WARRIOR’S WAY OF LIFE

Martial Arts are the warrior’s way of life. Commanders in particular should practice these arts, and soldiers muct also know this way of life. In the present day there no warriors with certain knowledge of the way of martial arts.

First let us illustrate the idea of the way of life. Buddhism is a way of the helping people, Confucianism is a way of reforming culture. For physician, healing is a way of life; a poet teaches the art of poetry. Others pursue fortune-telling, archery, or various other arts and crafts. People practice the ways of which thery are inclined, developing individual preferences. few people are fond of the martial way of life.

First of all, the way of the warrior means familiarity with both cultural and martial arts. Even if they are clumsy at this, individual warriors should strengthen their own martial arts as much as is practical in their circumstances.

People usually thin that all warriors think about is being ready to die. As far as the way of death is concerned, it is not limited to warriors. Mendicants, women, farmers, and even those below them know their duty, are ashamed to neglect it, and resign themselves to death; there is no distinction in this respect. The martial way of life practiced by warriors is based on excelling others in anything and everything. Whether by victory in and individual duel or by winning a battle with several people, one thinks of serving the interests of one’s employer, of serving one’s own interests, of becoming well known and socially established. This is all possible by the power of martial arts.

Yet there will be people in the world who think that even if you learn martial arts, this will not prove useful when a real need arises. Regarding that concern, the true science of martial arts means practicing the, in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things…

Extract from Earth Scroll, BOOK OF FIVE RINGS by MIYAMOTO MUSHSHI translated by THOMAS CLEARY.