Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
55 lines (40 loc) · 2.91 KB

book-of-five-rings.md

File metadata and controls

55 lines (40 loc) · 2.91 KB
Raw

book-of-five-rings.md

The book covers the way of training into a warrior, with a lot of philosophy around how you can become the best in the world at this. On how to train smart, and specific strategies that one can use. These ideas apply more broadly than just sword fighting. It was interesting to see the clear thinking of the author, even though I don't have lots of takeaways.

The scroll of earth:

  • He won 60/60 battles during the age 13-29. He won this without reaching the ultimate level of strategy. So he continued working until 50 to find deeper principles.
  • He naturally found himself on the way of strategy and needed no teacher.
  • The way of strategy cannot be learnt only through the principles of sword alone.
  • If you want to learn strategy, you must contemplate these teachings and train ceaselessly.
  • Summary:
    • Scroll of earth: to be able to see the bigger picture, rather than just learning the sword.
    • Scroll of water: to be able to make generalizations (and hence learn what to do in 1000s of situations) from observing 1 example.
    • Scroll of fire: to learn how to not avoid minute details because changing strategy is easy at a one person level.
    • Scroll of wind: discuses the strategies of other schools
    • Scroll of heaven:
  • School of two swords: warriors always need to carry one big and one small sword with them.
    • He teaches his students to use the big sword with one hand, else it is inefficient in war (eg. when you need to run).
    • One day learn to use the big sword in one hand, other practices get much easier.
    • Using two swords helps you survive in a much broader range of scenarios.
    • If you know how to use the sword well, you can kill 10 people easily.
  • Knowing advantages of weapons:
    • You need to learn the advantages of each weapon in each situations.
    • Don't focus too much on weapon. Use weapons based on your personal prediliction, don't copy the experts.
  • Cadences / techniques

The scroll of water:

  • Read as if this was written for you. Practice as it these were your own thoughts.
  • Have the mind pure and broad. Don't narrow your attention on specific things.
  • Posture. Have good posture, it should com to you naturally.
  • Looking. Practice to look without moving your eye balls, this will only come with practice.
  • Holding sword. Hold the sword with the thought of slashing your opponent. You grip shouldn't tense up, hold as suggested.
  • Moving feet. Move efficiently.
  • Gaurd positions.
  • Pathway of the sword. Focus on moving it on the pathway, not fast. Extend your arm.
  • And much more.

The scroll of fire:

  • Be calm, and attack suddenly. Be calm internally as you do this.
  • When attacked, pretend to be weak. Attack on opportunity.
  • We tend to overestimate the enemy. If you practiced strategy, there is nothing to fear.

The scroll of wind:

  • Criticizes other schools. Goes into quite some detail.
  • Start simple, and let them get into the truw way slowly.

The scroll of heaven: