A Book of Five Rings

(Go Rin No Sho)

Written by Miyamoto Musashi
Introdution
It s now durng the rst ten days of the tenth month n the twenteth
year of Kane (1645). I am sxty years od and I have been tranng
many years n the Way of strategy caed N Ten Ich Ryu. I w now
expan t n wrtng for the rst tme. I have cmbed mountan Iwato of
Hgo n Kyushu to pray to Kwannon and knee before Buddha. I am a
warror of Harma provnce, Shnmen Musash No Kam Fu|wara No
Geshn.

Snce I was a youth my heart has been drawn toward the Way of
strategy. My rst due took pace at age thrteen when I struck down a
strategst of the Shnto schoo, one Arma Khe. I was sxteen when I
struck down an abe strategst, Tadashma Akyama, and when I was
twenty-one I went up to the capta and met a manner of strategsts,
never once fang to wn n many contests. After that I went from
provnce to provnce, dueng wth strategsts of varous schoos, and
not once dd I fa to wn though I had as many as sxty encounters.
When I reached age thrty I ooked back on my past and reazed the
prevous vctores were not due to my havng mastered strategy.
Perhaps they resuted from natura abty, or the order of heaven, or n
that other schoos' strategy was nferor. After ths I studed mornng
and evenng searchng for the prncpe, and came to reaze the Way of
strategy when I was fty.

Snce then I have ved wthout foowng any partcuar Way. Thus wth
the vrtue of strategy I can now practce many arts and abtes wthout
the need for a teacher. In wrtng ths book I dd not use the aw of
Buddha or the teachngs of Confucus, nether od war chronces nor
books on marta tactcs. My purpose n wrtng s to expan the true
sprt of ths Ich Schoo as t s mrrored n the Way of heaven and
Kwannon.
The tme s the nght of the tenth day of the tenth month, at the hour
of the tger (3-5 a.m.)
!he Ground Book
Strategy s the craft of the warror. Commanders must enact the craft,
and troopers shoud know ths Way. There s no warror n the word
today that reay understands the Way of strategy.
There are varous Ways. There s the Way of savaton by the aw of
Buddha, the Way of Confucus governng the Way of earnng, the Way
of heang as a doctor, the Way of Waka teachng as a poet, as we as
tea, archery, and many arts and sks. Every man shoud practce as he
fees ncned.
It s sad that the warror's way s the twofod Way of pen and sword,
and he shoud have a taste for both Ways. Even f a man has no natura
abty, he can be a warror by stckng assduousy to both dvsons of
the Way. Generay speakng, the Way of the warror s to determnedy
accept death. Athough others (women, peasants and ower fok) have
been known to de ready n the cause of duty or out of shame, the
warror s dherent. The warror s dherent n that studyng the Way of
strategy s based on overcomng men. By wnnng n crossng swords
wth ndvduas, or en|onng batte wth arge numbers, the warror
attans power and fame for hmsef and for hs ord. Ths s the vrtue of
strategy.
!he Way of Strategy
In Chna and |apan practtoners of the Way have been known as
"masters of strategy". Warrors must earn ths Way.
Recenty there have been peope camng to be strategsts, but they
are usuay |ust sword-fencers. In oden tmes, strategy was sted
among the Ten Abtes and Seven Arts as a beneca practce.
Strategy was certany an art but as a beneca practce t was not
mted ony to sword fencng. Indeed, the true vaue of sword fencng
cannot be seen wthn the connes of sword-fencng technque.
If we ook at the word we see that men use equpment to se
themseves. In ths type of Way of strategy, they are ookng for prot,
and both those teachng and those earnng the way are concerned
wth coorng and showng oh ther technque. Someone once sad
"Immature strategy s the cause of gref". That was a true sayng.
There are four Ways n whch men pass through fe: as gentemen,
farmers, artsans and merchants.
Frst s the way of the farmer. Usng agrcutura nstruments, he sees
sprngs through to autumns wth an eye on the changes of season.
Second s the Way of the merchant. The wne maker obtans hs
ngredents and puts them to use to make hs vng. The Way of the
merchant s aways to ve by takng prot.
Thrd s the genteman warror, carryng the weaponry of hs Way. The
Way of the warror s to master the vrtue of hs weapons. He must
have a eanng toward strategy, for f a genteman dskes strategy he
w not apprecate the benet of weaponry.

Fourth s the Way of the artsan. The Way of the carpenter s to become
procent n the use of hs toos, rst to ay hs pans wth a true
measure and then perform hs work accordng to pan. Thus he passes
through fe.
These are the four Ways of the genteman, the farmer, the artsan and
the merchant.
"om#aring the Way of the "ar#enter to Strategy
The comparson wth carpentry s through the connecton wth houses.
The carpenter uses a master pan of the budng, and the Way of
strategy s smar n ths manner of pannng. If you want to earn the
craft of war, study ths book wth a vew of the teacher as a neede, the
dscpe as thread. You must practce constanty.
Lke the foreman carpenter, the commander must know natura rues,
and the rues of the country, and the rues of houses. Ths s the Way of
the foreman.
The foreman carpenter must know the archtectura theory of towers
and tempes, the pans of paaces, and must empoy men to bud
houses. The Way of the foreman carpenter s the same as the Way of
the commander of a warror house.
In the constructon of houses, one must choose the wood. Straght,
unknotted tmber of good appearance s used for reveaed pars;
straght tmber wth sma defects s used for the nner pars. Tmber
of the nest appearance, even f a tte weak, s used for the
threshods, ntes, doors, sdng doors, and so on. Good strong tmber,
though t be gnared and knotted, can aways be used dscreety n
constructon. Tmber whch s weak or knotted throughout shoud be
used as scahodng, and ater for rewood.
The foreman carpenter aots hs men work accordng to ther abty.
Foor ayers, makers of sdng doors, threshods and ntes, cengs
and so on. Those of poor abty ay the oor |ost, and those of esser
abty carve wedges and do such msceaneous work. If the foreman
knows and depoys hs men we, the nshed work w be good.
The foreman shoud take nto account the abtes and mtatons of hs
men, crcuatng among them and askng nothng unreasonabe. He
shoud know ther morae and sprt, and encourage them when
necessary. Ths s the same as the prncpe of strategy.
!he Way of Strategy
Lke a trooper, the carpenter sharpens hs own toos. He carres hs
equpment n hs toobox, and works under the drecton of hs foreman.
He makes coumns and grders wth an axe, shapes oorboards and
sheves wth a pane, cuts ne openwork and carvngs accuratey,
gvng as exceent a nsh as hs sk w aow. Ths s the craft of
carpenters. When the carpenter becomes sked and understands
measures, he can become a foreman. These are the specates of the
carpenter. Thngs are smar for the trooper. You ought to thnk deepy
about ths.
The attanment of the carpenter s that hs work s not warped, that the
|onts are not msagned, and that the work s truy paned so that t
meets we and s not merey nshed n sectons. Ths s essenta.
If you want to earn ths Way, deepy consder the thngs wrtten n ths
book one at a tme. You must do sumcent research.
$ut%ine of the Five Books of this Book of Strategy
The Way s shown n ve books concernng dherent aspects. These
books are Ground, Water, Fre, Tradton (Wnd) and Vod.

In the Ground book, the body of the Way of strategy s expaned from
the vewpont of my Ich Schoo. The true Way s not reazed through
sword fencng aone. One must know the smaest thngs and the
bggest thngs, the shaowest thngs and the deepest thngs. As f t
were a straght road mapped out on the ground, the rst book s caed
the Ground book.
Second s the Water book. Wth water as the bass, the sprt becomes
ke water. Water adopts the shape of ts receptace; sometmes t s a
trcke, sometmes a wd sea. Water has a cear bue coor, and through
ts carty the truths of my Ich Schoo are reveaed n ths book.
If you master the prncpes of sword fencng, when you freey beat one
man, you can beat any man n the word. The sprt of defeatng a man
s the same for ten mon men. The accompshed strategst makes
sma thngs nto bg thngs; the prncpe of strategy s that knowng
one thng s to know ten thousand thngs. I cannot wrte n deta how
ths s done.
Thrd s the Fre book. Ths book s about ghtng. The sprt of re s
erce whether the re be sma or bg; and so t s wth battes. The
Way of battes s the same for ghts between two men as for ten
thousand to-a-sde battes. You must apprecate that sprt can become
bg or sma. What s bg s easy to perceve; what s sma s dmcut to
perceve. In short, t s dmcut for arge numbers of men to change
poston, so ther movements can be easy predcted. An ndvdua can
easy change hs mnd, so hs movements are dmcut to predct. It s
mportant to grasp ths.
The core of ths book s that you must tran day and nght n order to
make quck decsons. Strategy entas treatng tranng as a part of
norma fe wth your sprt unchangng. Thus combat n batte s
descrbed n the Fre book.
Fourth s the Wnd book. Ths book s not concerned wth the Ich
Schoo but wth other schoos of strategy. By Wnd I mean od
tradtons, present-day tradtons, and famy tradtons of strategy.
Thus I ceary expan the strateges of the word. It s dmcut to know
yoursef f you do not know others.
There are sdetracks to a Ways. If you study a Way day, and your
sprt dverges, you may thnk you are obeyng a good way, but
ob|ectvey t s not the true Way. If you are foowng the true Way and
dverge a tte, ths w ater become a arge dvergence.
Other strateges have come to be thought of as mere sword fencng,
however the benet of my strategy, athough t ncudes sword fencng,
es n a separate prncpe. Thus I expan what s commony meant by
strategy n other schoos n the Tradton (Wnd) book.
Ffth s the book of the Vod. By Vod I mean that whch has no
begnnng and no end. Attanng ths prncpe means not attanng the
prncpe. The Way of strategy s the Way of nature. When you
apprecate the power of nature and are n tune wth the rhythm of any
stuaton, you w be abe to ht the enemy naturay and strke
naturay. A ths s the Way of the Vod. I ntend to show how to foow
the true Way accordng to nature n the book of the Vod.
!he Name Ihi Ryu Ni !o ($ne shoo% & !'o s'ords)
Warrors, both commanders and troopers, carry two swords at ther
bet. In the oden days these were caed the ong sword and the sword;
nowadays they are known as the sword and the companon sword.
"Nto Ich Ryu" shows the advantage of usng both swords.
Students of the Ich Schoo Way of strategy shoud tran from the start
wth the sword and ong sword n ether hand. Ths s the truth: when
you sacrce your fe, you must make fuest use of your weaponry. Not
to do so, and to de wth a weapon not yet drawn, s fase.
If you hod a sword wth both hands, t s dmcut to wed t freey to
eft and rght, so my method s to carry the sword n one hand. Ths
does not appy to arge weapons such as the spear or haberd
(weapons that are carred out of doors), but swords and companon
swords can be carred n one hand. It s encumberng to hod a sword n
both hands when you are on horseback, when runnng on uneven
roads, on swampy ground, muddy rce eds, stony ground, or n a
crowd of peope. To hod the ong sword n both hands s not the true
Way, for f you carry a bow or spear or other arms n your eft hand you
have ony one hand free for the ong sword.
However, when t s dmcut to cut an enemy down wth one hand, you
must use both hands. It s not dmcut to wed a sword n one hand;
the Way to earn ths s to tran wth two ong swords, one n each hand.
It w seem dmcut at rst, but everythng s dmcut at rst. Note that
bows are dmcut to draw, haberds are dmcut to wed; as you
become accustomed to the bow so your pu w become stronger.
When you become used to wedng the ong sword, you w gan the
power of the Way and wed the sword we.
As I w expan n the second book, the Water Book, there s no fast
way of wedng the ong sword. The ong sword shoud be weded
broady, and the companon sword cosey. Ths s the rst thng to
earn.
Accordng to the Ich Schoo, you can wn wth a ong or wth a short
weapon. The Way of the Ich Schoo s the sprt of wnnng, whatever
the weapon and whatever ts sze.
It s better to use two swords rather than one when you are ghtng a
crowd and especay f you want to take a prsoner. These thngs are
dmcut to expan n deta, but when you attan the Way of strategy
there w not be anythng you cannot see; from one thng, you w
know ten thousand thngs. You must study hard.
!he Bene(t of the !'o "haraters reading )Strategy)
Masters of the ong sword are caed strategsts. As for the other
mtary arts, those who master the bow are caed archers, those who
master the spear are caed spearmen, those who master the gun are
caed marksmen, and those who master the haberd are caed
haberders. But we do not ca masters of the Way of the ong sword
"ongswordsmen", or "companonswordsmen".
Bows, guns, spears and haberds are a warrors' equpment and they
are certany part of strategy. However, to master the vrtue of the ong
sword s to govern the word and onesef; thus the ong sword s the
bass of strategy. The prncpe s "strategy by means of the ong
sword". If one attans the vrtue of the ong sword, one man can beat
ten men. As one man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a
thousand, and a thousand men can beat ten thousand. In my strategy,
one man s the same as ten thousand, so ths strategy s the compete
warror's craft.
The Way of the warror does not ncude other Ways, such as
Confucansm, Buddhsm, certan tradtons, artstc accompshments
and sword dancng. But even though these are not part of the Way, f
you know the Way broady you w see t n everythng. Men must
posh ther partcuar Way.
!he Bene(t of Wea#ons in Strategy
There s a tme and a pace for use of weapons. The best use of the
companon sword s n a conned space, or when you are engaged
cosey wth an opponent. The ong sword can be used ehectvey n a
stuatons. The haberd s nferor to the spear on the batteed. Wth
the spear you can take the ntatve; the haberd s defensve. In the
hands of one of two men of equa abty, the spear gves a tte extra
strength. Spear and haberd both have ther uses, but nether s very
beneca n conned spaces. They cannot be used for takng a
prsoner. They are essentay weapons for the ed.
If you earn "ndoor" technques, you w thnk narrowy and forget the
true Way. Then you w have dmcuty n actua encounters.
The bow s tactcay strong at the commencement of batte, especay
battes on a moor, as t s possbe to shoot qucky from among the
spearmen. However, t s unsatsfactory n seges, or when the enemy
s more than forty yards away. For ths reason there are now few
tradtona schoos of archery and there s tte use nowadays for ths
knd of sk.
From nsde fortcatons, the gun has no equa among weapons. It s
the supreme weapon on the ed before the ranks cash, but once
swords are crossed the gun becomes useess.
One of the vrtues of the bow s that you can see the arrows n ght
and correct your am accordngy, whereas gunshot cannot be seen.
You must apprecate the mportance of ths dherence.
Weapons shoud be endurng and wthout defects. Swords and
companon swords shoud cut strongy. Spears and haberds must stand
up to heavy use. Bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons shoud be
hardy rather than decoratve.
You shoud not have a favorte weapon, nor kes and dskes. To
become over-famar wth one weapon s as much a faut as not
knowng t sumcenty we. You shoud not copy others, but use those
weapons you can hande propery. These are thngs you must know
competey.
!iming in strategy
There s tmng n everythng. Tmng n strategy cannot be mastered
wthout a great dea of practce.
|ust as tmng s mportant n dancng and ppe or strng musc - as they
are n rhythm ony f tmng s good - tmng and rhythm are aso
nvoved n the mtary arts, shootng bows and guns, and rdng
horses. In fact, a sks and abtes nvove tmng, and there s aso
tmng n the Vod.
There s tmng n the whoe fe of the warror, n hs thrvng and
decnng, n hs harmony and dscord. Smary, there s tmng n the
Way of the merchant, n the rse and fa of capta. A thngs enta
rsng and fang tmng. You must be abe to dscern ths.
In strategy there are varous tmng consderatons. To begn you must
know the appcabe tmng and the nappcabe tmng, the fast and
sow tmngs, and nd the reevant tmng from among arge and sma
thngs. Studyng tmng s an essenta thng n strategy. It s especay
mportant to know the background tmng, otherwse your strategy w
become uncertan.
You wn n battes wth the tmng of cunnng by knowng the enemes'
tmng, and usng a tmng whch the enemy does not expect. A the
ve books are chey concerned wth tmng. You must tran sumcenty
to apprecate a ths.
If you practce day and nght n the above Ich Schoo strategy, your
sprt w naturay broaden. Ths Way of strategy s recorded for the
rst tme n the ve books of Ground, Water, Fre, Tradton (Wnd), and
Vod.
For men who want to earn my strategy, ths s the Way:
Do not thnk dshonesty.
The Way s n tranng.
Become acquanted wth every art.
Know the Ways of a professons.
Dstngush between gan and oss n wordy matters.
Deveop ntutve |udgment and understandng for everythng.
Perceve those thngs that cannot be seen.
Pay attenton even to tres.
Do nothng useess
It s mportant to start by settng these broad prncpes n your heart.
You must tran n the Way of strategy. If you do not ook at thngs on a
arge scae, t w be dmcut for you to master strategy; however f you
earn and attan ths strategy, you w never ose even to twenty or
thrty enemes.
More than anythng, you must set your heart on strategy and earnesty
stck to the Way. By tranng you w be abe to freey contro your own
body, conquer men wth your body, and wth sumcent tranng you w
be abe to beat men n ghts, be abe to wn wth your eye, and beat
ten men wth your sprt. When you have reached ths pont, w t not
mean that you are nvncbe?
Further, n arge scae strategy the superor man w manage many
subordnates dexterousy, bear hmsef correcty, govern the country
and foster the peope, thus preservng the ruer's dscpne. Hence
foowng the Way of strategy nvoves the sprt not beng defeated,
hepng onesef and ganng honor.
The second year of Shoho (1645), the fth month, the twefth day.
!he Water Book
The sprt of the N Ten Ich Schoo of strategy s based on water, and
ths Water Book expans methods of vctory n the ong-sword form of
the Ich Schoo. Whe anguage s nadequate to expan the Way n
deta, t can be grasped ntutvey. Thnk about each word as you
study ths book. If you nterpret the meanng oosey you w mstake
the Way.
Whe prncpes of strategy are wrtten here n terms of snge combat,
you must thnk broady so that you attan an understandng for ten-
thousand-a-sde battes. Strategy s dherent from other thngs n that f
you mstake the Way even a tte, you w become bewdered and fa
nto bad ways.
You w not reach the Way of strategy by merey readng ths book. Ths
book s meant to be studed, absorbed, memorzed and mtated, so
that you may truy grasp ts prncpes from wthn your heart and
absorb them nto your body.
S#iritua% Bearing in Strategy
In strategy your sprtua bearng must not be any dherent from
norma. Both n ghtng and n everyday fe you shoud be determned
though cam. Meet stuatons wthout tenseness yet not reckessy,
your sprt setted yet unbased. Even when your sprt s cam do not
et your body reax, and when your body s reaxed do not et your
sprt sacken. Do not et your sprt be nuenced by your body, nor
your body be nuenced by your sprt. Be nether nsumcenty sprted
nor over sprted. An eevated sprt s weak and a ow sprt s weak. Do
not et the enemy see your sprt.
Sma peope must be competey famar wth the sprt of arge
peope, and arge peope must be famar wth the sprt of sma
peope. Whatever your sze, do not be msed by the reactons of your
own body. Wth your sprt open and unrestrcted, ook at thngs from a
hgh pont of vew. Cutvate and posh your wsdom: earn pubc
|ustce, dstngush between good and ev, and study the Ways of
dherent arts one by one. When you are not deceved by men you w
have reazed the wsdom of strategy.
The wsdom of strategy s dherent from other thngs. You shoud
ceaseessy research the prncpes of strategy so that you can deveop
a steady sprt.
Stane in Strategy
Adopt a stance wth the head erect, nether hangng down, nor ookng
up, nor twsted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes shoud
not be wrnked. Do not ro your eyes nor aow them to bnk, rather
sghty narrow them. Wth your features composed, keep the ne of
your nose straght wth a feeng of sghty arng your nostrs. Hod
the ne of the rear of the neck straght; nst vgor nto your harne
and from the shouders down through your entre body. Lower both
shouders and, wthout the buttocks |uttng out, put strength nto your
egs from the knees to the tops of your toes. Brace your abdomen so
that you do not bend at the hps. Wedge your companon sword n your
bet aganst your abdomen, so that your bet s not sack - ths s caed
"wedgng n".
In a forms of strategy, t s necessary to mantan the combat stance
n everyday fe and to make your everyday stance your combat
stance. You must grasp ths we.
!he Ga*e in Strategy
The gaze shoud be arge and broad. Ths s the twofod gaze -
"Percepton and Sght". Percepton s strong and sght weak.
In strategy t s mportant to see dstant thngs as f they were cose
and to take a dstanced vew of cose thngs. It s mportant to know the
enemy's sword and not to be dstracted by nsgncant movements of
hs sword. You must study ths. The gaze s the same for snge combat
and for arge-scae combat.
It s necessary n strategy to be abe to ook to both sdes wthout
movng your eyebas. You cannot master ths abty qucky. Learn
what s wrtten here: use ths gaze n everyday fe and never vary from
t.
+o%ding the ,ong S'ord
Grp the ong sword wth a oatng feeng n your thumb and
forenger, wth the mdde nger nether tght nor sack, and wth the
ast two ngers tght.
When you take up a sword, you must fee ntent on cuttng the enemy.
As you cut an enemy you must not change your grp, and your hands
must not "cower". When you dash the enemy's sword asde, or ward t
oh, or force t down, you must sghty change the feeng n your
thumb and forenger. Above a, you must be ntent on cuttng the
enemy n the way you grp the sword. The grp durng combat and
durng sword-testng s the same.
Generay, I dske xedness n both ong swords and hands. Fxedness
means a dead hand. Pabty s a vng hand. You must bear ths n
mnd.
Foot'ork
Wth the tps of your toes somewhat oatng, tread rmy wth your
hees. Whether you move fast or sow, wth arge or sma steps, your
feet must aways move as n norma wakng. I dske the three wakng
methods known as "|umpng-foot", "oatng-foot" and "xed-steps".
So-caed "Yn-Yang foot" s mportant to the Way. Yn-Yang foot means
movng both feet; t means movng your feet eft-rght and rght-eft
when cuttng, wthdrawng, or wardng oh a cut. You shoud not move
one foot preferentay.
!he Five Attitudes
There are ve dmensons of atttude, and there are no atttudes but
these ve. The ve atttudes are: Upper, Mdde, Lower, Rght Sde, and
Left Sde. The one purpose of a atttudes s to cut the enemy.
Whatever atttude you are n, do not be conscous of makng the
atttude; thnk ony of cuttng.
Your atttude shoud be arge or sma accordng to the stuaton. Upper,
Lower and Mdde atttudes are decsve. Left Sde and Rght Sde
atttudes are ud. Left and Rght atttudes shoud be used f there s an
obstructon overhead or to one sde. The decson to use Left or Rght
depends on the pace.
The Mdde atttude s the heart of the atttudes, the essence of the
Way. To understand atttude you must thoroughy understand the
Mdde atttude, for f we ook at strategy on a broad scae, the Mdde
atttude s the seat of the commander, wth the other four atttudes
foowng the commander. You must comprehend ths.
!he Way of the ,ong S'ord
To know the Way of the ong sword means we can wed wth two
ngers the sword that we usuay carry. If we know the path of the
sword we, we can wed t easy.
To wed the ong sword we you must wed t camy. If you try to wed
the ong sword qucky, ke a fodng fan or a short sword, you w
mstake the Way and you w err by usng "short sword choppng". You
cannot cut a man wth a ong sword usng ths method.
When you have cut downwards wth the ong sword, ft t straght
upwards; when you cut sdeways, return the sword aong a sdeways
path. Return the sword n a reasonabe way, aways stretchng the
ebows broady. Wed the sword strongy. Ths s the Way of the ong
sword.
If you earn to use the ve approaches of my strategy, you w be abe
to wed a sword we. You must tran constanty.
!he Five A##roahes
The rst approach s the Mdde atttude. Confront the enemy
wth the pont of your sword aganst hs face. When he attacks,
dash hs sword to the rght and "rde" t. Or, when the enemy
attacks, deect the pont of hs sword by httng downwards,
keep your ong sword where t s, and as the enemy renews the
attack, cut hs arms from beow. Ths s the rst method.
The ve approaches are smar n purpose. You must tran
repeatedy usng a ong sword n order to earn them. When you
master my Way of the ong sword, you w be abe to contro any
attack the enemy makes. I assure you, there are no atttudes
other than the ve atttudes of the ong sword of NTo.
In the second approach wth the ong sword, use the Upper
atttude and cut the enemy |ust as he attacks. If the enemy
evades the cut, keep your sword where t s and, scoopng from
beow, cut hm as he renews the attack. It s possbe to repeat
the cut from here.
In ths method there are varous changes n tmng and sprt. You
w be abe to understand ths by tranng n the Ich Schoo. You
w aways wn wth the ve ong sword methods. You must tran
repeatedy.
In the thrd approach, adopt the Lower atttude, antcpatng
scoopng up. When the enemy attacks, ht hs hands from beow.
As you do so, he may try to ht your sword down. If ths s the
case, cut hs upper arm(s) horzontay wth a feeng of
"crossng". Ths means that from the Lower atttudes you ht the
enemy at the nstant that he attacks.
You w encounter ths method often, both as a begnner and n
ater strategy. You must tran hodng a ong sword.
In ths fourth approach, adopt the Left Sde atttude. As the
enemy attacks, ht hs hands from beow. If as you ht hs hands
he attempts to dash down your sword, parry the path of hs ong
sword wth the feeng of httng hs hands and cut across from
above your shouder.
Ths s the Way of the ong sword. Through ths method you wn
by parryng the ne of the enemy's attack. You must study ths.
In the fth approach, the sword s n the Rght Sde atttude. In
accordance wth the enemy's attack, cross your sword from
beow at the sde to the Upper atttude. Then cut straght from
above.
Ths method s essenta for knowng the Way of the ong sword
we. If you can use ths method, you can freey wed a heavy
ong sword.
I cannot descrbe n deta how to use these ve approaches. You must
become we acquanted wth my "n harmony wth the ong sword"
Way, earn arge-scae tmng, understand the enemy's ong sword, and
become accustomed to the ve approaches. You w aways wn by
usng these ve methods, wth varous tmng consderatons
dscernng the enemy's sprt. You must reect upon a ths carefuy.
!he )Attitude No&Attitude) !eahing
"Atttude No-Atttude" means that there s no need for what are known
as ong
sword atttudes. Even so, atttudes do exst as the ve ways of hodng
the ong sword. However you hod the sword, t must be n such a way
that t s easy to cut the enemy we, n accordance wth the stuaton,
the pace, and your reaton to the enemy. From the Upper atttude, as
your sprt essens you can adopt the Mdde atttude, and from the
Mdde atttude you can rase the sword a tte n your technque and
adopt the Upper atttude. From the Lower atttude you can rase the
sword a tte and adopt the Mdde atttudes as the occason demands.
Accordng to the stuaton, f you turn your sword from ether the Left
Sde or Rght Sde atttude towards the center, the Mdde or the Lower
atttude resuts.
Ths prncpe s known as: "Exstng Atttude - Non-exstng Atttude".
The most mportant thng when you take a sword n your hands s your
ntenton to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry,
ht, sprng, strke or touch the enemy's cuttng sword, you must cut the
enemy n the same movement. Ths s essenta. If you thnk ony of
httng, sprngng, strkng or touchng the enemy, you w not be abe
actuay to cut hm. More than anythng, you must be thnkng of
carryng your movement through to cuttng hm. To acheve ths you
must research t we.
Atttude n strategy on a arger scae s caed "Batte Array" and s
ntended for wnnng battes. Do not use a xed formaton. Study ths
we.
!o +it the -nemy )In $ne !iming)
When you have drawn cose to the enemy, ht hm as qucky and
drecty as possbe, wthout movng your body or settng your sprt,
whe you see that he s st undecded. Ths tmng of httng before the
enemy decdes to wthdraw, break or ht, s caed "In One Tmng".
It takes tranng to acheve ths tmng and to be abe to ht n the
tmng of an nstant.
!he )Abdomen !iming of !'o)
When you attack and the enemy qucky retreats, as you see hm tense
you must fent a cut. Then, as he reaxes, foow up and ht hm. Ths s
the "Abdomen Tmng of Two". It s very dmcut to attan ths merey by
readng ths book, but you w soon understand wth a tte nstructon.
No .esign/ No "one#tion

In ths method, when the enemy attacks and you decde to attack, ht
wth your body, ht wth your sprt, and ht from the Vod wth your
hands, acceeratng strongy. Ths s the "No Desgn, No Concepton"
cut.
Ths s the most mportant method of httng. It s often used. You must
tran hard to understand t.
!he F%o'ing Water "ut
The "Fowng Water Cut" s used when you are struggng bade to
bade wth the enemy. When he breaks and qucky wthdraws tryng to
sprng wth hs ong sword, expand your body and sprt and cut hm as
sowy as possbe wth your ong sword, foowng your body ke
stagnant water. You can cut wth certanty f you earn ths. You must
dscern the enemy's grade.
!he Fire and Stones "ut
The Fres and Stones Cut means that when the enemy's ong sword and
your ong sword cash together, you cut as strongy as possbe wthout
rasng the sword even a bt. Ths means cuttng qucky wth the
hands, body and egs - a three cuttng strongy. If you tran we
enough you w be abe to strke strongy.
!he Red ,eaves "ut
The Red Leaves Cut means knockng down the enemy's ong sword.
When the enemy s n a ong sword atttude n front of you and ntent
on cuttng, httng and parryng, you strongy ht the enemy's sword
wth the Fre and Stones Cut, perhaps n the desgn of the "No Desgn,
No Concepton" Cut. The sprt shoud be gettng contro of hs sword. If
you then beat down the pont of hs sword wth a stcky feeng, he w
necessary drop the sword. If you practce ths cut t becomes easy to
make the enemy drop hs sword. You must tran repettvey.
!he Body in 0%ae of the ,ong S'ord
Aso caed: "the ong sword n pace of the body". Usuay we move the
body and the sword at the same tme to cut the enemy. However,
accordng to the enemy's cuttng method, you can dash aganst hm
wth your body rst, and afterwards cut wth the sword. If hs body s
mmoveabe, you can cut rst wth the ong sword, but generay you
ht rst wth the body and then cut wth the ong sword. You must
examne ths we and practce httng.
"ut and S%ash
To cut and sash are two dherent thngs. Cuttng s decsve, wth a
resoute sprt. When you cut, your sprt s resoved. Sashng s nothng
more than touchng the enemy. Even f you sash strongy, and even f
the enemy des nstanty, t s caed sashng. If you rst sash the
enemy's hands or egs, you must then cut strongy. Sashng s n sprt
the same as touchng. When you understand ths, they become
ndstngushabe. Learn ths we.
"hinese Monkey1s Body
The Chnese Monkey's Body s the sprt of not stretchng out your
arms. The sprt s to get n qucky wth your whoe body before the
enemy attacks, wthout extendng your arms n the east. When you
come to wthn arm's reach t becomes easy to move your body n.
G%ue and ,a2uer -mu%sion Body
The sprt of "Gue and Lacquer Emuson Body" s to stck to the enemy
and not separate from hm. Peope tend to advance ther head and egs
qucky, but ther body ags behnd. Instead, when you approach the
enemy, stck rmy wth your head, body and egs. You shoud stck
rmy so that there s not the sghtest gap between the enemy's body
and your body.
!o Strive for +eight
When you cose wth the enemy, strve wth hm for superor heght
wthout crngng. Stretch your egs, stretch your hps, and stretch your
neck face to face wth hm. When you thnk you have won, and you are
the hgher, thrust n strongy. You must earn to execute ths.
!o A##%y Stikiness
When both you and the enemy attack wth the ong sword, you shoud
go n wth a stcky feeng and x your ong sword aganst the enemy's
as you receve hs cut. The sprt of stckness s not httng very
strongy, but httng so that the ong swords do not separate easy. It s
best to approach as camy as possbe when httng the enemy's ong
sword wth stckness. The dherence between "Stckness" and
"Entangement" s that stckness s rm and entangement s weak. It
s mportant to understand ths.
!he Body Strike
The Body Strke means to approach the enemy through a gap n hs
guard. The sprt s to strke hm wth your body. Turn your face sghty
asde and strke the enemy's breast wth your eft shouder thrust out.
Approach wth a sprt of bouncng the enemy away, strkng as
strongy as possbe n tme wth your breathng. If you succeed n ths
method of cosng wth the enemy, you w be abe to knock hm ten or
twenty feet away. It s possbe to strke the enemy unt he s dead.
Tran vgorousy.
!hree Ways to 0arry +is Attak
There are three methods to parry a cut:

1) When the enemy makes an attack, dash hs ong sword to your rght,
as f thrustng at hs eyes.
2) Parry by thrustng the enemy's ong sword towards hs rght eye wth
the feeng of snppng hs neck.
3) When you have a short "ong sword", wthout worryng about
parryng the enemy's ong sword, cose wth hm qucky by thrustng at
hs face wth your eft hand.
These are the three ways of parryng. You must bear n mnd that you
can aways cench your eft hand and thrust at the enemy's face wth
your st. For ths t s necessary to tran we.
!o Stab at the Fae
When your sprt s ntent on stabbng at the enemy's face, foow the
ne of the bades wth the pont of your ong sword. If you are ntent on
stabbng at hs face, hs body w become dsposabe, presentng
opportuntes to wn qucky. You must pursue the vaue of ths
technque through tranng.
!o Stab at the +eart
The sprt of ths prncpe s often usefu when we become tred or for
some reason our ong sword w not cut. In ghtng, f there are
obstructons above or to the sdes, and whenever t s dmcut to cut,
stabbng at the heart means to thrust at the enemy. You must stab the
enemy's breast wthout ettng the pont of your ong sword waver,
showng the enemy the rdge of the bade square-on, and wth the
sprt of deectng hs ong sword. You must be famar wth the
appcaton of ths method.
!o So%d )!ut&!3!4)
To "scod" means that when the enemy tres to counter-cut as you
attack, you counter-cut agan from beow as f thrustng at hm, tryng
to hod hm down. Wth very quck tmng you cut, scodng the enemy.
Thrust up, "Tut!" and cut "TUT!" Ths tmng s encountered tme and
tme agan n exchanges of bows. The way to scod "Tut-TUT" s to tme
the cut smutaneousy wth rasng your ong sword as f to thrust the
enemy. Ths sk s acqured through repettve practce.
!he Smaking 0arry
When you cash swords wth the enemy, meet hs attackng cut on your
ong sword wth a tee-dum, tee-dum rhythm, smackng hs sword and
cuttng hm. The sprt of the smackng parry s not parryng, or
smackng strongy, but smackng the enemy's ong sword n
accordance wth hs attackng cut, prmary ntent on qucky cuttng
hm. If you understand the tmng of smackng, however hard your ong
swords cash, your sword pont w not be knocked back even a tte.
You must study and tran keeny n order to acheve ths.
!here are Many -nemies
"There are Many Enemes" appes when you are one ghtng aganst
many. Draw both sword and companon sword and assume a wde-
stretched eft and rght atttude. The sprt s to chase the enemes
from sde to sde, even though they come from a four drectons.
Observe ther attackng order, and go to meet rst those who attack
rst. Sweep your eyes around broady, carefuy examnng the
attackng order, and cut eft and rght aternatey wth your swords. Do
not wat! Aways qucky re-assume your atttudes to both sdes,
cuttng the enemes down as they advance and crushng them n the
drecton from whch they attack. Most mportanty, am to drve the
enemy together, as f tyng a ne of shes, and when they ped cose
together, cut them down strongy wthout gvng them room to move.
$ne "ut
You can wn wth certanty wth the sprt of "one cut", however t s
dmcut to attan ths f you do not earn strategy we. If you tran we
n the Way, strategy w come from your heart and you w be abe to
wn at w. You must tran devotedy.
.iret "ommuniation
The sprt of "Drect Communcaton" s how the true Way of the NTo
Ich Schoo s receved and handed down. Strategy wth the ong sword
cannot be ceary expaned n wrtng, but through dgent practce you
w understand how to wn.
Ora tradton: "The true Way of strategy s reveaed n the ong sword."
Ora tradton: "Teach your body strategy."
Recorded n the above book s an outne of Ich Schoo sword ghtng.
In summary, to earn how to wn wth the ong sword n strategy, rst
earn the ve approaches and the ve atttudes, and absorb the Way of
the ong sword naturay n your body. You must understand sprt and
tmng, hande the ong sword naturay, and move body and egs n
harmony wth your sprt. Whether beatng one man or more, you w
then apprecate the vaue of strategy.
Study the contents of ths book takng one tem at a tme, and through
ghtng wth enemes you w graduay come to know the prncpe of
the Way.
Deberatey, wth a patent sprt, absorb the vrtue of the Way,
occasonay rasng your hand n combat. Mantan ths sprt whenever
you cross swords wth an enemy.
Step by step wak the thousand-me road.
Study strategy over the years and acheve the sprt of the warror.
Today s your vctory over yoursef of yesterday; tomorrow s your
vctory over esser men.
In order to beat more skfu men, tran ntensey wth the gudance of
ths book. Even f you k an enemy, f t s not based on what you have
earned t s not the true Way.
If you attan ths Way of vctory, you w be abe to beat severa tens of
men. What remans s sword-ghtng abty, whch you can attan n
battes and dues.
The Second Year of Shoho, the twefth day of the fth month (1645).
!he Fire Book
I descrbe ghtng as re n ths Fre Book of the NTo Ich Schoo of
strategy.
My Way of strategy s the sure method wheren "one man can beat ten;
a thousand men can beat ten thousand". Of course, you cannot
assembe a thousand or ten thousand men for everyday tranng. But
you can become a master of strategy by tranng aone wth a sword so
that you can understand the enemy's strateges, hs strengths and
resources, and come to apprecate how to appy strategy to beat ten
thousand enemes to wn.
Most peope thnk narrowy about the benet of strategy. By usng ony
ther ngertps, they ony know the benet of three of the ve nches of
the wrst. They et a contest be decded merey by the span of ther
forearms, for they specaze n the sma matter of dexterty, earnng
such tres as hand and eg movements wth the bamboo practce
sword.
In my strategy, the tranng for kng enemes s by way of many
contests, ghtng for survva, dscoverng the meanng of fe and
death, earnng the Way of the sword, |udgng the strength of attacks
and understandng the Way of the "edge and rdge" of the sword. You
cannot prot from sma technques partcuary when fu armor s
worn.
Any man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must study
dgenty, tranng mornng and evenng. Thus can he posh hs sk,
become free from sef, and reaze extraordnary abty. He w come to
possess mracuous power.
Ths s the practca resut of strategy.
.e#ending on the 0%ae
Examne your envronment.

Take up an atttude wth the sun behnd you. If the stuaton does not
aow ths, you must try to keep the sun on your rght sde; or, f n
budngs, stand wth the entrance behnd you or to your rght. Make
sure that your rear s unobstructed, and that there s free space on
your eft, your rght sde beng occuped wth your sword atttude. At
nght, f the enemy can be seen, keep the re behnd you and the
entrance to your rght, and otherwse take up your atttude as above.
You must ook down on the enemy, and take up your atttude on a
sghty hgher pane.
Durng a ght, aways endeavor to chase the enemy around to your eft
sde. Chase hm towards awkward paces - bad foothods, obstaces at
the sde, and so on - tryng to keep hm wth hs back to awkward
paces. When the enemy gets nto an nconvenent poston, do not et
hm ook around, but conscentousy chase hm around and pn hm
down. In houses, chase the enemy nto the threshods, ntes, doors,
verandas, pars, and so on, agan not ettng hm see hs stuaton. Use
the vrtues of each pace to estabsh predomnant postons from whch
to ght. You must research and tran dgenty n ths.
!he !hree Methods to Foresta%% the -nemy
The rst method s to foresta hm by attackng. Ths s caed Ken No
Sen (to set hm up).
Another method s to foresta hm as he attacks. Ths s caed Tai No
Sen (to wat for the ntatve).
The thrd method s when you and the enemy attack together. Ths s
caed Tai Tai No Sen (to accompany hm and foresta hm).
There are no methods of takng the ead other than these three. Snce
you can wn qucky by takng the ead, ths s one of the most
mportant eements n strategy. There are severa thngs nvoved n
takng the ead. You must make the best of the stuaton, see through
the enemy's sprt so that you grasp hs strategy, and defeat hm. It s
mpossbe to fuy expan ths n wrtng.
!he First & 5en No Sen
When you decde to attack, stay cam and dash n qucky, forestang
the enemy. Or, you can advance seemngy strongy but wth a
reserved sprt, forestang hm wth the reserve.
Aternatey, advance wth as strong a sprt as possbe, and when you
reach the enemy move wth your feet a tte qucker than norma,
unsettng hm and overwhemng hm sharpy.
Or, wth your sprt cam, attack wth a feeng of constanty crushng
the enemy, from rst to ast. The sprt s to wn n the depths of the
enemy.
These are a Ken No Sen.
!he Seond & !ai No Sen
When the enemy attacks, reman undsturbed but fegn weakness. As
the enemy approaches you, move away suddeny as f ndcatng that
you ntend to |ump asde; then dash n attackng strongy as soon as
you see the enemy reax. Ths s one way.
Or, as the enemy attacks, attack more strongy, takng advantage of
the resutng dsorder n hs tmng to wn.
Ths s the Tai No Sen prncpe.
!he !hird & !ai !ai No Sen
When the enemy makes a quck attack, you must attack strongy and
camy, am for hs weak pont as he draws near, and strongy defeat
hm.
Or, f the enemy attacks camy, you must observe hs movement and,
wth your body rather oatng, |on n wth hs movements as he draws
near. Move qucky and cut hm strongy.
Ths s Tai Tai No Sen
These thngs cannot be ceary expaned n words. In these three ways
of forestang, you must |udge each stuaton ndependenty. In
strategy, you have ehectvey won when you foresta the enemy, so
you must study what s wrtten here and tran we to attan ths.
!o +o%d .o'n a 0i%%o'
In contests of strategy, you aways want to ead the enemy about
rather than be ed about by the enemy. Obvousy, the enemy w be
endeavorng to do the same thng, but he cannot foresta you f you do
not aow hm to come out.
In strategy, you must stop the enemy as he attempts to cut; you must
push down hs thrust, and throw oh hs hod when he tres to grappe.
Ths s the meanng of "to hod down a pow"; t means not aowng
the enemy's head to rse. When you have grasped ths prncpe, you
w see n advance whatever the enemy tres to brng about n the
ght and suppress t. The sprt s to check hs attack as soon as t
begns.
The mportant thng n strategy s to suppress the enemy's usefu
actons but aow hs useess actons. However, dong ths aone s
defensve. Frst, you must act accordng to the Way, suppress the
enemy's technques, fong hs pans, and thence command hm
drecty. When you can do ths you w be a master of strategy. You
must tran we and research "hodng down a pow".
"rossing at a Ford
"Crossng at a ford" means, for exampe, crossng the sea at a strat,
knowng the route, knowng the soundness of your shp and the favor
of the day. It means settng sa when condtons are good, and there s
perhaps a favorabe wnd, or a tawnd. Ths sprt, f you attan t,
appes to everyday fe. You must aways thnk of crossng at a ford.
In strategy aso t s mportant to "cross at a ford". Dscern the enemy's
capabty and, knowng your own strong ponts, "cross the ford" at the
most advantageous pace, as a good captan crosses a sea route. If you
succeed n crossng at the best pace, you may take your ease. To cross
at a ford means to attack the enemy's weak pont and to put yoursef
n an advantageous poston. Ths s how to wn n arge-scae strategy.
The sprt of crossng at a ford s necessary n both arge- and sma-
scae strategy. You must examne ths we.
!o 5no' the !imes
"To know the tmes" means to know the enemy's dsposton n batte.
Is t ourshng or wanng? By observng the sprt of the enemy's men,
you can dscover the enemy's dsposton and move your men nto
poston accordngy, thereby ghtng from a poston of advantage.
In a due, foresta the enemy and attack when you have recognzed hs
schoo of strategy, perceved hs quaty, and hs strong and weak
ponts. If your abty to "know the tmes" s hgh, you w be abe to
attack n an unsuspectng manner, knowng hs metre and moduaton
and the approprate tmng.
When you are thoroughy conversant wth strategy, you w recognze
the enemy's ntentons and thus have many opportuntes to wn. You
must sumcenty study ths.
!o !read .o'n the S'ord
"To tread down the sword" s a prncpe often used n strategy. In arge-
scae strategy, when the enemy rst attacks by dschargng bows and
guns, t s dmcut to attack f we are busy oadng powder nto our
guns or notchng our arrows. The sprt s to attack qucky whe the
enemy s st shootng wth bows or guns. The sprt s to wn by
"treadng down" as we receve the enemy's attack.
In snge combat, we cannot get a decsve vctory by cuttng, wth a
"tee-dum tee-dum" feeng, n the wake of the enemy's attackng ong
sword. We must defeat hm at the start of hs attack, n the sprt of
treadng hm down wth the feet, so that he cannot rse agan to the
attack.
"Treadng" does not smpy mean treadng wth the feet. Tread wth the
body, tread wth the sprt, and, of course, tread and cut wth the ong
sword. You must acheve the sprt of not aowng the enemy to attack
a second tme. Ths s the sprt of forestang n every sense. Once at
the enemy, you shoud not aspre to merey strke hm, but to cng
after the attack. You must absorb ths deepy.
!o 5no' )"o%%a#se)
Everythng can coapse. Houses, bodes, and enemes a coapse
when ther rhythm becomes deranged. In arge-scae strategy, when
the enemy starts to coapse, you must pursue hm wthout ettng the
opportunty pass by. If you fa to take advantage of your enemes'
coapse, they may recover.
In snge combat, the enemy sometmes oses tmng and coapses. If
you et ths chance go by, he may recover and not be so neggent
thereafter. Fx your eye on the enemy's coapse and chase hm,
attackng so that you do not et hm recover. You must do ths. The
chasng attack s wth a strong sprt. You must uttery cut the enemy
down so that he does not recover hs poston. You must understand
uttery how to cut down the enemy.
!o Beome the -nemy
"To become the enemy" means to thnk yoursef nto the enemy's
poston. In arge-scae strategy, peope are aways under the
mpresson that the enemy s strong, and so tend to become cautous.
But f you have good soders, and f you understand the prncpes of
strategy, and f you know how to beat the enemy, there s nothng to
worry about.
In snge combat aso you must put yoursef n the enemy's poston. If
you thnk, "Here s a master of the Way, who knows the prncpes of
strategy" then you w surey ose. You must consder ths deepy.
!o Re%ease Four +ands
"To Reease Four Hands" s used when you and the enemy are
contendng wth the same sprt, and the ssue cannot be decded.
Abandon ths sprt and wn through an aternatve resource.
In arge-scae strategy, when there s a "four hands" sprt, mmedatey
throw away the current sprt and wn wth a technque the enemy does
not expect.
Smary, n snge combat, when we thnk we have faen nto the "four
hands" stuaton, we must defeat the enemy by changng our mnd and
appyng a sutabe technque accordng to hs condton. You must be
abe to |udge ths.
!o Move the Shade
"To move the shade" s used when you cannot see the enemy's sprt.
In arge-scae strategy, f you cannot see the enemy's poston, ndcate
that you are about to attack strongy, so as to dscover hs resources.
Once you observe hs resources, t s then easy to defeat hm wth a
dherent method.
In snge combat, f the enemy takes up a rear or sde atttude of the
ong sword so that you cannot see hs ntenton, make a fent attack,
and the enemy w show hs ong sword, thnkng he sees your sprt.
Benetng from what you are shown, you can wn wth certanty. If you
are neggent you w mss the tmng. Research ths we.
!o +o%d .o'n a Shado'
"Hodng down a shadow" s used when you can see the enemy's
attackng sprt. In arge-scae strategy, when the enemy embarks on
an attack, f you make a show of strongy suppressng hs technque, he
w change hs mnd. Then, aterng your sprt, defeat hm by
forestang hm wth a Vod sprt.
Or, n snge combat, hod down the enemy's strong ntenton wth a
sutabe tmng, and defeat hm by forestang hm wth ths tmng.
Look we nto ths.
!o 0ass $n
In arge-scae strategy, when the enemy s agtated and shows an
ncnaton to rush, do not be bothered n the east. Make a show of
compete camness, and the enemy w be taken n by ths and w
aso reax. When you see that your sprt has been passed on, you can
brng about the enemy's defeat by attackng strongy wth a Vod sprt.
In snge combat, you can wn by reaxng your body and sprt and
then, takng advantage of the moment the enemy reaxes, attack
strongy and qucky, forestang hm.
What s known as "gettng someone drunk" s smar to ths. You can
aso nfect the enemy wth a bored, careess, or weak sprt.
Understand ths and use t we.
!o "ause ,oss of Ba%ane
Many thngs can cause a oss of baance - danger, hardshp, and the
eement of surprse. In arge-scae strategy t s mportant to cause oss
of baance. Attack wthout warnng where the enemy s not expectng
t, and whe hs sprt s undecded, foow up your ead advantage and
defeat hm.
Or, n snge combat, start by makng a show of beng sow, then
suddeny attack strongy. Wthout aowng hm tme to breathe and to
recover from the uctuaton of sprt, grasp the opportunty to wn. Get
the fee of ths.
!o Frighten
Frght often occurs, caused by the unexpected. In arge-scae strategy
you can frghten the enemy by shoutng, makng a sma force seem
arge, or by threatenng them from the ank wthout warnng. These
thngs a frghten. You can wn by makng best use of the enemy's
frghtened rhythm.
In snge combat aso, you must use the advantage of takng the
enemy unawares by frghtenng hm wth your body, ong sword, or
voce to defeat hm.
!o Soak In
When you are struggng together wth the enemy and you reaze that
you cannot advance, you shoud "soak n" and become one wth the
enemy. You can wn by appyng a sutabe technque whe you are
mutuay entanged.
In battes nvovng arge numbers as we as n ghts wth sma
numbers, you can often wn decsvey wth the advantage of knowng
how to "soak" nto the enemy, whereas, were you to draw apart, you
woud ose the chance to wn. Study ths we.
!o In6ure the "orners
It s dmcut to move strong thngs by pushng drecty, so you shoud
"n|ure the corners". In arge-scae strategy, t s beneca to strke at
the corners of the enemy's force, for f the corners are overthrown, the
sprt of the whoe body w be overthrown. To defeat the enemy you
must foow up the attack when the corners have faen.
In snge combat, when you n|ure the "corners" of the enemy's body
and weaken hm, t s easy to coapse the enemy and to wn. It s
mportant to know how to do ths, so you must practce keeny.
!o !hro' into "onfusion
In arge-scae strategy, our troops can confuse the enemy on the ed.
Observng the enemy's sprt, we can make hm thnk, "Here? There?
Lke that? Lke ths? Sow? Fast?" Vctory s certan when the enemy s
caught up n a rhythm that confuses hs sprt.
In snge combat, we can confuse the enemy by attackng wth vared
technques when the chance arses. Fent a thrust or cut, or make the
enemy thng you are gong cose to hm, and when he s confused you
can easy wn.
Ths s the essence of ghtng, and you must research t deepy.
!he !hree Shouts
The voce s a thng of fe. The voce shows energy. The three shouts
are dvded thus: before, durng and after. Shout accordng to the
stuaton.
In arge-scae strategy, at the start of batte we shout as oudy as
possbe. Durng the ght, the voce s ow-ptched, shoutng out as we
attack. After the contest, we shout n the wake of our vctory. These are
the three shouts.
In snge combat, we make as f to cut and shout "E!" at the same tme
to dsturb the enemy, then n the wake of our shout we cut wth the
ong sword. We shout after we have cut down the enemy to announce
vctory. Ths s caed "sen go no koe" (before and after voce). We do
not shout smutaneousy wth ourshng the ong sword. We shout
durng the ght to get nto rhythm. Study ths ntensey.
!o Ming%e
'Mngng' s the sprt of advancng and becomng engaged wth the
enemy wthout retreatng even one step. In battes, attack the enemy's
strong ponts and when you see that they are beaten back, qucky
separate and attack yet another strong pont on the perphery of hs
force. The sprt of ths s ke a wndng mountan path.
Ths s an mportant ghtng method for one man aganst many. Strke
down the enemes n one quarter, or drve them back, then grasp the
tmng and attack further strong ponts to rght and eft, as f on a
wndng mountan path, weghng the enemes' dsposton. When you
know the enemes' eve, attack strongy wth no trace of retreatng
sprt.
In snge combat, too, use ths sprt wth the enemy's strong ponts.
!o "rush
In arge-scae strategy, when we see that the enemy has few men, or
that he has many men but hs sprt s weak and dsordered, we knock
the hat over hs eyes, crushng hm uttery. If we crush ghty, he may
recover. You must earn the sprt of crushng as f wth a hand-grp.
In snge combat, f the enemy s ess skfu, hs rhythm dsorganzed,
or f he has faen nto evasve or retreatng atttudes, we must crush
hm mmedatey, wthout aowng hm space to breathe. It s essenta
to crush hm a at once. The essenta thng s not to et hm recover
hs poston n the sghtest.
!he Mountain&Sea "hange
The "mountan-sea" sprt means that t s poor strategy to repeat the
same technque severa tmes when ghtng the enemy. If you must do
somethng twce, do not try t a thrd tme; for f you attack once and
fa, there s tte chance of succeedng f you use the same approach
agan. You must change your attackng method.
If the enemy thnks mountans, attack ke the sea; and f he thnks of
the sea, attack ke mountans. You must research ths deepy.
!o 0enetrate the .e#ths
The prncpe of "penetratng the depths" s to destroy the enemy's
sprt. When we are ghtng the enemy, even when t appears that we
can wn wth the benet of the Way, f hs sprt s not extngushed he
may be beaten supercay yet reman undefeated n sprt deep
nsde. Hence, we destroy the enemy's sprt n ts depths, demorazng
hm by qucky changng our sprt.

Penetratng the depths means penetratng wth the ong sword,
penetratng wth the body, and penetratng wth the sprt. Once we
have crushed the enemy n the depths, there s no need to reman
sprted. But otherwse we must reman sprted. If the enemy remans
sprted t s dmcut to crush hm. You must tran n penetratng the
depths for both arge-scae and snge combat strategy.
!o Rene'
"To renew" appes when we are ghtng wth the enemy and an
entanged sprt arses where there s no possbe resouton. In such a
case we must abandon our ehorts, thnk of the stuaton n a fresh
sprt, and then wn n the new rhythm. To renew when we are
deadocked wth the enemy means that wthout changng our
crcumstance we change our sprt and wn through a dherent
technque.
It s necessary to consder how "to renew" aso appes n arge-scae
strategy. Research ths dgenty.
Rat1s +ead/ $71s Nek
"Rat's head and ox's neck" means that, when we are ghtng wth the
enemy and both he and we have become occuped wth sma ponts n
an entanged sprt, we must aways thnk of the Way of strategy as
beng both a rat's head and an ox's neck. Whenever we have become
preoccuped wth sma detas, we must suddeny change nto a arge
sprt, nterchangng arge wth sma.
Ths s one of the essences of strategy. It s necessary that the warror
thnk n ths sprt n everyday fe. You must not depart from ths sprt
n arge-scae strategy nor n snge combat.
!he "ommander 5no's the !roo#s
Usng the wsdom of strategy, thnk of the enemy as your own troops.
When you thnk n ths way, you w be abe to move the enemy at w
and chase hm around. Thus you become the genera and the enemy
becomes your troops. "The commander knows the troops" appes
everywhere n ghts n my Way of strategy. Master ths.
!o ,et Go the +i%t
There are varous knds of sprt nvoved n ettng go the ht. There s
the sprt of wnnng wthout a sword. There s aso the sprt of hodng
the ong sword but not wnnng. The varous methods cannot be
expressed n wrtng. You must tran we.
!he Body of a Rok
When you have mastered the Way of strategy, you can suddeny make
your body ke a rock, and then ten thousand thngs cannot touch or
move you. Ths s the body of a rock.
A that s recorded above are my thoughts about Ich Schoo sword
fencng, wrtten down as the thoughts came to me. Ths s the rst tme
I have wrtten about my technque, and the order of thngs s a bt
confused. It s dmcut to express these concepts ceary.
Ths book s ntended as a sprtua gude for the man who wshes to
earn the Way. My heart has been ncned to the Way of strategy from
my youth onwards. I have devoted mysef to tranng my hand,
temperng my body, and attanng the many sprtua atttudes of sword
fencng.
If one observes men of other schoos dscussng theory and
concentratng on technques wth the hands, athough they seem
skfu to watch, they have not the sghtest true sprt. Of course, they
thnk they are tranng the body and sprt, but t s an obstace to the
true Way, and ts negatve nuence remans forever. Thus the true
Way of strategy s degeneratng and dyng out.
The true Way of sword fencng entas the craft of defeatng the enemy
n a ght, and nothng other than ths. If you attan and adhere to the
wsdom of my strategy, you need never doubt that you w wn.
The second year of Shoho, the fth month, the twefth day (1645).
!he Wind Book
In strategy, you must be famar wth the Ways of other schoos, so I
have wrtten about varous other tradtons of strategy n ths Wnd
Book.
Wthout knowedge of the Ways of other schoos, t s dmcut to
understand the essence of my Ich Schoo. Lookng at other schoos, we
nd some that specaze n technques of strength usng extra-ong
swords; some study the Way of the short sword, known as kodachi;
some teach dexterty n arge numbers of sword technques, teachng
atttudes of the sword as the "surface" and the Way as the "nteror".
However, n ths book, n whch I pont out a the vces and vrtues, and
rghts and wrongs, I w show that none of these are the true Way. My
Ich Schoo s dherent. Other schoos make success ther means of
vehood, decoratvey coorng artces n order to se them. Ths s
dentey not the Way of strategy.
Many of the word's strategsts are concerned ony wth sword fencng,
and mt ther tranng to ourshng the ong sword and carrage of the
body. But s dexterty aone sumcent to wn? Ths s not the essence of
the Way.
I have recorded the unsatsfactory ponts of other schoos one by one
n ths book. You must study these matters deepy to apprecate the
benet of my NTo Ich Schoo.
$ther Shoo%s 3sing -7tra&,ong S'ords
Some other schoos have a kng for extra-ong swords. From the pont
of vew of my strategy these must be seen as weak schoos, for they
do not apprecate the prncpe of cuttng the enemy by any means.
Ther preference s for the extra-ong sword and, reyng on the vrtue
of ts ength, they thnk of defeatng the enemy from a dstance.
In ths word t s sad, "One nch gves the hand advantage", but these
are the de words of one who does not know strategy. It shows the
nferor strategy of a weak sprt that men shoud depend on the ength
of ther sword, ghtng from a dstance wthout the benet of strategy.
I expect there s a case for kng extra-ong swords as part of a schoo's
doctrne, but f we compare ths wth rea fe t s unreasonabe. Surey
we need not necessary be defeated f we are usng a short sword, and
have no ong sword?
It s dmcut for these peope to cut the enemy when at cose quarters
because of the ength of the ong sword. The arge bade path makes
the ong sword an encumbrance, and they are at a dsadvantage
compared to the man armed wth a short companon sword.
There s an od sayng: "Great and sma go together." I do not
uncondtonay dske extra-ong swords; what I dske s the
ncnaton towards the ong sword. If we consder arge-scae strategy,
we can thnk of arge forces n terms of ong swords, and sma forces
as short swords. Cannot few men gve batte aganst many? There are
many nstances of few men overcomng many.
If your heart s ncned to the ong sword, your strategy s useess
when caed on to ght n a conned space, or f you are n a house
armed ony wth your companon sword. Besdes, some men have not
the strength of others.
In my doctrne, I dske preconceved, narrow sprt. You must study
ths we.
!he Strong ,ong S'ord S#irit in $ther Shoo%s
You shoud not speak of strong and weak ong swords. If you are
concerned wth the strength of your sword, you w try to cut
unreasonaby strongy, and w not be abe to cut at a. It s equay
bad to try to cut strongy when testng the sword.
Whenever you cross swords wth an enemy you must not thnk of
cuttng hm ether strongy or weaky; thnk ony of cuttng and kng
hm. Be ntent soey on kng the enemy.
If you rey on strength, when you ht the enemy's sword you w
nevtaby ht too hard. If you do ths, your own sword w be carred
aong as a resut. Thus the sayng, "The strongest hand wns", has no
meanng.
In arge-scae strategy, f you have a strong army and are reyng on
strength to wn, but the enemy aso has a strong army, the batte w
be erce. Ths s the same for both sdes. Wthout the correct prncpe
the ght cannot be won.
The sprt of my schoo s to wn through the wsdom of strategy,
payng no attenton to tres. Learn ths we.
3se of the Shorter ,ong S'ord in $ther Shoo%s
Usng a shorter ong sword s not the true Way to wn.
In ancent tmes, tachi and katana meant ong and short swords. Men
of superor strength n the word can wed even a ong sword ghty, so
there s no case for ther kng the short sword. They aso make use of
the ength of spears and haberds. Some men use a shorter ong sword
wth the ntenton of |umpng n and stabbng the enemy at the
unguarded moment when he ourshes hs sword. Ths ncnaton s
not the true Way.
To am for the enemy's unguarded moment s competey defensve,
and undesrabe at cose quarters wth the enemy. Furthermore, you
cannot use the method of |umpng nsde hs defense wth a short
sword f there are many enemes. Some men thnk that f they go
aganst many enemes wth a shorter ong sword they can
unrestrctedy frsk around cuttng n sweeps, but they have to parry
cuts contnuousy, and eventuay become entanged wth the enemy.
Ths s nconsstent wth the true Way of strategy.
The sure Way to wn s rather to chase the enemy around n a
confusng manner, causng hm to |ump asde, wth your body hed
strongy and straght. The same prncpe appes to arge-scae
strategy. The essence of strategy s to fa upon the enemy n arge
numbers and to brng about hs speedy downfa.
Through ther study of strategy, peope of the word became
accustomed to counterng, evadng and retreatng as the norma thng.
Becomng set n ths habt, they are easy paraded around by the
enemy. The Way of strategy s straght and true. You must chase the
enemy around and make hm obey your sprt.
$ther Shoo%s 'ith many Methods of using the ,ong S'ord
In order to gan the admraton of begnners, other schoos teach that
there are many methods of usng the ong sword. Ths s seng the
Way. It s a ve sprt n strategy.
The reason for ths s that to deberate over many ways of cuttng
down a man s an error. To begn wth, kng s not the Way of
manknd. Kng s the same for peope who are experenced ghters
and for those who are not. It s the same for women or chdren, and
there are not many dherent methods. We can speak of dherent tactcs
such as stabbng and mowng down, but ony of these.
Anyway, cuttng down the enemy s the Way of strategy, and there s
no need for many renements of t.
Even so, accordng to the pace, your ong sword may be obstructed
above or to the sdes, so you w need to hod your sword n such a
manner that t can be used. There are ve methods to wn, n ve
drectons. Methods apart from these ve - hand twstng, body
bendng, |umpng out, and so on, to cut the enemy - are not the true
Way of strategy. In order to cut the enemy you must not make twstng
or bendng cuts. These are competey useess.
In my strategy, I bear my sprt and body straght, and cause the
enemy to twst and bend. The necessary sprt s to wn by attackng
the enemy when hs sprt s warped. You must understand ths we.
3se of Attitudes of the ,ong S'ord in $ther Shoo%s
Pacng a great dea of mportance on the atttudes of the ong sword s
a mstaken way of thnkng. Atttudes are defensve technques for
stuatons n whch you are not to be moved. That s, for garrsonng
castes, batte array, and so on, showng the sprt of not beng moved
even by a strong assaut. I dske the defensve sprt known as
"atttude".
In the Way of dueng, however, you must aways be ntent upon takng
the ead and attackng. Atttude s the sprt of awatng an attack. You
must apprecate ths.
In dues of strategy you must move the opponent's atttude: Attack
where hs sprt s ax, throw hm nto confuson, rrtate and terrfy hm.
Take advantage of the enemy's rhythm when he s unsetted and you
can wn.
I dske the defensve sprt known as "atttude", therefore n my Way,
there s somethng caed "Atttude-No Atttude".
In arge-scae strategy we depoy our troops for batte bearng n mnd
our strength, observng the enemy's numbers, and notng the detas of
the batteed. Ths s at the start of the batte.
The sprt of attackng s competey dherent from the sprt of beng
attacked. Bearng an attack we, wth a strong atttude, and parryng
the enemy's attack we, s ke makng a wa of spears and haberds.
When you attack the enemy, your sprt must go to the extent of
pung the stakes out of a wa and usng them as spears and haberds.
You must examne ths we.
Fi7ing the -yes in $ther Shoo%s
Some schoos mantan that the eyes shoud be xed on the enemy's
ong sword; some x the eye on the hands, some on the face, some on
the feet, and so on. If you x the eyes on these paces your sprt can
become confused, and your strategy thwarted.
I w expan ths n deta. Footba payers do not x ther eyes on the
ba, but by knowng how to pay we they perform we. When you
become accustomed to somethng, you are not mted to the use of
your eyes. Peope such as master muscans have the musc score n
front of ther nose, but ths does not mean that they x ther eyes on t
speccay. Smary, ghters oursh the sword n severa ways when
they have mastered the Way, but ths does not mean that they make
pontess movements of the sword. It means that they can perform
naturay.
In the Way of strategy, once you have fought many tmes you w
easy be abe to apprase the speed and poston of the enemy's
sword, and havng mastery of the Way you w see the weght of hs
sprt. In strategy, xng the eyes means gazng at the man's heart.
In arge-scae strategy the area to observe s the enemy's strength.
"Percepton" and "sght" are the two methods of seeng. Percepton
conssts of concentratng strongy on the enemy's sprt, observng the
condton of the batte ed, xng the gaze strongy, seeng the
progress of the ght and the changes of advantage. Ths s the sure
way to wn.
In snge combat you must not x the eyes on detas. As I sad before,
f you x your eyes on detas and negect mportant thngs, your sprt
w become bewdered, and vctory w escape you. Research ths
prncpe we and tran dgenty.
3se of the Feet in $ther Shoo%s
There are varous methods of usng the feet: oatng foot, |umpng
foot, sprngng foot, treadng foot, crow's foot, and such nmbe wakng
methods. From the pont of vew of my strategy, these are a
unsatsfactory.
I dske oatng foot because the feet aways tend to oat durng the
ght. The Way must be trod rmy. Nether do I ke |umpng foot,
because t encourages the habt of |umpng, and a |umpy sprt.
However much you |ump, there s no rea |ustcaton for t. Sprngng
foot causes a sprngng sprt whch s ndecsve. Treadng foot s a
"watng" method whch I especay dske.
Apart from these, there are varous fast wakng methods, such as
crow's foot, and so on. However, sometmes you may encounter the
enemy on marshand, swampy ground, rver vaeys, stony ground, or
narrow roads, stuatons n whch you cannot |ump or move the feet
qucky.
In my strategy, the footwork does not change. I aways wak as I
usuay do n the street. You must never ose contro of your feet. Move
fast or sowy accordng to the enemy's rhythm, ad|ustng your body
ony as needed.
Carryng the feet s aso mportant n arge-scae strategy, for f you
attack qucky and thoughtessy wthout knowng the enemy's sprt,
your rhythm w become deranged and you w not be abe to wn. Or,
f you advance too sowy, you w not be abe to take advantage of the
enemy's dsorder, the opportunty to wn w escape, and you w not
be abe to nsh the ght qucky. You must wn by sezng upon the
enemy's dsorder and derangement, and by not accordng hm even
the sghtest hope of recovery. Practce ths we.
S#eed in $ther Shoo%s
Speed s not part of the true Way of strategy. Whatever the Way, the
master of strategy does not appear fast.
Some peope can wak as fast as a hundred or a hundred and twenty
mes n a day, but ths does not mean that they run contnuousy from
mornng t nght. Unpractced runners may seem to have been
runnng a day, but ther performance s poor.
In the Way of dance, accompshed performers can sng whe dancng,
but when begnners try ths they sow down and ther sprt becomes
busy. Very skfu peope can manage a fast rhythm, but f you try to
beat too qucky you w get out of tme. Of course, sowness s aso
bad. Truy sked peope never get out of rhythm, are aways
deberate, and never appear busy. From ths exampe, the prncpe
can be seen.
Speed s especay counterproductve n the Way of strategy. The
reason for ths s that dependng on the pace - marsh or swamp and so
on - t may not be possbe to move the body and egs together qucky.
If you have a ong sword n ths stuaton you w be abe to cut qucky
even ess, and f you try to cut qucky, as f usng a fan or short sword,
you w actuay not cut at a. You must apprecate ths.
In arge-scae strategy, a fast, busy sprt s aso undesrabe. The sprt
must be that of hodng down a pow, for then you w not be even a
tte oh tme.
When your opponent s hurryng reckessy, you must act contrary and
stay cam, wthout beng nuenced by the opponent. Tran dgenty to
attan ths sprt.
)Interior) and )Surfae) in $ther Shoo%s
The artstc accompshments usuay cam surface meanng, and nner
meanng (secret tradton) or "nteror" and "gate", but n my Way of
strategy, there s no "nteror", nor "surface".
In combat there s no such thng as ghtng on the surface, or cuttng
wth the nteror. When I teach my Way, I rst tran pups n technques
that are easy for them to understand, and graduay endeavor to
expan the deep prncpes, accordng to the pup's progress. In any
event, because the way to understandng s through experence, I do
not speak of "nteror" and "gate".
In ths word, f you go nto the mountans, and decde to go deeper
and yet deeper, nstead you w emerge at the gate. Whatever s the
Way, t has an nteror, and t s sometmes a good thng to pont out
the gate. In strategy, we cannot say what s conceaed and what s
reveaed.
Percevng the abty of my pups, I teach the drect Way, remove the
bad nuence of other schoos, and graduay ntroduce them to the
true Way of the warror. The method of teachng my strategy s wth a
trustworthy sprt.
In the above sectons, I have tred to record an outne of the strategy
of other schoos. I coud contnue by gvng a specc accountng of
these schoos one by one, from the "gate" to the "nteror", but I have
ntentonay not named the schoos or ther man ponts. The reason
for ths s that dherent branches of schoos gve dherent
nterpretatons of the doctrnes. In as much as men's opnons dher, so
there must be dherng deas on the same matter. Thus no one man's
concepton s vad for any schoo.

I have shown the genera tendences of other schoos on nne ponts. If
we ook at them from an honest vewpont, we see that peope tend to
ke ong swords or short swords, and become concerned wth strength
n both arge and sma matters. You can see why I do not dea wth the
"gates" of other schoos.
In my Ich Schoo of the ong sword there s nether gate nor nteror.
There s no nner meanng n sword atttudes. You must smpy keep
your sprt true to reaze the vrtue of strategy.
Twefth day of the fth month, the second year of Shoho (1645)
!he Book of the 8oid
The sprt of the vod s where there s nothng. By knowng thngs that
exst, you can know that whch does not exst. That s the vod. It s not
part of man's genera knowedge.
Peope n ths word ook at thngs mstakeny, thnkng that what they
do not understand must be the vod. Ths s not the true vod. It s
bewderment. Smary, n the Way of strategy, there are warrors who
thnk that whatever they cannot understand n ther craft s the vod.
Ths s not the true vod.
To attan the Way of strategy as a warror you must tran competey n
other marta arts and not devate for a moment from Way of the
warror. Practce day n and day out wth a setted sprted. Posh the
twofod sprt heart and mnd, and sharpen the twofod gaze percepton
and sght. When your sprt s no onger foggy, when the couds of
bewderment cear away, there s the true vod.
Unt you reaze the true Way, whether t be Buddhsm or common
sense, you may thnk that thngs are correct and n order. However, f
we ook at thngs ob|ectvey, from the vewpont of aws of the word,
we see varous doctrnes departng from the true Way. Know we ths
sprt, wth forthrghtness as the foundaton and the true sprt as the
Way. Enact strategy broady, correcty and openy.
You w then come to thnk of thngs n a wde sense and, takng the
vod as the Way, you w see the Way as vod.
The vod conssts ony of vrtue, and no ev. Wsdom exsts, prncpe
exsts, the Way exsts; sprt s nothngness.
Twefth day of the fth month, second year of Shoho (1645)