The second part of Go Rin No Sho, the Book of Water, delineated the spiritual and technical principles of
strategy. Just as water in life demonstrated a natural flexibility as it
changed to conform within the boundaries that contained it, seeking the most energy
efficient path, so the warrior should possess the flexibility to shift easily
between disciplines, methods, and options in any fluid situation. Musashi, as a
Buddhist, recognized the importance of spiritual balance, calmness and
tranquility. But, like the inherent conflict I already alluded to, between the
way of the samurai and the precepts of the middle path, Musashi separated his
religion from his swordsmanship... Buddhism,
the ways of elegance, rice-planting, or dance; these things are not to be found
in the way of the warrior... Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on
their help. The divergence only met in the resolute acceptance of death.
During battle, spirit should be
balanced, and all techniques honed to perfect demeanor. Stance was important.
The head should be erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted, so
that gaze could best perceive that which is all around, without having to
noticeably move the eyeballs- to see things arriving, close and far away.
Musashi defined the five attitudes of
swordsmanship, areas to attack on the human body. Upper, middle and lower
attitudes were decisive. Left side and right side attitudes were more fluid,
and used only if there was an obstruction to the other three, and only until
the obstruction could be cleared. There were other attitudes. ‘No Attitude’
strategists ignored the geography, to focus on technique, taking chances instead
of making them. ‘Existing-Non Existing Attitude’ opportunistically mixed the
Five Attitudes with the No Attitude. ‘In-One Timing" was the technique of
stalling until a suitable gap allowed delivery of a fatal blow. ‘Abdomen Timing
of Two’ feigned an attack, and then struck a retreating enemy in either two
moves or two seconds. ‘No Design, No Conception’ used body force and Void Book
disciplines to push the enemy over. ‘Flowing Water Cut’ unemcumbered a
stalemate, with a sequential of expansion of mind and body and sword that cut
broad and powerful and as slowly as possible with a long sword, like the
natural flow of water. ‘Continuous Cut’ occurred in a similar impasse where
swords were clasped together, one springing away in a continuous motion,
slashing head and body and legs. A similar motion without raising the sword was
the ‘Fire and Stone's Cut’ and one which knocked down the sword of an enemy, a
‘Red Leafs Cut.’ Other maneuvers sounded like Tai Chi moves, with more
lethality- Chance-Opening Blow, Strike of Non-thought, Autumn Monkey's Body, Crimson-Leaves
Strike, Blow Like a Spark from a Stone, or Body of Lacquer and Paste.
The Book of Fire covered specific situations and timing, in the heat of
battle. Armorial advantage and preparedness did not exclusively reside within
the domain of weaponry and duels, but within the realm of war and battles, complete
warcraft applied equally to one samurai or whole armies. Just as one man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a thousand, and
a thousand can beat ten thousand.
Location was crucial. No man-made
objects (buildings, towers, castles) should obstruct the view, and neither the
sun nor moon affect vision. High ground was paramount, as was attacking the
non-dominant left side of a right-handed soldier. An enemy should, at every
opportunity, be forced into footholds, swamps, ditches, and other difficult
terrain, maintaining his maximum situational uncertainty.
Musushi defined three ways of
‘forestalling’- Ken No Sen ‘Attacking’
was a head on collision, forcing both parties to a standstill, resulting in a
higher death count because more than one enemy could attack a single warrior. Tai No Sen ‘Waiting for the Initiative’
feigned weakness to open a weak spot in the opposing force, and regrouping to
exploit the hole by attacking deep to remove the tactical centre. Tai
Tai No Sen ‘Accompanying and Forestalling’ circumvented an ambush or from the
enemy by suddenly attacking in full force. Other methods dealt with crossing and
battling in rough terrain, and determining if enemy strength is waning or
rising by listening for derangements in their drumming rhythm. The technique of
‘Treading down the sword,’ which in individual combat, required attacking the
enemy's sword, breaking it, removing it from play, and controlling it through
direct blade on blade contact, in dealing with large armies, meant charging under
the veil of gunpowder smoke and arrow fire.
The fourth chapter, the Book of Wind, was a pun of sorts, as
the kanji character meant both ‘wind’ and ‘style.’ It was essentially a
critique of the techniques of the other schools of the time, the ones he
accused of not understanding the opponent as precisely as required, or teaching
the broader meaning of strategy above the over-reliance on a single weapon.
The final section, the Book of Void, was an esoteric epilogue
of Musashi's Zen-influenced thoughts on consciousness and correct mindset.
Although short, the book lists, philosophically, the nature of knowledge
required to perceive that which you cannot understand or comprehend, and with
which there is no physical relationship. Wisdom
has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is
nothingness. In the void is virtue, and no evil. The characters engraved on
Musashi’s wooden bokken, Earnest Heart,
Straight Way, spoke to his life’s triumphant unique unification of mind and
body and sword.
Three months after he finished The
Book of Five Rings, in mid-June of 1645, Miyamoto Musashi died of thoracic
cancer, in Reigandō
cave. At the moment of his death, he had
himself raised up. He had his belt tightened and his wakizashi put in it. He
seated himself with one knee vertically raised, holding the sword with his left
hand and a cane in his right hand. He died in this posture, at the age of
sixty-two.
The principal vassals of Lord
Hosokawa interred his body in armor, and set up his tomb on Mount Iwato, facing
the direction his lord would travel to Edo.
Outside the window of our full Aussie
breakfast at Bills, the surfers flowing water cut their paths with both arms.
Wave men.
‘The field of martial arts is
particularly rife with flamboyant
swordsmanship, with
commercial popularization and profiteering
on the part of both those who
teach the science and those who
study it. The result of this must be,
as someone said, that
'amateuristic martial arts are a source of
serious wounds.’
Miyamoto
Musashi
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