Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings

by Kenji Tokitsu, Sherab Ch÷dzin Kohn (Translator)

Overview

A comprehensive study of the life, philosophies, fighting strategies, and works of the legendary samurai warrior who wrote The Book of Five Rings
 
Miyamoto Musashi, who lived in Japan in the fifteenth century, was a renowned samurai warrior. He has become a martial arts icon, known not just as an undefeated dueler, but also as a master of battlefield strategy. Kenji Tokitsu turns a critical eye on Musashi's life and writings, separating fact from fiction, and giving a clear picture of the man behind the myth.

Musashi's best-known work, The Book of Five Rings, provides timeless insight into the nature of conflict. Tokitsu translates and provides extensive commentary on that popular work, as well as three other short texts on strategy that were written before it, and a longer, later work entitled "The Way to Be Followed Alone." Tokitsu is a thoughtful and informed guide, putting the historical and philosophical aspects of the text into context, and illuminating the etymological nuances of particular Japanese words and phrases. As a modern martial artist and a scholar, Tokitsu provides a view of Musashi's life and ideas that is accessible and relevant to today's readers and martial arts students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834824881
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	06/20/2006
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	528
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Kenji Tokitsu was born in Japan and began studying martial arts when he was a child. He has taught karate in Paris since 1971. In 1984 he founded the Shaolin-mon school, where he teaches a synthesis of the original combat arts of Japan and China. In 2001 he established the Tokitsuryu Academy to teach and promote his method. For more information, visit www.tokitsu.com. Tokitsu also holds doctorates in sociology and in Japanese language and civilization. He is the author of numerous books.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	ix
	A Legendary Figure	ix
	The Main Periods in the History of Japanese Schools of Swordsmanship	xxiii
	Chronology of Musashi's Life	xxix
Part 1	The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
	Introduction to the Life of Musashi	3
1.	Childhood and Training	7
	The Birth of Musashi	7
	Musashi's Childhood and His First Duel	12
	The Founding of the School of Two Swords	22
	The Two Sources of Musashi's Art	26
	The Schools of Two Swords	41
2.	Musashi's Duels	46
	Duels and Wars from Age Fifteen to Twenty	47
	Studying the Arts of Other Schools through Duels	61
	The Duel against Sasaki Kojiro	70
	Musashi at the Battle of Osaka	89
3.	Deepening the Way	92
	Maturity	92
	Musashi's Last Years	112
	Composition of the Gorin no sho and Musashi's Death	128
Part 2	Musashi's Writings
4.	"Writings on the Five Elements" (Gorin no sho)	137
	The Scroll of Earth	137
	The Scroll of Water	150
	The Scroll of Fire	168
	The Scroll of Wind	185
	The Scroll of Heaven	195
5.	The Texts Preceding the Gorin no sho	197
	"The Mirror of the Way of Strategy" (Hyodokyo)	197
	"Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy" (Hyoho sanju go kajo)	199
	"Forty-two Instructions on Strategy" (Hyoho shiju ni kajo)	209
	"The Way to Be Followed Alone" (Dokkodo)	216
6.	Notes of Musashi's Disciples on the Practice of His School	227
	Notes on Mind, Energy, and the Body in Strategy (Hyoho shin ki tai oboe gaki)	228
	Attitude toward Training	231
	The School of the Fighters of the Two Heavens (Senki niten ryu)	232
	The State of Mind of Those Devoted to the School of Musashi (Musashi ryu shugyo kokoroe no koto)	233
Part 3	Miyamoto Musashi and the Martial Arts
7.	The School of Musashi (Hyoho niten ichi ryu)	239
	Branches of the School	239
	The School of Musashi Today	242
8.	The Transmission of Musashi's Art	245
	The Role of Musashi's Writings in the Transmission of His Art	245
	The Transmission of Musashi's Art through Practice	254
9.	Musashi Today: The Practice of a Contemporary Adept	262
	The Labyrinth Created by the Way of Holding the Sword	263
	The Nen ryu and Its Lineage	274
10.	Weapons and Ethics in Swordsmanship Training	280
	The Status of Warriors	281
	Technique and the Status of the Body	286
	Integration of the Religious Element into the Art of the Sword	292
	The Formation of Katas	296
11.	Budo	302
	The Meiji Turning Point and the Modern Notion of Budo	302
	The Evolution of Budo in the Twentieth Century	309
12.	The Relationship between Adversaries	315
	The Complexity of Combat in Budo	317
	The Significance of the Quest for Kizeme	323
	Confrontation and Harmony	326
13.	One Life, One Art	333
Appendix 1	The Translation of the Gorin no sho	337
Appendix 2	Sen--Taking the Initiative	348
Appendix 3	External Influences on the Japanese Art of the Sword	355
	Notes	358
	Glossary	442
	Bibliography	460
	Index	468

Editorial Reviews

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), the most famous of all samurai, fought and won 60 duels during his lifetime and was a master military strategist and a skilled artist. In the latter part of his life, he formed a martial arts school and trained many disciples. Tokitsu, an expert in martial arts with a doctorate in sociology, here provides a new translation and commentary of Musashi's major work, The Book of Five Rings, which gives his teachings on sword technique, military strategy, martial arts training, and general philosophy. Tokitsu also offers a biography of Musashi, which helps give context for understanding his thought. Beyond this, the work includes chapters discussing key topics in Japanese martial arts, such as budo, as well as a substantial glossary. The recent Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai may have heightened interest in Japanese martial arts. This excellent book might well capture the interest of a significant audience. Recommended for both public and academic libraries.--John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. Lib. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

"Miyamoto Musashi is a close look at the legendary swordsman and his treatises on swordsmanship and strategy by a Japanese martial artist. Deeply informed, and with direct and extensive knowledge of martial arts, the book, to my knowledge, has no parallel in Japan—or elsewhere."—Hiroaki Sato, author of Legends of the Samurai

From the Publisher