In the Body-Body Initiative, as your opponent attacks quickly, you advance calmly but with strength; and as he approaches, your entire being quickly becomes resolved. When you see him waver, take the victory directly and with strength. Again, when your opponent attacks calmly, you attack a little more quickly, but with light and almost floating movements. When he approaches, complicate the movement a little, follow his expression and vigorously take the victory. This is the Body-Body Initiative.
This subject is difficult to write about in detail, but you should make great efforts in what I have written down here.
These Three Initiatives are used according to the moment in time and the principles involved. And, although they are not always concerned with your making the initial attack, you want to attack first and drive your opponent before you if possible. In any case, using the wisdom of the martial arts, taking the initiative is surely at the heart of gaining the victory. You should practice this thoroughly.
PRESSING DOWN THE PILLOW
Pressing Down the Pillow means not letting your opponent’s head up. In the Way of Martial Arts combat, it is wrong to let your opponent lead you around or push you into a defensive position. Above all, you want to move him around freely. Therefore, as both you and your opponent are going to be mindful of this, it will be difficult for you to do if you do not perceive what he is going to do.
In the martial arts, you do such things as check your opponent’s strike, suppress his stabs, and break away from grappling. In what is called Pressing Down the Pillow, you grasp my True Way and, when in a confrontation, see through the indications of what your opponent is going to do regardless of his actions. When he is going to strike, before the word “strike” could even be pronounced, be intent on suppressing him and prohibit the rest of his action.
This is the heart of Pressing Down the Pillow. In “attack,” for example, suppress your opponent at the letter a; for “leap,” suppress him at the letter l; for “cut,” suppress him at the letter c. This is all done with the same understanding.
In the martial arts, when your opponent is going to use some technique on you, it is important that you let him do it if it’s a useless one. But, if his action is functional, suppress it and keep him from completing it.
The mind that thinks “suppress this, suppress that” about an opponent’s actions is also a mind on the defensive. First, no matter what you are involved in, entrust yourself to the Way and, while the execution of a technique is still in play, suppress what your opponent might think of doing even before the first letter of the word could be pronounced. Sustain your action over your opponent so that anything he does comes to nothing. Thus you will be an expert and forged in the martial arts. You should investigate Pressing Down the Pillow thoroughly.
FERRYING ACROSS
Ferrying Across is like crossing the sea. When you traverse a strait or make a long crossing of the sea, for a distance of even forty or fifty ri, you use “ferrying.” In passing through this human world, too, there are likely many places within the space of a generation that may be called Ferrying Across. On a ship’s course, you know where these places are, you know the capacity of the ship and you know the weather patterns well. Though other ships may not venture out, you do so by responding to the conditions of the hour, relying on either a crosswind or a tail wind and, if the wind changes, putting in the oars for two or three ri. With your mind set on arriving at port, you board the ship and ferry across.
You should think in terms of Ferrying Across when you pass through society and set your mind on some serious affair.
For the martial arts, Ferrying Across is essential even in the midst of battle. Here you take into account the level of your opponent, judge your own degree of expertise, and, using the principles of the martial arts, ferry across. It is the same for a good mariner ferrying across a sea route.
After Ferrying Across, you again feel at ease. In Ferrying Across, you will generally gain a quick victory by bringing out the weaknesses in your opponent and taking the initiative yourself.
The intent to ferry across is essential in the martial arts whether your opponents are one or many. You should investigate this thoroughly.
KNOWING CONDITIONS
In the main current of the martial arts, Knowing Conditions means knowing where your opponents flourish or fall, knowing the number of their allies, taking in the lay of the land, clearly observing your opponents’ conditions, and—according to the maneuvering of your own allies and these principles of the martial arts—grasping the way of victory with certainty, understanding the degree of initiative to be taken, and going into battle.
Even in solitary combat, it is essential that you discern your opponent’s style, see through the character of his allies, detect his strengths and weaknesses, understand how to take him by surprise, know well the scale of his rhythm along with the rhythm of his space and time intervals, and take the initiative. Knowing Conditions is being absolutely able to make assessments when your own intellect is strong.
As you gain freedom in the martial arts, you should be able to fathom your opponent’s mind well, and thus have many ways of victory. You should make efforts in this.
STEPPING ON THE SWORD
First, in martial arts on a grand scale, when our opponents fire bows and guns at our troops and then commence battle in whatever way, they first fire their weapons and then charge. If we then notch arrows to our bows and put powder into our firearms, it will be difficult to push through to their camp. The heart of Stepping on the Sword, something used principally in the martial arts, is that even with bows and firearms, you must act quickly while they are being discharged: if you charge quickly, it will be difficult to notch another arrow to a bow or discharge a firearm. In all things, when your opponent sets up a tactic, respond to it immediately according to its own principles and, stepping on his actions, defeat him.
Again, in the martial arts of one-on-one combat, if you strike only after your opponent has struck with his sword, the fight will become that of one beat after another, and you will make no progress. The idea of stepping on your opponent’s striking sword with your foot is to defeat him the moment he strikes, preventing him from striking a second time.
Stepping should not be limited to your feet, but whether doing so with your body, mind, or, of course, your sword, you should be intent on not giving your opponent a second chance. This is, therefore, the mind of taking the initiative in everything. It does not mean attacking at the same time as your opponent. Stepping on the Sword is taking your action immediately upon your opponent’s action. You should investigate this thoroughly.
KNOWING COLLAPSE
Collapse is common to all things. The collapse of a house, the collapse of a body, the collapse of your opponent—all of them, according to the moment, are collapses from a discordance of rhythm.
In martial arts involving large numbers, it is essential to grasp the rhythm of your opponents’ collapse and to hasten your offensive so that they cannot escape that moment. Escaping that moment of collapse, they will likely recover.
Again, in the martial arts of one-on-one as well, you grasp the moment of collapse in your opponent’s changing rhythm during the fight. If you are negligent enough to miss this, he will recover and begin anew, and you will make no progress.
It is essential that you grasp the sign of your opponent’s collapse and rush him with certainty so that he will be unable to recover. Your rushing attack must be instantaneous and strong, and you must cut him down with such vigor that he cannot recover. You should understand this “cutting down with vigor” thoroughly. If you miss this action, your mind is shilly-shallying. You should put effort into this.
BECOMING YOUR OPPONENT
Becoming Your Opponent means thinking as though your body has become that of your opponent. When you look at the world, people are apt to think that someone who has committed a robbery and has holed himself up in a house must be a strong opponent. But if you consider it from t
he opponent’s view, he is thinking that the whole world is against him and that there is no way of escape. The man who has holed himself up in a house is a pheasant. The man who is going in to cut him down is a hawk. You should make thorough efforts in this.
Even in martial arts confrontations involving large numbers, you will be failing in something important if you think of your opponents as strong. If you have a good number of men, understand the principles of the martial arts well, and believe deeply that you are going to defeat your opponents, there should be nothing to worry about.
In the martial arts of one-on-one as well, you should think in terms of Becoming Your Opponent. If he thinks you have understood the martial arts well, that you are strong in technique and that you are an expert in the Way, he is surely thinking that he is going to lose. You should investigate this thoroughly.
LETTING GO OF FOUR HANDS
Letting Go of Four Hands comes into play when both you and your opponent are of the same mind, you feel as though the fight has come to a stalemate, and you are making no progress. Thinking you have come to a stalemate, you should know enough to discard the situation immediately and gain the victory by some other method. Even in martial arts situations involving large numbers, if you are only intent on grappling, you will make no progress and will inflict injury on your allies. It is important to quickly disregard whatever you are thinking and gain the victory by some method unthought of by your opponent.
Again, even in the martial arts of one-on-one, when you think you’ve come to a situation of Four Hands, it is essential to change your thinking immediately, assess your opponent, and understand how to gain the victory by another method. You should understand this thoroughly.
MOVING THE SHADOW
Moving the Shadow is used when you cannot see through your opponent’s mind. Even in martial arts situations involving large numbers, when you cannot see through your opponents’ situation in any way, act as though you were going to attack vigorously, and you will see their intentions. Once you have seen their intentions, it is an easy thing to take the victory by another method.
Again, in martial arts situations of one-on-one, when your opponent has taken a stance with his sword behind him or to his side, if you make a sudden movement as if to strike him, his thoughts will be manifested with his sword. Knowing these manifestations, you will immediately perceive a method and should know victory with certainty. If you are negligent, you will miss the rhythm. You should investigate this thoroughly.
CONTROLLING THE LIGHT
Controlling the Light1 is applicable when you can see through your opponent’s mind as he makes his attack. In martial arts situations involving large numbers, you control your opponents’ tactics as they are about to execute them. If you show them that you will control their methods with strength, they will be controlled by that strength and change their minds. You can also change your mind, take the initiative from the mind of Emptiness and take the victory.2
Even in a martial arts situation of one-on-one, you check your opponent’s strong intentions by the rhythm of your own tactic: grasp a method of victory in his checked rhythm and take the initiative.
DRAWING YOUR OPPONENT IN
Being drawn in is something common to all things. Becoming sleepy is infectious, just as yawns and such are infectious. Time, too, is infectious. In martial arts situations involving large numbers, when your opponents show themselves to be skittish and hurried, you should give an appearance of being not at all affected by this, and rather move all the more leisurely. Your opponents will then be caught up by your actions and will show signs of slackening. When you think they have been drawn in by this, attack quickly and vigorously from the mind of Emptiness and you will gain the victory.
Even in martial arts situations of one-on-one, if you act slowly with body and mind, and then catch the moment when your opponent slackens, you can take the initiative vigorously and quickly, and defeat him. This is an important point.
“Making them drunk” is something that resembles this. So are the mentalities of boredom, skittishness, and weakening. You should make great efforts in this.
AGITATING YOUR OPPONENT
There are many kinds of agitation. One is a feeling of danger, a second is a feeling that something is beyond your capability, and a third is a feeling of the unexpected. You should investigate this thoroughly.
In martial arts situations involving large numbers, it is essential to agitate your opponents. It is essential that you attack violently when your opponents are not expecting it. Take advantage of the situation while their minds are unsettled, grasp the initiative, and gain the victory.
Again, even in the martial arts of one-on-one, show leisureliness in the beginning, then suddenly attack vigorously. Following through on your opponent’s agitation, you can take the advantage without missing a beat and grasp the victory. This is essential. You should investigate this thoroughly.
IMPOSING FEAR
Fear resides in all things, and the heart of fear is in the unexpected. In martial arts situations involving large numbers, you do not frighten your opponents with what is right before their eyes. People may be frightened by the voices of things, or they may be frightened by making the small seem large. Something frightening coming suddenly from the side also induces fear. You should grasp the rhythm of fear and gain victory by using its advantages.
Even in the martial arts of one-on-one, you can frighten an opponent with your body, you can frighten him with your sword, and you can frighten him with your voice. It is essential to do this suddenly, when your opponent is not expecting it. Take advantage of his fear and gain the victory immediately. You should investigate this thoroughly.
ENTANGLING
Entangling is when you and your opponent have approached each other and clashed vigorously, and you can see that the fight is going nowhere. It is essential that at that point you immediately intertwine yourself with your opponent and, while being mixed up with him, take advantage of the situation and gain the victory.
Whether in martial arts situations involving large numbers or one-on-one, when you and your opponent are set off and then clash with mutual intent but no victory is at hand, it is important to mix in with your opponent immediately, making sure that you cannot become disentwined. Then, seize the advantage of that situation, understand how you can win on the spot, and take the victory vigorously. You should investigate this thoroughly.
TOUCHING THE CORNER
Touching the Corner refers to the difficulty of forcing your way directly when pressing against anything strong. In martial arts situations involving large numbers, assess the number of your opponents, hit the corner of the place where they have struck out vigorously and you should be able to grasp the advantage. As that corner begins to lose strength, so will the entire body. It is essential that, as that strength fails, you grasp the victory by staying intent on that corner.
Even in the martial arts of one-on-one, inflict a wound on a corner of your opponent’s body and, as his body grows a little weaker and begins to slump, victory will be an easy matter. You should investigate this matter thoroughly. It is important in discerning the victory.
CAUSING CONFUSION
Causing Confusion means acting so that your opponent’s mind becomes uncertain. In martial arts situations involving large numbers on the battlefield, gauge your opponent’s mind and, with the strength of your own wisdom in the martial arts, send his mind in different directions, make him think various things, and have him wonder if you will be slow or quick. When you grasp the rhythm of his confusion, discern your point of victory with certainty.
Again, in the martial arts of one-on-one, seize the moment and execute various techniques, feigning strikes and stabs and rushing in. When you see the signs of your opponent’s confusion, take the victory freely. This is a specialty of battle. You should investigate this thoroughly.
THE THREE VOICES
The Three Voices are divided and called the Beginning, Mi
ddle, and Latter Voices. Shouting is essential according to the situation. Voice adds the element of energy, so people shout at fires, great winds, and large waves. Voice manifests vigor.
In martial arts situations involving large numbers, the shouts at the beginning of the battle are given as vigorously as possible to intimidate your opponents; the shouts in the middle of the battle lower the pitch and are given from the very depths; and, after defeating your opponents, another great shout is given vigorously. These are the Three Voices.
Again, even in the martial arts of one-on-one, you feign a strike and yell “Ei!” at the very beginning in order to incite your opponent to move. You then strike with your sword after you have yelled. Again, the yell you give after you have struck your opponent is an expression of victory. These are called the Beginning and Latter Voices.
You do not give a great yell at the same time you strike with your sword. If you yell during a battle, it is done with a low voice in order to ride its rhythm. You should investigate this thoroughly.
MIXING IN
Mixing In occurs in battles with large numbers, when the troops have clashed and you see that your opponent is strong. You Mix In when you attack one point of your opponents and, seeing that it has collapsed, you leave it and strike at other strong points. Generally, the heart of this is in zigzagging attacks.
In the martial arts on a smaller scale, this mentality is essential for when you are facing a group alone. Do not simply defeat one single opponent, but rout one after another, always attacking another strong opponent. Grasp one man’s rhythm and, with your own good rhythm, zigzag to the left and right, attacking as you read your opponent’s expression. When you grasp your opponent’s condition and rush in, be intent on taking the victory vigorously without the least bit of a retreat.
The Book of Five Rings Page 6