The Book of Five Rings

Miyamoto Musashi was a Japanese samurai who lived in the latter 16th through the mid 17th centuries. This book focuses primarily on the hard work and dedication needed to be a successful sword fighter during this time in Japan. Each of the five scrolls go into greater detail than I will share here. Much of the value I gained from reading this book is to show how much work, study, and dedication it takes to be willing to the be best at your craft. The five scrolls are as follows:

  1. The Earth Scroll (Chi-no-Maki) - some main points:

    1. The way of combat strategy and how it defines a samurai’s way of live

    2. There is no distinction between samurai and other classes in terms of the need to be prepared to sacrifice for the sake of honor

    3. Each occupation is a “Way” on its own

    4. Compares the samurai general with a master carpenter in how he leads his men

  2. The Water Scroll (Sui-no-Maki) - some main points

    1. Psychological basis for swordsmanship

    2. Fundamental elements of combat (posture, grip, etc.)

    3. Combat stances

  3. The Fire Scroll (Ka-no-Maki) - some main points

    1. How to position yourself to gain and advantage over your enemy

    2. Three initiatives on how to control a fight

    3. Learning the ability to read your enemy

  4. The Wind Scroll (Fu-no-Maki) - some main points

    1. Idiosyncrasies he identified from his teachings and other schools of swordsmanship

    2. How to outwit and overcome opponents who rely on brute strength

    3. Pure speed is bad

  5. The Ether Scroll (Ku-no-Maki) - some mane points

    1. His understanding of the void/emptiness

    2. How it is not like the Buddhist concept of Nirvana

Musashi was and is known to be the best swordsman that Japan has ever witnessed. In this book, he proclaims that his first duel was when he was 13 years old. These duels were not just for fun and to see who could score the most points. These were duels to the death. It shows a stark difference in how people in Musashi’s time and culture lived compared to ours.

There is much we can learn from The Book of Five Rings, as it relates to seeking excellence in our lives. Even the best samurai are constantly learning, adapting, and finding ways to overcome obstacles. If we have reached some pinnacle in our lives it is not time to rest and decide that your journey in life is complete, there will always be challenges to overcome.

One key idea to take from this book is the fact that Musashi thought it important enough to not only teach those who would follow him, but also write down his lessons and legacy. As a leader, and even more so as a parent, those who are in your care can grow and flourish as you share how your experiences have helped you shape your thinking.

Leadership is never dull, there is no real downtime. You can “sharpen your saw” (Stephen F. Covey), actively learning how to be better; or you can be applying your trade. Just like a master samurai does not simply stop being a samurai, you do not stop being a leader.