Generally speaking, people make their way through the world in four Ways: the Way of the Warrior, the Farmer, the Artisan, or the Merchant. Those who follow the Way of the Farmer prepare various farming implements, carefully regard the changing of the four seasons and, in this continuum, live out their days. This is the Way of the Farmer. Following the Way of the Merchant, the man who makes saké seeks out various methods of production, makes a profit from its good or poor quality and thus earns his living. In whatever way the merchant takes, he does the work appropriate to him and makes his way through the world by making a profit. This is the Way of the Merchant. As for the warrior, he prepares for himself the weapons of the various military practices and must sufficiently determine the proper uses of those weapons. This is what must be done in the Way of the Warrior. Without the preparation of weapons and an understanding of the advantages of each one, wouldn’t the accomplishments of the warrior clans lose a bit of their depth? Following the Way of the Artisan, the carpenter, for example, skillfully prepares all the different kinds of tools, learns the best way of using each one, takes out his carpenter’s square, works correctly according to the plans, does his work unfailingly and makes his way through the world.
These, then, are the four Ways—Warrior, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant.
I will describe the martial arts in comparison with the Way of the Carpenter. For the sake of such a comparison, let us take houses as our example. We speak of aristocratic houses; warrior houses; the four houses of the Fujiwara;4 the destruction or continued existence of these houses or, for that matter, of a style, tradition, or particular house. By using the word “house,” we can make a comparison with the Way of the Carpenter. The word “carpenter” is written with the Chinese characters for “great skill.” It is this “great skill” in the Way of the Martial Arts that leads me to choose the example of the carpenter.
To learn about the principles of battle, meditate on this book; for the teacher is the needle, the student the thread. As a student, you should practice without end.
COMPARING THE WAY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS TO THE CARPENTER
Like a master carpenter, the commanding general understands the measure of the empire, ascertains that of his own province, and knows the gauge of his own clan. This is the Way of the master carpenter. The master carpenter clearly understands the measurement of temples, pagodas, and monasteries; he knows the plans for imperial palaces and towers; he manages people and he builds houses. In this, the master carpenter and the manager of the warrior clans are the same.
In building a house, there is the problem of the selection of wood. Wood that is straight, without knots and with a good appearance, will be used for the front pillars. Wood that has a few knots but is straight and strong will be used for the rear pillars. And wood that may be a bit weak, but has no knots and is pleasing to the sight will be used variously for doorsills, lintels, doors, and sliding doors. For wood that is both knotty and warped but strong, if each place needing strength in the house is discerned, it may be used after careful examination, and that house should stand for a long time. Moreover, if among the lumber there is such that is knotty, warped, and weak, it will be used as scaffolding and later as kindling.
In using his carpenters, a master carpenter should know the relative quality of their skills and put them to work variously building the alcove, the doors, and sliding doors, or nothing more than the doorsills, lintels, and ceiling. He has the unskillful ones fix the floor joints, and those even less skilled plane the wedges. If the master carpenter understands the men well and uses them accordingly, the work will progress and the performance will be well done. The progression of the work, good performance, never-slackening attention, knowing the utility of things and the relative spirits of the men, plus giving encouragement—all such things are within the master carpenter’s frame of mind. The principles of the martial arts are like this.
THE WAY OF THE MARTIAL ARTS
Liken the soldier to a carpenter. The latter sharpens his tools with his own hands, prepares the various instruments of his trade, keeps them in his carpenter’s box, receives the master carpenter’s instructions, shapes the pillars and beams with his adze, shaves the alcove and shelving with his plane, is accurate in spacing and carving, ascertains correct measurements, and performs his duties well, down to the smallest detail. Doing this, he will later become a master carpenter himself. It is essential that the carpenter’s aim be to carry equipment that will cut well and, when he has time, to sharpen that equipment. That he is an expert at taking that equipment and using it to make book-shelves, desks, and even lamps, and cutting boards and pot lids is the specialty of the carpenter. A man who is a soldier is like this. He should examine these similarities carefully. For a carpenter to achieve his aim, it is essential that his work not be uneven, that the corners fit perfectly, that the wood be well shaved with his plane, that he not polish or hone too far, and that he produce work that will not twist or warp later on. If you think you would study this Way, you should be mindful of everything written here and you should examine it carefully.
THE DIVISION OF THIS BOOK INTO FIVE CHAPTERS
In order to divide this book on the Martial Arts into five Ways and show their principles chapter by chapter, I have entitled the five chapters Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Emptiness.
In “The Earth Chapter,” I provide an outline of the Way of the Martial Arts and the view of my own style. It is truly difficult to grasp the Way by swordsmanship alone. By knowing the large, you know the small; and from the shallow, you reach the deep. By drawing out a straight road over the topography, I have thus named this opening chapter, “The Earth Chapter.”
The second is “The Water Chapter.” Taking water as a model, one makes the mind like water. Water follows the form of either an angular or round container; it becomes either a drop or a great sea. Water is blue—its purity carrying the course of my own style in this chapter. If you discern the principles of swordsmanship with certainty, when you defeat a single opponent freely, you will have defeated everyone in the world. The mind that defeats one man is the same for innumerable opponents. The martial art of a commanding general makes the small into the large. Similarly, one may take something only a foot high and build it into a great Buddha. It is difficult to write of the significance of this in small details. With the one, know the ten thousand—this is the principle of the martial arts, and an aspect of my own style I set down in this chapter.
“The Fire Chapter” comes third. In this chapter, I note the matter of battle. I write about battle here because, like a fire, it can be large or small. So, too, can it display remarkable energy. In the Way of Battle, a confrontation between individuals and a confrontation in which ten thousand oppose ten thousand are the same. Enlarging the mind and contracting the mind—you should look at this and examine it well. It is easy to see what is large and difficult to see what is small. The reason for this is that a large group of people is difficult to change quickly, but an individual has but one mind, and that can change speedily. Thus, it is difficult to know the small. You should examine this well. Because the situation is one of an instant, this chapter deals with daily training and, as each moment is considered a decisive one, with not letting the mind go slack. These are the essentials of the martial arts. For this reason it is in this chapter that I write about victory or defeat in battle.
“The Wind Chapter,” the fourth chapter, is not about my own style but rather about the other martial arts and their various styles. The Chinese character for “wind” also means “style” and, as there are ancient styles, modern styles, and styles in the various schools, I will here clearly explain the martial arts in this country as well as the techniques of their various styles. This is Wind, or Style. If you do not know others, it is difficult to understand yourself. There are always heretical understandings, no matter in what Way or affair you conduct yourself. If you put your energy into such an understanding day by day, but your mind is wide of the mark, alth
ough you may think that this is a good Way, you will not be on the true path when seen from the correct position. If you do not attain the True Way, a small warp of the mind will later become a large one. You should investigate this. It is natural that others see the martial arts in swordsmanship alone. But in the principles and techniques of my martial art there is another significance. I write this chapter to inform you about other martial arts in the world, and other styles.
I write the fifth chapter, “The Emptiness Chapter,” as “emptiness.” With the mention of this word I am not speaking of something akin to an “interior” or an “entrance.” Having attained the principles, you leave them. For in the Way of the Martial Arts there is a natural freedom: you naturally gain an extraordinary strength, you know the rhythm of the moment, you strike naturally, and you hit naturally. These things are all contained in the Way of Emptiness. I write “The Emptiness Chapter” so that you might naturally enter the Way of Truth.
NAMING THE TWO-SWORD STYLE
We speak of “two swords” because warriors—both commanders and soldiers—wear two swords at their waists from the very beginning. Long ago they were called tachi and katana, but they are now called katana and wakizashi.5 It is not necessary to write out in detail why a warrior wears these two at his waist. In our country, it is the Way of the Warrior to wear them whether the reason is understood or not. I call this the Two-Sword Style in order to express its principle. The spear, the halberd, and other weapons are peripheral but are among the implements of battle. In the way of this style, it is correct for even the beginner to hold a sword and short sword in either hand and train in the Way. When you put your life on the line, you want all your weapons to be of use. Your real intent should not be to die with weapons uselessly worn at your waist. Moreover, when you hold a single weapon with both hands, it is difficult for the right and left hands to move freely. For this reason, I would have you learn to hold a sword with one hand. With a spear or halberd, there is no other way but with two hands, but the sword and short sword are both weapons to be held with one hand. It is wrong to hold a sword with both hands: it is wrong to do this on horseback and wrong to do it when you are running. This is so, whether in swamps, deep rice paddies, steep roads, or in the midst of a group of people. A bow, spear, or any other kind of weapon you may hold in your left hand, but in all such cases, you will have to use the sword with one hand. Thus, it is not the True Way to take a stance with a single sword with both hands. If there is a time when it is difficult to strike or kill an opponent with one hand, then you may strike him down with two.
This should not be a time-consuming event. To learn how to wield a sword in one hand, first take up two swords. This is the way to learn how to hold the sword single-handed.
A sword feels heavy and difficult to wield for anyone at first. A bow is also difficult to draw, and a halberd difficult to swing. But you get used to any weapon: for the bow, you gain strength, and if you practice with the sword you will gain strength in its Way, and come to handle it well.
The Way of the Sword is not in handling it with speed. I will cover this in “The Water Chapter.” The sword is handled in open spaces, and the short sword is handled in narrow spaces. This is most fundamental to the Way. In this style, you win with either the long or the short. For this reason, the length of a sword is not predetermined. The Way of this style is the mind that obtains the victory with anything at all. It is advantageous to hold two swords rather than one, whether you are singly fighting a group of people or are confined to a narrow space. It is not necessary to write in detail about such things now. You should know the ten thousand by means of the one. When you gain the ability to act in the Way of the Martial Arts, you will miss nothing. You should investigate this thoroughly.
UNDERSTANDING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORDS “MARTIAL ARTS”6
In this Way, a man who is able to handle a sword is known in the world as a martial artist. Through all of the warrior’s arts , if one can shoot the bow well, he is called an archer; if he is skilled with a rifle, he is called a marksman; if he is able to handle a spear, he is called a spearman; and if he has learned the halberd, he is called a halberdier. However, a man who has learned the Way of the Sword is not called a practitioner of the sword or short sword. The bow, the rifle, the spear, the halberd are all weapons of the military houses and are all included in the Way of the Martial Arts . But there is a reason why the sword is called the Martial Art on its own. It is by virtue of the sword that both society and oneself are put in order, and thus it is the sword from which the martial arts originate. If a man obtains the virtue of the sword, he can singly defeat ten men. If one man can singly defeat ten men, then one hundred men can defeat one thousand, and one thousand can defeat ten thousand. In this way, in my style of the martial arts, one man or ten thousand men are the same, and each and every one of the practices of a warrior are called “martial arts.”
Concerning the Way—Confucianists, Buddhists, tea masters, masters of ceremonial practices, Noh dramatists, and such—none of these are within the Way of the Warrior. Even though their Ways are not ours, if you know the Way broadly, not one of them will be misunderstood. It is essential that each person polish his own Way well.
UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF ARMOR
In understanding the value of the implements of battle, you see that each one, according to the time or occasion, communicates its own meaning. The short sword often has advantage when you draw close to your opponent in a narrow place. The sword (long sword) can be used in any place at all and is efficient on a large scale. The halberd is thought to be inferior to the spear on the battlefield. The spear acts as an advance guard, while the halberd is used as a rear guard. Within the same degree of training, the spear is a bit stronger; but both the spear and the halberd are used according to circumstances, and have little advantage in narrow places. They are not appropriate when you are at close quarters with your opponent. They are only weapons for the battlefield, but in battle they are essential.
Nevertheless, to learn these principles indoors, to study all the minor details and to forget the Way of the actuality, will likely be of little use at all. The bow is useful on the battlefield and in the advance and retreat of troops. The bow can deal quickly with coordinated movements of spear divisions or any others, and so is an excellent weapon on an open battlefield. However, it is insufficient when attacking a castle or when the distance from the enemy exceeds twenty ken.7
These days, in all of the arts—including that of the bow—there are many flowers but little fruit. Such arts will not be found useful when the essential moment arrives and will have few advantages.8 From inside a castle, there is nothing better than a firearm. Even on an open battlefield firearms have many advantages before the battle begins, but they are insufficient once the battle has been joined. One of the virtues of the bow is that the released arrow can be watched by the eye. The rifle bullet cannot be watched, and this is a weak point. You should investigate this matter thoroughly.
As for horses, it is essential that they have stamina and not be vicious. As with all weapons, a horse should move with a robust stride, a sword or short sword should cut cleanly, spears and halberds should thrust well, and bows and rifles should be strong and durable.
But with weapons, just as with other things, you should not make distinctions or preferences. Going too far is the same as not going far enough. Without imitating others, you should take what is appropriate to yourself and use a weapon you can handle. It is wrong for either general or soldier to have a preference for one thing and to dislike another. It is essential to make efforts in these things.
THE RHYTHM OF MARTIAL ARTS
There is a rhythm to everything, but particularly in the martial arts, if you do not train in its rhythm it is difficult to succeed. To indicate some of the rhythms in the world, there are those for the Way of Noh drama. When the rhythms of the musicians playing wind and stringed instruments are coordinated, the entire rhythm is balanced. In
the military arts, there is a rhythm and timing in the release of the bow, in the firing of a rifle, and even in mounting a horse. You cannot ignore rhythm in any of the arts and accomplishments.
Moreover, there is rhythm in the formless. Concerning the position of a warrior, there is a rhythm to rising in the service of his lord, and a rhythm for retreating from it; there is a rhythm to being in harmony with others, and a rhythm to not being in harmony with them. In the Way of the Merchant, there is a rhythm for becoming a wealthy man, and a rhythm for ruining oneself with wealth. The rhythm is different according to each and every Way. You should discriminate thoroughly between the rhythm of success and the rhythm of failure.
There are various rhythms to the martial arts. First, know the rhythm of balance [vis-à-vis your opponent], and be able to distinguish the rhythm of imbalance. Within the rhythms of large and small, slow and fast, know the rhythm of contact, the rhythm of spacing as well as the rhythm of resistance to rhythm. These are essential to the martial arts. If you are unable to discern the rhythm of resistance to your opponent’s rhythm, your martial art will not be correct. In a battle of martial arts, victory is in knowing the rhythms of your various opponents, in using a rhythm your opponent will be unable to grasp, and in developing a rhythm of emptiness rather than one of wisdom.
In each of these chapters, I write most principally of this matter of rhythm. You should investigate what is written here and train yourself thoroughly.
As for the Way of the above style of martial art, by endeavoring to put it into practice morning and evening, day in and day out, your mind should broaden of itself and you will have a martial art for either large groups of men or individuals. Passing this on to the world, I now write this down for the first time in the five chapters of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Emptiness.
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