The Kendo student practises furiously, thousands of cuts morning and night, learning fierce techniques of horrible war, until eventually sword becomes “no sword”, intention becomes “no intention”, a spontaneous knowledge of every situation. The first elementary teaching becomes the highest knowledge, and the master still continues to practise this simple training, his everyday prayer.
That to die having failed is to die uselessly is a mad point of view. This is not a shameful thing. It is the most important thing in the Way of the warrior. If you keep your spirit correct from morning to night, accustomed to the idea of death and resolved on death, you can pass through life with no possibility of failure and perform your office properly.
You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. …These are things you must learn thoroughly.
There is timing in everything.
1. Do not think dishonestly
2. The Way is in training
3. Become acquainted with every art
4. Know the Ways of all professions
5. Distinguish between gain and loss in all worldly matters
6. Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything
7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen
8. Pay attention even to trifles
9. Do nothing which is of no use
It is important to start by setting these broad principles in your heart, and train in the Way of strategy.
Study this book; read a word then ponder on it. If you interpret the meaning loosely you will mistake the Way.
If you merely read this book you will not reach the Way of strategy. Absorb the things written in this book. Do not just read, memorise or imitate, but so that you realise the principle from within your own heart study hard to absorb these things in to your body.
Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.
Perception is strong and sight is weak.
When you take up a sword, you must feel intent on cutting the enemy. As you cut an enemy you must not change your grip, and your hand must not “cower”.
In my strategy, the training for killing enemies is by way of many contests, fighting for survival, discovering the meaning of life and death, learning the Way of the sword, judging the strength of attacks and understanding the Way of the “edge and ridge” of the sword.
Any man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must research this diligently, training morning and evening. Thus can he polish his skill, become free from self and realise extraordinary ability. He will come to possess miraculous power.
Because you can win quickly by taking the lead, it is one of the most important things in strategy. There are several things involved in taking the lead. You must make the best of the situation, see through the enemy’s spirit so that you grasp his strategy and defeat him. It is impossible to write about this in detail.
The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy’s useful actions but allow his useless actions.
“To know the times” means to know the enemy’s disposition in battle. Is it flourishing or waning? By observing the spirit of the enemy’s men and getting the best position, you can work out the enemy’s disposition and move your men accordingly. You can win through the principle of strategy, fighting from a position of advantage.
In large scale strategy, when the enemy starts to collapse, you must pursue him without letting the chance go. If you fail to take advantage of your enemies collapse they may recover. …Fix your eye on the enemy’s collapse, and chase him, attacking so that you do not let him recover. You must do this. The chasing attack is with a strong spirit.
“To become the enemy” means to think yourself in the enemy’s position.
Victory is certain when the enemy is caught up in a rhythm which confuses his spirit.
The voice is a thing of life. We shout against fires and so on, against the wind and the waves. The voice shows energy.
If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.
From olden times it has been said “Great and small go together”.
The Way of the strategy is straight and true. You must chase the enemy around and make him obey your spirit.
You must win by seizing on the enemy’s disorder and derangement, and not according him even a little hope of recovery.
When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent. Train diligently and attain this spirit.
When I teach my Way, I first teach by training in techniques which are easy for the pupil to understand, a doctrine which is easy to understand.
What is called the spirit of the void is where there is nothing. Of course, the void is nothingness. By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void. …To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practise day by day, and hour by hour. When your spirit is not in the last clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void.
…the way to understand is through experience.
You must bear this in mind.
Practise this well.
You must research this well.
You must appreciate this.
You must train constantly.
You must consider all this carefully.
Study this well.
You must train hard to understand it.
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