The Book of Five Rings
- Manuscript of fire -
By Miyamoto Musashi.


When you understand the Way of strategy, there is one thing you will not be able to understand




Disintegration

The break will come to all things. When a house, a person or an opponent falls down, crumbles out of the rhythm of time.

In the art of war in a broad sense, it is also essential to find the rhythm of the opponents as they lose it, and chase to not open any gap. If you let them vulnerable moments, the possibility of a counterattack.

In the individual art of war, it also happens that an opponent misses a beat in the battle and start to crumble. If you do not take this opportunity, the enemy will recover and begin to introduce difficulties. It is essential to follow carefully any loss of position by your opponent, to prevent his recovery.

Moving shadows

"Moving Shadows" is something you can do when you are unable to distinguish what your opponents are thinking. When you can not see the status of your opponents, seems a powerful attack to see what will the enemy.


Stop the shadows

"Stop the shadows" is what you do when you can perceive the opponent's aggressive intentions towards you. In the art of war in a broad sense, this means stopping the action of the enemy at the same point of his boot. If you show how strongly the opponents control the advantage, change their intentions are paralyzed by this force. Also change your attitude toward an empty mind, and since it takes the initiative, it is here where you can win.

Similarly, the individual art of war, you take advantage of a rate advantageous to address the strong determination of the motivation of the opponent, then is the advantage to win at the time of the break and take the initiative. This takes practice.

Contagion

Everywhere there is infection. Even sleep and yawning can be contagious. There is also the spread of temporal rhythm. In the art of war in the broader sense, when the adversaries are agitated and quite obviously in a hurry to act, behave as if you were totally indifferent, pretending to be very relaxed and comfortable. If you do, the contrary, influenced by this mood, lose their initial enthusiasm.

When you think the opponents have "captured" state of mind, empty your mind and act quickly and firmly, to gain the advantage gained. Also in the individual art of war is essential is relaxed in body and mind, to realize the moment when the opponent is neglected, and quickly take the initiative to win.

Seducing distracting.

There is also something called "distract seducing" which is similar to "contagion." A mood that distract attention is boredom. Another is the agitation. Another pusillanimity. Dominate any of them requires practice.

Bewilderment

The "confusion" happens in many ways. Sometimes it happens with the feeling of being under great pressure. Further, because the pressure is excessive. A third case occurs with the feeling of surprise at the unexpected.

In the art of war on a large scale, is essential cause confusion. It is essential to resolutely attack when the enemy does not expect it, then so agitated when their minds, uses this fact to your advantage to take the lead and win.

In the singles match, show relaxed first, then suddenly comes charging hard, and when the mind of the opponent changes tactics, it is essential that you follow closely what he does, giving no respite for a moment, realizing the advantage of the moment and then judging exactly how to win.

Scare

There is a scare in all situations. This raises the mind frightened by the unexpected. If you can capture the moment of fright, you can take advantage of this to win.

Adhering closely

"Adhering closely" means sticking to an opponent, when you're fighting a short distance and notice that you are not going well. The essential point is to take advantage of opportunities to win even when you are fighting side by side.

Attacking the flanks

"Attacking the flanks" means that when you push something hard, difficult for good yields. In the art of the great battles, watch enemy troops, when a wave has advanced, attacking the flank of the front and get this powerful superiority. When the flank collapses, everyone has the impression of collapse. But even when they are breaking down the flanks, it is essential to realize when each is ready to collapse, and feel how to beat them.
Also in individual art of war, when he breaks an injury to a body part, every time the opponent makes an aggressive move, his body gradually weakens until they are ready to collapse, and it is easy to beat him.
It is essential to carefully consider all this to discern when you can earn.

Confuse

Confuse opponents means acting in such a way that prevents them from keeping your mind calm.

In the art of the big screens means appreciating the minds of adversaries in the battlefield and serve the power of your knowledge of warfare to manipulate attention, confusing his thoughts on what you do, that means to find a pace that stuns enemies, discerning precisely what is the time to beat them.

Also in the individual art of war, try various maneuvers as the timing, making the opponent think that now you do this, then the other, and then something else, until you see begins to be puzzled, and win at will. This is the essence of the battle.


Crush

"Crush" requires a state of mind of annihilation, like when you see a weak opponent and then to beat him more than you.
In the art of the great battles, these means to despise the enemy when their number is small, or even if they are many, concentrate your crush strength, whether being demoralized and debilitated, putting them at a disadvantage.

If you "crush" is weak, it can turn against you. You have to distinguish carefully knows when you're in control of yourself at the time of attack to crush.

Also in the individual art of war, when you opponent is not as trained as you, or when its rate decreases, or when it starts to recede, it is essential not to let him take breath, or even give him time to blink: bring them down immediately.

The most important thing is not to let him recover. All this has to be studied carefully.


Change the mountain and the sea

"Mountains and Sea" is harmful means doing the same thing again. You can repeat something once, but not to third.
When you try something on an opponent, if not work the first time, you will not get any benefit in doing apresurándote again. Abruptly change your tactics, doing something completely different. If this does not work, try something else then.

Thus, the science of art of war requires the presence of mind to "act like the sea, when the enemy is like a mountain, and act like a mountain, when the enemy is like a sea."
This requires careful thought.

Remove the heart

When you fight an enemy and it looks like you're earning on your skill in this science, perhaps the opponent still has hope and, although apparently defeated internally refuses to recognize defeat. "Remove your heart" applies in these cases.

This means a sudden change of attitude, to make the enemy rather than keep that idea in this case the main thing is to observe how you feel defeated from the bottom of his heart.

You can "remove the heart" (The Hope) of people with guns, with your body or your mind. This should not be understood one way.

When your enemies have completely lost the heart (hope) no longer have to pay attention anymore. Otherwise, stay alert. If the enemies still retain their ambitions, hardly succumb.

Renew

When you fight with enemies, if you feel you are stuck and no progress, you throw out your mood and think you're starting all over again. As you pick up this pace, discerning when winning. This is "renewed."
Any time you feel that you are producing tension and friction between you and the other, if you change your mind at that moment, you can win with a clear advantage. This is "renewed."
In the art of war on a large scale is essential to understand that means "renewal." It's something that suddenly appears through the power of understanding the art of war.
This should be carefully considered.

Big and small

When you're fighting an enemy and you feel trapped in small moves, remember this law Art of War: in the midst of the details, it changes suddenly into a broad perspective.

Switch to big or small is a voluntary part of the science of warfare. It is essential for warriors try to do so in the ordinary consciousness of human life.

A manager who knows the soldiers.
"A manager who knows the troops" is a method used always in times of conflict, having reached the mastery to which you aspire: the power of having gained knowledge of the art of war, think of the opponents like in your own soldiers, knowing that you can order what you want and manage them with freedom. You are the chief opponents are the troops. This takes practice.

Be like a rock wall.
"Be like a rock wall" occurs when a master of the art of war suddenly becomes like a wall of rock, inaccessible to anything and completely unbreakable.
 

About the Book of Five Rings Miyamoto Musashi
According to his own writings, Musashi began to understand the Way of strategy when it reached 50 years of age. Along with his adopted son Iori, an orphan who had found in his travels, settled in Ogura in 1634. He never ever leaving the island of Kyushu.

After six years in Ogura, Musashi was invited to spend time as a guest of Churi Hosokawa, lord of Kumamoto Castle. He spent some years with Lord Churi, during which time he taught and painted. In 1643 he retired to lead a hermit's cave Reigendo, where he wrote the "Book of Five Rings" which was dedicated to his pupil Teruo Magonojo. Finished writing the book few weeks before his death on May 19, 1645.

Musashi is known in Japanese as "Kinsei", meaning something like "Priest of the Sword." The Book of Five Rings "tops any literature on Kendo, and is unique among all books on martial arts, in the sense that is the strategy of large-scale war in exactly the same way as individual combat.

The book is not a thesis on strategy, but using the words of Musashi, "a guide for those who want to learn about the strategy." As such a guide, its contents are always beyond what students are able to perceive.

The more one reads the book, the more they find in its pages. It is, somehow, "last will" of Musashi, the key to open the path he had traveled. Like other ronin of the time, Musashi could have founded a school when their thirties, already a famous and respected, and have spent soaking up the success.

However, the option that followed was that of continuing with his study alone, as he had done before. Even in his later years, left the comfortable life enjoyed in the castle of Kumamoto, and spent two years in a cave, alone, and dedicated to contemplation and writing what he had learned.

He wrote that "when you understand the Way of strategy, there is one thing you will not be able to understand" and "you can see the Way in all things." In fact, he became a master of almost all arts and crafts. Masterpieces of painting done in ink, possibly more valued than any other painter. He was an expert in the art of calligraphy, sculptures made of wood, metal work, and even founded a school of craftsmen "Tsuba" (carved handles of the swords).

It is also said to have written poems and songs, although none of them has survived today. His works were usually signed with his seal, "Musashi", and also with the nickname "Niten". Niten means' two heavens "and is the name that he gave his" school "of strategy. As he wrote: "study the Ways of all professions." And obviously it was the first to follow his own advice.

Musashi wrote about the various aspects of kendo (martial arts swordplay), so that everyone can study according to their level. A beginner can benefit a beginner level and an expert can capture subtleties expert level.

His work is not only applied to military strategy, but to any situation where you need to use tactics. Japanese business men use the "Book of Five Rings" as a manual of corporate governance, develop sales campaigns as if they were military operations. And that works well or not depends on just how well they have understood the principles of the Strategy.