Books by Miyamoto Musashi

The Complete Book of Five Rings is an authoritative version of Musashi’s classic The Book of Five Rings, translated and annotated by a modern martial arts master, Kenji Tokitsu. Tokitsu has spent most of his life researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, and in this book he illuminates this seminal text, along with several other works by Musashi. These include “The Mirror of the Way of Strategy,” which Musashi wrote when he was in his twenties; “Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy,” and “Forty-two Instructions on Strategy,” which were precursors to The Book of Five Rings; and “The Way to Be Followed Alone,” which Musashi wrote just days before his death. Read together, these five texts give readers an unusually detailed, nuanced view of Musashi’s ideas on swordsmanship, strategy, and self-cultivation. Tokitsu puts all these writings into historical and philosophical context and makes them accessible and relevant to today’s readers and martial arts students. Tokitsu understands Musashi’s writings—and Musashi as a martial artist—unusually well and is able to provide a rare insight into the man and his historical contribution.

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), en japansk ronin, en omvandrende kriger på samuraiernes tid, legendarisk kendt for sin uovervindelighed og for ”De fem ringes bog" om uovervindelighedens grundlag: Frigørelsen fra anspændelse, at blive ét med den totale opmærksomhed, der er tomhed, der føder fri bevægelse. Musashis skærpede liv-død-bevidsthed bliver en indsigt i, at livets værdi opstår af dødens mulighed. En bog om strategi og rytme på alle livets områder. Den er forblevet inspirationskilde for vidt forskellige mennesker. På dansk ved, med kommentarer og efterskrift af Hugo Hørlych Karlsen.

El libro de los cinco anillos es la obra capital del pensamiento marcial japonés. Concebida inicialmente como manual de entrenamiento de los discpículos de la escuela del autor, se ha acabado convirtiendo en la base de toda la filosofía del samurai. Musashi revela en ella los secretos del Camino del Guerrero, la disciplina y la filosofía detrás de su modo de vida. Una obra tan influyente como inmortal.Este audiolibro está narrado en castellano.Miyamoto Musashi (1582-1645), conocido también como Niten o kensei, «santo del sable», fue un célebre samurai, maestro de esgrima, artista calígrafo y pintor. Con trece años tuvo su primer duelo a muerte, y a los quince emprendió una vida errante trufada de duelos y batallas que le llevaron a crear su propia escuela marcial: la legendaria Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu. Su vida ha sido llevada numerosas veces al cine.

Along with Sun Tzu''s The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings is considered to be one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asia. Composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess-and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in The Book of Five Rings. This brilliant manifesto is written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life.