MIYAMOTO MUSASHI BOOK
 

I PICKED UP A BOOK AT BARNES AND NOBLE THE OTHER DAY. (THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS) BY MIYAMOTO MUSASHI. IT IS A DISCUSSION OF HIS EXPERIENCES AND FIGHTING TECKNIQUE AND WILL BE QUITE INTERESTING TO ALL THOSE WHO STUDY SWORD FIGHTING ESPECIALLY JAPANESE STYLE. THE BOOK IS A SMALL HARD BACK 8.25 X 7.25 IN , 200 PAGES IT HAS LOTS OF VERY GOOD COLORFUL JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINTS. IT IS IN THE BARGAN AREA AND PRICED AT A BIT UNDER $10.00 U.S. DOLLARS. I AM ENJOYING IT AND DO RECOMEND IT AS IT IS GOOD READING AND A GOOD QUALITY BOOK. I HAVE READ THE STORYS BEFORE BUT THIS BOOK IS WORTH GETTING JUST FOR THE NEAT PICTURES, PERHAPS I WAS CORRUPTED IN MY YOUTH BY COMIC BOOKS BUT I DO LIKE PICTURES. :p

THERE ARE ALSO TWO DIFFERENT SERIES OF MOVIES OF MIYAMOTO MUSASHI'S LIFE, ONE HAS 3 SEPARATE VHS MOVIES AND STARS TOSHIRO MIFUNE . THE OTHER HAS 5 DVDS , I DON'T KNOW WHO IT STARS AS IT IS ALL IN JAPANESE BUT BOTH SERIES ARE VERY GOOD AND WORTH SEEING.

Hi,

Interesting work.

It is also available here for free:

http://samurai.com/5rings/

Cheers
Chris

Ah yes, I was referred to this work of the "sword saint" by a martial artist in the seventies. A reminder for another revisit to the dusty book.

I read it in high school, and again recently after studying kungfu for over 20 years. I must say it means much more to me now. It is one of those typical books written by an expert; you kind of have to know what he is talking about, to know what he is talking about. The recent version I read had a picture of Musashi standing calmly with his sword tip down. The caption read, "Musashi is open on all eight sides, there is no possible way to attack Musashi." It is the best pictorial representation of "no form" that I have ever seen, with a caption that sums up the central oxymoronic truth of the style. It is one of those things that is actually easier to do than explain. People think no-form is only for masters, but we do it every time we are not doing a martial art. The trick is doing it and doing a martial art at the same time ;)
Josh

I remember coming across it some six years ago, i i have the book and read it, I also have the trilogy that presents his life, starring Toshiro Mifune, great movies! ;)