Showing posts with label bushido. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bushido. Show all posts

Book of Five Rings Review

Book of Five Rings
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Book of Five Rings ReviewThe book written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645 is considered a classic treatise on military strategy, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its discussion of conflict and taking the advantage to be relevant to their work.
The term "Ichi School", which is referred to in the book, Go Rin No Sho, when referring to such books, refers to "Niten No Ichi Ryu", or "Ni Ten Ichi Ryu", which literally translated, means "Two Swords, one heaven".
Throughout the book it is clear: what is primary for Musashi is The Goal, while the means of achieving the goal are secondary. He wrote "According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning, whatever the weapon and whatever its size."
The same is in business: the leaders who are attracted by the goal rather than by embellishments are the true leaders. For example, the dot-com bubble of 2000 was caused by the managers who forgot about the primary goal of the business: net income. Those who were obsessed by their stock prices regarding of massive losses and the lack of revenue became bankrupt. They put attention to the fancy office buildings and furniture rather than to the assets that generate earning. Musashi wrote about it: "Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative".
Musashi also encourages to maintain a balance of your skills throughout your life. This balance could be thought of as Yin and Yang. The balance is to be neither over-familiar with something nor under-familiar. The over-familiarity or over-use of one weapon is not recommended by Musashi, as it would be seen to reveal your spirituality to your enemy, and thus your boisterousness, or over-calm. The over-familiarity makes you stick to a conviction. This is a very important for the business. Take, for example, mr. Warren Buffet. A quality standing out about Mr. Buffett is his ability to morph. If you read his materials from the 1960s, he said very different things than in the 1970s and early-1980s. Early on he was buying dirt-cheap stocks by simple statistical standards and typically smaller stocks (smallcap), later he bought "franchises", then he entered a period of buying great managements of big companies and being a long-term holder, then, amazingly, he was buying smaller things dirt cheap again just as value came back into play as the twenty-first century began. He tactically morphed steadily over the decades. Trying to freeze his tactics from any decade and replicate them in the next few would never have led you to his actual actions. Musashi wrote about that this way: "You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes."Book of Five Rings Overview

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The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics Review

The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics
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The Book of Five Rings for Executives: Musashi's Classic Book of Competitive Tactics ReviewThis book is a valuable development of the metaphor of a samurai swordfight for how to gain competitive tactical advantage in business. The author has taken Miyamoto Musashi's 1643 classic and put it into the context of business issues. The book contains Musashi's principles updated and customized for the current business world in seven principles, five aspects (or rings), examples from Japanese companies' use of these ideas, and cases (Starbucks, Robert E. Lee, Warren Buffett, George Washington crossing the Delaware, Andy Grove, Bill Gates, Lawrence of Arabia, and Donald Trump). As a result, the lessons are quite accessible and clear.
The seven principles are: Ordered Flexibility ("the nature of water"), Execution ("appropriate action at the right time"), Resources ("information is the fabric of tactics"), Environment ("approach derives from circumstances"), Attitude ("firm, yet flexible . . . centering on a determining reality"), Concentration ("concentrating strength against weakness or resources against opportunity"), and Timing ("when the scale is tipped in favor of the tactics you have chosen").
The Japanese business application of this approach is to: 1) copy technology and train people. (2) recombine elements and widen market acceptance. (3) increase quality/price ratio and dominate markets.
The five aspects are: (1) Foundation (2) Form (3) Fire (4) Fabric and (5) Focus.
Let me elaborate on the Foundation concept to give you a sense of what is in these sections. The rules of Foundation are: (1) Do what is right, what is correct. (2) Sense the rhythm and timing in everyday situations. (3) Broaden your knowledge of management. (4) Study other arts and professions. (5) Distinguish between profitable and unprofitable activities. (6) See reality under all circumstances. (7) Look for what is not obvious. (8) Concentrate on critical details. (9) Eliminate useless activity. (This last sound's like Peter Drucker's famous exhortation to "slough off yesterday.")
This book is the third volume in a series that Mr. Krause has created about how business people can compete more effectively that draw on classic books on this subject.
Musashi's work is much better known in Japan than in the United States. He was a legendary samurai swordsman who from ages 13 to 29 defeated 60 men in duels. Death or severe injury was always at risk. Then he retired to a cave and lived as a pauper writing about the lessons of his battles for the next 30 years. This book is based on those writings which were a five part letter to his followers and students. The essence of that advice is to "look beneath the surface" of the events around you to distill their meaning.
Those who wish to improve their sword fighting and dueling skills should read the original. Those who enjoy this book may wish to read the original as well. You will be rewarded by obtaining a deeper sense of the Zen philosophy behind these observations.
All business people will benefit from this book. Highly recommended!
Although this book focuses on tactics, you would do well to combine it with Sun Tzu's thinking about how to use strategy to create situations where no battle is needed. Then you need only practice your tactics to keep sharp, not to secure your advantage. For example, if your advantages in quality, effectiveness, honor, and prestige are so great that others know they cannot compete and would be harmed or simply waste time and effort by doing so, they will seek you out as a partner instead. Then, much more can be accomplished for all!
Be sharp!
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Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings Review

Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings
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Samurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings ReviewThis little book is basically a summary of The Book of Five Rings, a book written the the Japanese sword master Musashi in 1645. This is a good, easy to read and easy to understand summary of Musashi's book for those who may have a hard time understanding the teachings from the actual writings of Musashi. The commentaries or summaries are anywhere from one to three pages long, so this is a quick and easy read. Although this is a quick read, it does contain some very useful information for the martial arts, as well as life in general.
Samurai Strategies is worth reading. I found it enjoyable and interesting even though I had previously read The Book of Five Rings several times before I actually ran across this book. I do recommend that the reader also read the Book of Five Rings and not just simply be satisfied with this summary of Musashi's writings. 4 Stars...I think that you will enjoy it.
Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern WarriorSamurai Strategies: 42 Martial Secrets from Musashi's Book of Five Rings Overview

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The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan Review

The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai and Bushido - The Soul of Japan
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The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan ReviewI purchased this book last year for myself, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Earlier this year, I decided to pick up another copy for my brother, because Amazon was running a 30% discount. When I found the book description and reviews, I saw that some readers had been uncomfortable with the way these works had been presented. I hadn't really noticed a problem, but I could see how casual readers who are unfamiliar with historical texts might be confused.
So anyway, when my brother's gift arrived, I had a chance to thumb through his copy, and apparently there is a new second edition. The contents are basically the same, but this edition seems slightly more ornate. There were also a few illustrations which had not been in the first edition I had purchased for myself.
So I guess I should add that I am giving the first edition 3 1/2 stars, but I would give the new 2nd edition 4 1/2 stars. Cheers!The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan Overview

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The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi Review

The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi
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The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi ReviewI am a long time student of the Musashi text and I simply had to reply to the Nguyen review. I am Japanese. I live in Kansai area in Japan and have been a student and teacher of the sword and English most of my life. I travel to America often and have many American friends. I am always curious of how Americans view Japanese culture and often read American translations of Japanese works. I am 38 years old and a life long martial artist.
First of all, the text on the front of the book is exactly as it should be. I don't understand why someone who obviously has no understanding of Kanji, Katakana, and Hiragana and how they enter work would start off his highly critical review with something that shows everyone that he doesn't know anything about the written language.
Secondly, the idea that because someone is a "blackbelt" martial arts instructor "reveals" an avaricious interest in sales speaks more of the person who would infer such things than to every black belt martial arts instructor in the world. I am a black belt martial arts instructor, as many thousands of you are, and I have no intrinsic interest in sales what so ever.
In reading the book I never once got the feeling that Tarver was trying to compare himself to Musashi. In fact he says in the opening that even after a life time of study he is still "amazed at the astounding insight and pure genius of Musashi." I personally am amazed at how someone like Nguyen can make such fantastic leaps in logic and even infer personality traits like vanity when the author clearly said that he was a dedicated student of Musashi.
Anyone who tries to study a famous person like Musashi will find tons of information from scholarly sources that contain a fair amount of speculation. Try it yourself, you will see. Anyone who says that they know exactly how Musashi's early life played out and how it influenced his life long study of the sword is lying or foolish. As far as Confucian, Zen Buddhism, and "other Asian philosophical influences" Musashi's book was for his "blackbelt martial arts" students, not for religious instruction. If one wants to learn about religion there are a lot of other books available. Musashi himself said that he did not use religious ideas in writing his book. As a student and teacher of sword I want a translation that deals with sword in hand not religious ideas. Zen is addressed very thoroughly in the text because Zen is necessary for understanding the sword. As a Buddhist, I am very satisfied with the way Tarver addresses this subject. Any true martial arts student, of any length of time, knows that martial arts do develop "a state of mind that will create a successful warrior capable of victory in any conflict". To argue that there is some magic way that Musashi was trying to do this is foolish. Musashi said, in every translation I have ever read, that enlightenment comes from daily practice of MARTIAL ARTS. Once enlightenment comes, said Musashi, it influences every aspect of the mind and brings about the very frame of mind that can make a student capable of victory in any conflict. Musashi used the example of a mountain and how you are at the foot of the mountain on either side- I find it hard to believe that Nguyen even read this book and can still make such obviously misleading statements. Nguyen's only claim to any expertise is that he is Asian. I am Japanese and I am very proud to be Asian, but I am not a racist. I believe that anyone who studies Musashi with an open mind can understand it. Nguyen seems to think that most Western readers will not be able to. Every thing that is needed to understand the teaching of Musashi is here and available to anyone who have the capacity to absorb it. Maybe this person's complaints come from his own inability to grasp the real teachings of Musashi, the "blackbelt martial arts teacher."
In the book of emptiness Tarver does and excellent job of explaining a very deep concept. Again Nguyen seems to infer that because he is Vietnamese he has some intrinsic understanding of mushin - the philosophy of the empty mind. Stillness is NOT the proper term, empty is. Only a person who has experienced this can understand it and Nugyen obviously has not. He says that he prefers a translation that comes from a purely academic point of view because he only has an academic understanding himself. Those of you who have reached enlightenment in this area will understand and identify with everything Tarver explains here. Those of you who are not will have a more difficult time with it, but if you follow the path you will come to understanding. Don't sell yourself short by settling for a purely academic translation. The experience and lifetime of study Tarver engaged in to understand these principles are clearly evident to others who understand them. I think anyone who would want to "Illustrate" Musashi is clearly dealing with material that is over his head and wants it explained in pictures. I am sure that there were quite a few "perplexed expressions" on the face of such a reader.
I can honestly tell you that Tarver provides the most through, deep, and clearly experienced translations of Musashi's classic work that I have ever read. I do encourage you to read as many different translations as you can, but in the end I am sure you will find this one the best, if not now then after you are capable of understanding it. I did read Wilson's version and it was very good also, but I found it somewhat shallow.The Book of Five Rings: Miyamoto Musashi Overview

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Musashi's Book of Five Rings: The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy Review

Musashi's Book of Five Rings: The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy
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Musashi's Book of Five Rings: The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy ReviewI have no doubt about the author's sincerity in offering this personal interpretation of Musashi's original work, "Book of 5 Spheres" (or "The Book of 5 Rings"). The problem I have with what Stephen F. Kaufman has done to Musashi's book deals more with his implied suggestion that this edition is the result of an actual ~translation~ which he was responsible for (see pages xi-xii, "Translator's Note"). In fact, when asked Mr. Kaufman has admitted that this volume (and some others he has written) are not translations at all, but rather his own personal interpretations of English translations done by other authors--something he DOESN'T bother to communicate to his readers. The title of this volume, at odds with the "translator's note" on pgs xi -xii, is actually "...The Definitive _Interpretation_ of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy". I fail to understand why Kaufman confuses his readers by mixing and matching interpretation with translation. It should be noted that Mr Kaufman himself does NOT speak or read Japanese, and in fact innocently named his own martial arts school "Dojo no Hebi" ("Place of Practice's Snake"), when he was trying for "Dojo of the Snake" (which in Japanese would have been "Hebi no Dojo", meaning "The Snake's Place of Practice"). Innocent mistakes yes, but one would expect a Black belt of the 10th Dan (degree grade) and a proclaimed "Hanshi" (master practitioner) to at least check his spelling with someone who _could_ speak the language he was borrowing.
Kaufman doesn't bother to provide a bibliography of which English translations he used, nor does he include notes explaining _how_ he drew his conclusions from the texts he studied. I am bothered by the fact that many of Musashi's original words have been heavily edited, re-arranged, or deleted altogether by this author until they have been removed entirely from their original context. In doing this, Mr. Kaufman has actually ALTERED the _meaning_ of Musashi's work! What remains appears to be little more than a new age self-help guide for modern martial artists which has retained a smidgeon of flavor from Musashi's original work.
A brief example illustrating Kaufman's tendancy to put his own words in Musashi's mouth is in the fourth paragraph on page 6 of Kaufman's book. Kaufman reworks Musashi's words regarding Merchants as a class to read, "Merchants are a ridiculed class because they produce nothing except profit from the work of others." Two other men who have actually translated Musashi's work from the original Japanese suggest nothing sinister in Musashi's original work concerning the merchant class.
Victor Harris in his translation of "A Book of Five Rings" offers: "The way of the merchant is always to live by taking profit" (page 41, 1974). Translator Thomas Cleary offers the same sentence as: "Whatever the business, merchants make a living from the profits they earn acording to their particular status" (page 7, 1993).
This is a minor demonstration of the differences between Kaufman's work and those offered by actual QUALIFIED translators--the translators make an effort to convey to the reader the actual meaning of Musashi's words in English, while Kaufman crafts a new meaning which never existed in Musashi's original work. Suffice to say, Kaufman's interpretation seems heavily influenced by his modern view of martial arts and his concept of what he feels samurai may have been like four centuries ago. It bears little resemblance to competent translations of Musashi's writings. Or perhaps it is Kaufman's guilt over his own attempt to exploit the expertise and writings of a respected master.
I recommend two excellent translations of Musashi's work which stay true to the original Japanese. The first is "A Book of Five Rings" translated by Victor Harris, a mechanical engineer and technical interpreter of Japanese language who not only practiced kendo (Japanese fencing), but studied this art in Japan for 3 years under Ito Kyoitsu at the Seijudo Dojo. A second recommendation is "The Book of Five Rings" by Thomas Cleary, another professional translator. Unlike Kaufman, I did not find translations by these men to be "intellectual exercises in translating Japanese to English" (pg xi). I found legitimate translations by competent translators who were clear and direct...I suspect most scholarly people, whether students of martial arts or not, will draw a similar conclusions upon comparing Kaufman's book to any actual translation.Musashi's Book of Five Rings: The Definitive Interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's Classic Book of Strategy Overview

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The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Library) Review

The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Library)
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The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Library) ReviewThis classic text deals with the delicate art of leadership, and was composed originally in 1643 by the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi. But this book isn't just for those involved in the martial arts, as the previous reviewer suggests, no far from it; it's for anyone who wants to enjoy the neverending wisdom contained within this text. Thomas Cleary's translation of Miyamoto's masterpiece is comprehensible, with an introduction that presents us readers with the spiritual backdrop of the warrior tradition that is vital for the rest that proceeds. This most up-to-date edition also embraces one more important Japanese text - "The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War" by Yagyu Munenori; here the book highlights insights of Zen and Taoism as they pertain to the way and life of the warrior. Enjoy the book! Cleary is a terrific translator.The Book of Five Rings (Shambhala Library) Overview

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The Complete Book of Five Rings Review

The Complete Book of Five Rings
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The Complete Book of Five Rings Review//The Book of Five Rings//, samurai Miyamoto Musashi's treatise never goes entirely out of fashion, each new edition meant for a different time or audience. Martial artist Kenji Tokitsu's new annotated translation appears geared particularly for other martial arts practitioners, with its careful attention to possible meanings of key technical terms and copious footnotes. In certain ways, this proves refreshing, since Tokitsu pares away much of the myth from about this text and returns its original purpose: success in combat.
Tokitsu's decision to include translations of previous works by Musashi proves particularly insightful. If this translation suffers any flaw, it is the editor's over focus on the author as warrior to the exclusion of the many others areas of expertise that encompassed samurai culture, failing to consider his success as a swordsmith (some fine examples of which survive to this day) or his poetry. Likewise, I found myself missing some of what is included in the more ethereal Victor Harris translation of this text, which recounts many of those likely apocryphal stories and paintings depicting Musashi through time.
Musashi's text stands on its own and Tokitsu's new translation offers it in an impressive form. Many martial artists will revel in this translation for years to come, attempting to absorb Musashi's deep and often elusive teachings. Some, however, will no doubt follow this up by wishing to familiarize themselves with who Musashi became in the Japanese consciousness.The Complete Book of Five Rings Overview

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Book of Five Rings Review

Book of Five Rings
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Book of Five Rings Review"th way of the sword", The entire book is riddled with spelling mistakes such as these.
A friend of mine lent me another version of this book a few months ago, I really enjoyed it. I decided to buy my own copy due to the excellent material presented within.
This copy however is overall poorly translated, and very badly written.
Many sentences make no grammatical sense, the translator chose a lot of English words that do not do justice to the piece, every page has at least one obvious spelling mistake.
Overall a very poor job from whomever was entrusted with making an English version of this book. Had I not already read a far superior version I would have been stuck trying to piece words together and figure out what the h**l is going on.Book of Five Rings Overview

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