wielding two swords, although, since they are mostly oral traditions, their details may be inaccurate. Musashi states within the volume that one should train with a long sword in each hand, thereby training the body and improving one's ability to use two blades simultaneously.

The legendary undefeated swordsman Miyamoto Musashi wrote "The Book of Five Rings" in the 17th century. Generations of martial artists, businessmen and scholars have appreciated his treatise for its "no nonsense" approach to strategy and philosophy. This English translation of the original Japanese text includes multiple illustrations portraying events from Miyamoto Musashi's life.

A classic on martial arts strategy and confrontation originally written in 1643 is enhanced by fifty-four full-color illustrations from Japanese sources, including battle scenes, reproductions of fine samurai swords and armor, and art from the Zen tradition.

In "A Book of Five Rings," Miyamoto Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, discipline, honesty and purity of thought. Written originally for warriors and samurai in a completely different time and culture, Musashi's book provides a remarkable source of inspiration for self-development today. His teachings are concise and to the point. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. While some of his guidelines are are not directly applicable in our time and age, those about striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside couldn't be more on target. Taken literally this book is about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. It's value comes from reading between the lines--lines which speak volumes.

A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS is a guide to strategy which is essential reading for anyone wishing to know the way of the sword and other martial arts disciplines, and contains the basic elements needed to win any battle, whether in the boardroom or on the battlefield. This updated translation by Theresa M. Moore clarifies the scope and intent of the master's instruction for the average reader while keeping the essence of the text intact. With essays on the history and background of Musashi's life which changed him from a rebellious youth into a kensei (sword saint). With black & white illustrations and photographs.