Five Rings Illustrated: The Classic Text on Mastery in Swordsmanship, Leadership and Conflict: A New Translation

Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi’s Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world, too.

Musashi’s no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small-scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than mere theoretical learning.

Five Rings Illustrated is produced using beautiful traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques.

About the Author:

Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584 – 13 June 1645) was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin. He was a master swordsman, undefeated in his 61 duels, and the founder of the Niten-Ichi-Ryū-School style of swordsmanship. He wrote two books, The Book of Five Rings and The Path of Aloneness, shortly before his death.