"Crossing at a ford" means, for example, crossing the
sea at a strait, or crossing over a hundred miles of broad sea
at a crossing place. I believe this "crossing at a ford"
occurs often in a man's lifetime. . It means setting sail even
though you friends stay in harbour, knowing the route, knowing
the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day. When all
the conditions are meet, and there is perhaps a favourable wind,
or a tailwind, then set sail. If the wind changes within a few
miles of your destination, you must row across the remaining distance
without sail. If you attain this spirit, it applies to everyday
life. You must always think of crossing at a ford.
- Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings
The Way of battles is the same for man to man fights and for ten
thousand a side battles. You must appreciate that spirit can become
big or small. What is big is easy to perceive: what is small is
difficult to perceive. In short, it is difficult for large numbers
of men to change position, so their movements can be easily predicted.
An individual can easily change his mind, so his movements are
difficult to predict. You must appreciate this. The essence of
this book is that you must train day and night in order to make
quick decisions. In strategy it is necessary to treat training
as a part of normal life with your spirit unchanging.
-- Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings
.
In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they
were close and to take a distanced view of close things. It is
important in strategy to know the enemy's sword and not to be
distracted by insignificant movements of his sword. You must study
this. The gaze is the same for single combat and for largescale
strategy.
It is necessary in strategy to be able to look at both sides
without moving the eyeballs. You cannot master this ability quickly.
Learn what is written here: use this gaze in everyday life and
do not vary it whatever happens.
Miyamoto Musashi
The Book of Five Rings
Step by step walk the thousandmile road. Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today it is victory over yourself of yesterday, tomorrow is your victory over lesser men. Next, in order to beat more skilled men, train according to this book, not allowing your heart to be swayed along a sidetrack. Even if you kill an enemy, if it is not based on what you have learned it is not the true Way. If you attain this Way of victory, then you will be able to beat several tens of mens. What remains is swordfighting ability, which you can attain in battles and duels.
.
-Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings
. . .
It is important to start by setting these broad principles
in your heart, and train in the Way of strategy. If you do not
look at things on a large scale it will be difficult for you to
master strategy. If you learn and attain this strategy you will
never lose even to twenty or thirty enemies. More than anything
to start with you must set your heart on strategy and earnestly
stick to the Way. You will come to be able to actually beat men
in fights, and to be able to win with your eye. Also by training
you will be able to freely control your own body, conquer men
with your body, and with sufficient training you will be able
to beat ten men with your spirit.
When I reached thirty I looked back on my past. The previous victories
were not due to my having mastered strategy. Perhaps it was natural
ability, or the under of heaven, or that other schools' strategy
was inferior. After that I studied morning and evening searching
for the principle, and came to realize the Way of strategy when
I was fifty.
-Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings
.
.
"To become the enemy" means to think yourself into the
enemy's position. In the world people tend to think of a robber
trapped in house as a fortified enemy. However, if we think of
"becoming the enemy," we feel that the whole world is
against us and that there is no escape. He who is shut inside
is a pheasant. He who enters to arrest is a hawk. You must appreciate
this. In largescale strategy, people are always under the
impression that the enemy is strong, and so tend to become cautious.
But if you have good soldiers, and if you understand the principles
of strategy, and if you know how to beat the enemy, there is nothing
to worry about. In single combat also you must put yourself in
the enemy's position. If you think, "Here is a master of
the Way, who knows the principles of strategy," then you
will surely lose. You must consider this deeply.
-Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings
If you master the principles of
swordfencing, when you freely beat
one man, you beat any man in the
world. The spirit of defeating a man
is the same for ten million men. The
strategist makes small things into big
things. like building a great Buddha
from a one foot model. I cannot
write in detail how this is done. The
principle of strategy is having one
thing, to know ten thousand things.
-Miyamoto Musashi
A Book of Five Rings