A Warrior’s Thoughts
By Miyamoto Musashi
ON THE SCIENCE OF MARTIAL
ARTS
In
People who make a living as martial artists these days only
deal with swordsmanship. The priests of the Kashima and Kantori
shrines in
Among the arts and crafts spoken of since ancient times, the
so-called “art of the advantage” has been included as a craft; so once we are
talking about the art of the advantage, it cannot be limited to swordsmanship
alone. Even swordsmanship itself can hardly be known by considering only how to
win by the art of the sword alone; without question it is impossible to master
military science thereby.
As I see society, people make the arts into commercial
products; they think of themselves as commodities, and also make implements as
items of commerce. Distinguishing the superficial and the substantial, I find
this attitude has less reality than decoration.
The field of martial arts is particularly rife with
flamboyant showmanship, 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.”
Generally speaking, there are four walks of life: the ways of
the knight, the farmer, the artisan, and the merchant.
First is the way of the farmer. Farmers prepare all sorts of
agricultural tools and spend the years constantly attending to the changes in
the four seasons. This is the way of the farmer.
Second is the way of the merchant. Those who manufacture wine
obtain the various implements required and make a living from the profit they
gain according to quality. Whatever the business, merchants make a living from
the profits they earn according to their particular status. This is the way of
the merchant.
Third, in regard to the warrior knight, that path involves
constructing all sorts of weapons and understanding the various properties of
weapons. This is imperative for warriors; failure to master weaponry and
comprehend the specific advantages of each weapon would seem to indicate a lack
of cultivation in a member of a warrior house.
Fourth is the way of the artisan. In terms of the way of the
carpenter, this involves skillful construction of all sorts of tools, knowing
how to use each tool skillfully, drawing up plans correctly by means of the
square and the ruler, making a living by diligent practice of the craft.
These are the four walks of life, of knights, farmers,
artisans, and merchants. I will illustrate the science of martial arts by
likening it to the way of the carpenter.
The carpenter is used as a metaphor in reference to the
notion of a house. We speak of aristocratic houses, military houses, houses of
the arts; we speak of a house collapsing or a house continuing; and we speak of
such and such a tradition, style, or “house.” Since we use the expression
“house,” therefore, I have employed the way of the master carpenter as a
metaphor.
The word for carpenter is written with characters meaning
“great skill” or “master plan.” Since the science of martial arts involves
great skill and master planning, I am writing about it in terms of comparison
with carpentry.
If you want to learn the science of martial arts, meditate on
this book; let the teacher be the needle, let the student be the thread, and
practice unremittingly.
LIKENING THE SCIENCE OF
MARTIAL ARTS
TO CARPENTRY
As the master carpenter is
the overall organizer and director of the carpenters, it is the duty of the
master carpenter to understand the regulations of the country, find out the
regulations of the locality, and attend to the regulations of the master
carpenter’s own establishment.
The master carpenter, knowing the measurements and designs of
all sorts of structures, employs people to build houses. In this respect, the
master carpenter is the same as the master warrior.
When sorting out timber for building a house, that which is
straight, free from knots, and of good appearance can be used for front
pillars. That which has some knots but is straight and strong can be used for
rear pillars. That which is somewhat weak yet has no knots and looks good is
variously used for door sills, lintels, doors, and screens. That which is
knotted and crooked but nevertheless strong is used thoughtfully in
consideration of the strength of the various members of the house. Then the
house will last a long time.
Even knotted, crooked, and weak timber can be made into
scaffolding, and later used for firewood.
As the master carpenter directs the journeymen, he knows
their various levels of skill and gives them appropriate tasks. Some are
assigned to the flooring, some to the doors and screens, some to the sills,
lintels, and ceilings, and so on. He has the unskilled set out floor joists,
and gets those even less skilled to carve wedges. When the
master carpenter exercises discernment in the assignment of jobs, the work
progresses smoothly.
Efficiency and smooth progress, prudence in all matters,
recognizing true courage, recognizing different levels of morale, instilling
confidence, and realizing what can and cannot be reasonably expected- such are
the matters on the mind of the master carpenter. The principle of martial arts
is like this.
THE SCIENCE OF MARTIAL
ARTS
Speaking in terms of
carpentry, soldiers sharpen their own tools, make various useful implements,
and keep them in their utility boxes. Receiving instructions from a master
carpenter, they hew pillars and beams with adzes, shave floors and shelving
with planes, even carve openwork and bas relief. Making sure the measurements
are correct, they see to all the necessary tasks in an efficient manner; this
is the rule for carpentry. When one has developed practical knowledge of all
the skills of the craft, eventually one can become a master carpenter oneself.
An essential habit for carpenters is to have sharp tools and
keep them whetted. It is up to the carpenter to use these tools masterfully,
even making such things as miniature shrines, bookshelves, tables, lamp stands,
cutting boards, and pot covers. Being a soldier is like this. This should be
given careful reflection.
Necessary accomplishments of a carpenter are avoiding
crookedness, getting joints to fit together, skillful planing,
avoiding abrasion, and seeing that there is no subsequent warping.
If you want to learn this science, then
take everything I write to heart and think it over carefully.