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The Book of Five Rings (Hardcover)

by Musashi Miyamoto (Author), William Scott Wilson (Translator) "I have named my own Way of the Martial Arts the "Two Heavens, One Style," and after many years of discipline have thought to describe..." (more)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
To learn a Japanese martial art is to learn Zen, and although you can't do so simply by reading a book, it sure does help--especially if that book is the Book of Five Rings. One of Japan's great samurai sword masters put down in decisive, unfaltering terms the certain path to victory, and like Sun Tzu's Art of War, it is applicable not only on the battlefield but in all forms of competition. Always observant, creating confusion, striking at vulnerabilities--these are some of the basic principles. Going deeper, we find suki, the interval of vulnerability, of indecisiveness, of rest, the briefest but most vital moment to strike. In succinct detail, Miyamoto records ideal postures, blows and psychological tactics to put the enemy off guard and open the way for attack. Most important of all is Miyamoto's concept of rhythm, how all things are in harmony, and by working with the rhythm of a situation, we can turn it to our advantage with little effort. But like Zen, this requires one thing above all else, putting the book down and going out to practice. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
"Musashi's teachings read like lessons from the latest business management gurus. Who couldn't succeed in business by applying Musahi's insights to conflicts and strategy." --Inc. Magazine

"On Wall Street, when Musashi talks, people listen" --Time Magazine

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
I have named my own Way of the Martial Arts the "Two Heavens, One Style," and after many years of discipline have thought to describe it in a book for the first time. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars stunning book not easily understood by non technical readers, 12 Jan 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Dragon Editions) (Paperback)
Well, this is one of the greatest books ever written on strategy. But a great deal of it is highly technical and not easily understood by people without extensive background in the Japanese martial arts - I lived in Japan for 3 years, have studied over 10 year and make no claims to understand it. I used to ask my Sensei about it and he would just laugh - it was deliberately written to be obscure. I think you ought read it, enjoy it, know that most business managers (Japan or America) do not understand it and all the hype about it as a business text is BS.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Awseome Insight, 16 Sep 2003
This is a fantastic book. You are recieving a lesson in "the way" from a man who has spent his entire life trying to follow and discover the way. He is not just talking about these things in an abstract mannor he has lived through countless battles and proven his beliefs time and time again. Read this book, then read it again and carry on reading it and taking something new from it each time. The lessons which can be learned are endless.
Listen to the words of a truly great swordsman offering his final lessons to his students for after he is gone.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tantalising, 24 Jul 2004
By Martin Turner "Martin Turner" (Birmingham, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: The Book of Five Rings (Pocket Classics) (Paperback)
This tantalisingly brief book gives half of the teaching of an almost legendary Samurai duellist. Where is the other half? Lost. As the author reminds us again and again, the five scrolls are there to support the oral, technical teaching which he gave his students.

This is at once admirable and frustrating. As a fencing coach, I know that only a part of my work is to explain attitudes, tactics and techniques. The greater part is to teach, train and coach the individual student, building on what they find comes naturally and developing what they find difficult. At the same time, the original School of Two Swords, as he styles it, is long in the past and although we can capture the modern tradition, we cannot learn from the master.

The Book of Five Rings is about much more than swordplay, though. We are led again and again from a principle derived in individual combat to large scale military strategy. Likewise, each of the five spheres is aimed at developing the correct attitude, with technique merely being secondary.

The underlying theme of this book is 'winning by all means possible'. This, and the other principles of the Way of Two Swords, have many applications to other ways of engaging an opponent in today's environment.

Nonetheless, I finished this book with one regret - 'if only I could have met him'.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT 17th CENTURAY SAMURAI SWORDSMAN'S ADVICE ON STRATEGY
Based on my readings, Musashi's motive in writing his Book of Five Rings had been to correct misrepresentations of his views on swordsmanship by his contemporaries. Read more
Published 7 months ago by F. Sweet

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Wisdom with New Lessons
The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) is a GREAT book, if you take time to properly absorb and understand ALL of its teachings. Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2007 by Terry Tozer

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Wisdom with New Lessons
The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) is a GREAT book, if you take time to properly absorb and understand ALL of its teachings. Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2007 by Terry Tozer

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Wisdom with New Lessons
The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) is a GREAT book, if you take time to properly absorb and understand ALL of its teachings. Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2007 by Terry Tozer

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Wisdom with New Lessons
The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho) "IS" a great book, if you take time to properly absorb and understand ALL of its teachings. Read more
Published on 1 Jul 2007 by Terry Tozer

3.0 out of 5 stars cryptic
this book is only helpful if you are trying to supplement an already extensive knowledge of martial arts, if your intensions are combat related. Read more
Published on 26 Jul 2005 by john

4.0 out of 5 stars Investigate Before Buying
This book is interesting and insightful, even enlightening perhaps.
But it is important to know what you are getting before paying for it. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2004 by Robert Paul

5.0 out of 5 stars dont listen to the guy who gave it a low score
this book is not about technique, it is his opinions on how the go beond the technique,, its about THE WAY in martial arts (but not just martial arts), its about how to gain the... Read more
Published on 30 Jul 2004 by MR BIG

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic of Martial Strategy
Having won over sixty duels, many with only a wooden practice sword, Musashi's credibilty and authority on the subject of mortal combat cannot be questioned. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Why did he bother to write this ?
Useless, completely impractical book that serves absolutely no purpose. A waste of your time to read. Of no interest to those in martial arts, as it shows no techniques. Read more
Published on 21 Sep 2003 by Mr. G. H. Khan

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