A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy

there is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world

You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain

Do nothing that is of no use

The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them

If you wish to control others you must first control yourself

from one thing, know ten thousand things

You can only fight the way you practice

Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.

It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet

Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.

Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man.

Do not regret what you have done

The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him.

All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them

If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you

Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom.

You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.

The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win

To know ten thousand things, know one well

Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help

Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast….Of course, slowness is bad. Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy.

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions

You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.

The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.

To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy

Know your enemy, know his sword.

When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy...attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last.

No man is invincible, and therefore no man can fully understand that which would make him invincible

It is difficult to realize the true Way just through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things.