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Post by Yagyu Jubei Takemori on Jan 21, 2010 18:47:36 GMT -5
I was poking around looking for a copy of The Book of Five Rings and found about a million, as I am looking for a more accurate copy, and one that has a more martial feel I thought I would come here to ask if y'all had any opinions on what translation would be the best as my Japanese leaves something to be desired.
Thanks
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Post by Yamanouchi Eidou on Jan 22, 2010 22:22:19 GMT -5
Very few people translate Go rin no sho as a martial arts book. It is primarily looked at as a business help. That said, there is very little practical fighting information in it. Maybe some strategy but most of it will be about thought process and warrior spirit. Anything should be fine.
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Saionji Shonagon
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One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Jan 22, 2010 23:24:07 GMT -5
Very few people translate Go rin no sho as a martial arts book. It is primarily looked at as a business help. In the 1980's, yes. www.columbia.edu/~hds2/chushinguranew/Bushido/gorin-no-sho.htm provides a comparative discussion of four English translations, which might help you choose. The last on the page is a Tuttle publication, which bodes well as that company specializes in English translations of Japanese texts, she wrote, glancing over one shoulder at the bookshelf behind her which contains, one, two, th- seven Tuttle paperbacks.... (Not this one. Haven't actually gotten around to Musashi, though I should, having had a chance to admire some of his paintings last summer.) And there's a newer one put out by Kodansha International. www.kodansha-intl.com/books/html/en/9784770028013.html
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ivar
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Post by ivar on Feb 5, 2010 23:20:19 GMT -5
Very few people translate Go rin no sho as a martial arts book. It is primarily looked at as a business help. That said, there is very little practical fighting information in it. Maybe some strategy but most of it will be about thought process and warrior spirit. Anything should be fine. I would disagree about there not being much practical fighting information!! it is just hard to absorb with out the experience and frame of referance to decode it. there have been many times I thought I understood it, later i would re read it and find i was off. After 21 years of sca fighting several years of aikido and many readings of b5R I see the larger interrelation of the concepts! but not all of them. so I will just have to keep working, I have given up on reading it… I play an mp3 of it non stop in my truck. You can find the audio version on torrents or give barns and nobels your money, I did both. I recently have been working on a polearm style that is bringing more of musashi’s principles in to focus. ;D Sir Ivar
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Post by tengumoon on Feb 6, 2010 21:38:22 GMT -5
I believe that there is a wealth of information, technical and otherwise in Book of 5 Rings
polearm with Musashi principles... now that sounds very interesting indeed... Id like to hear more of that as I am working towards my primary weapons being daisho and nagimaki - the naginata is just for war!
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ivar
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Post by ivar on Feb 7, 2010 0:13:51 GMT -5
My first love was 2 sword. I am so utterly lacking in pole arm ability i have to focus on technique. I know the warrior must pursue both the path of the pen and the sword, unfortunately my sword is sharper than my pen but I will attempt to get some of this across. The first component is resolute acceptance of death. The second is the Void. The third is spirit and balance.
When you go to meet your foes you must have no fear and no preconceptions of what will happen in the fight. If we are even slightly possessed of fear we will not act naturally, and if we have in mind what we will do to our opponents, they will surely disappoint us by doing something we did not expect. When something unexpected happens our mind is stopped (read the unfettered mind) on our thoughts and actions we will be unable to act (re-act) without first freeing our mind. If your mind is without form (Void) it flows effortlessly to fit the situation. You should not move quickly. Speed is competing with your opponent. You want to move deliberately and efficiently and harmonize with your opponents movements. If you mind is without form your body may also be without form. You float on your opponent’s movements and intentions. No commitment to any course of actions, but firm and in control. You stop their actions before they can develop. People expect us to attack their bodies so they have defenses against those attacks. Some fighters think about their own balance as a means of maintaining their center and control of their own bodies. But I say that balance is as tangible and real target as our opponent’s helmet. If you are calm and receptive to the will of heaven (Natural Law) you will see your opponent’s weakness and will know the timing to exploit them. For example a sword and shield man comes at you they are strong and in balance and in a good guard, but as they throw a blow you float your pole on to their arm ( no effort to strike)and apply slight redirection to their movement throwing them slightly off balance in a small circle they cannot react well when they are off balance and will attempt to right their balance you let them start their movement with your floating pole arm in contact with their arm, not pushing them but in contact the whole time right when they are about to regain their balance you nudge their movement slightly past their balance point off balancing them a great deal. The spirit of this is like bouncing a ball each bounce the ball is more out of control then you strike them effortlessly dropping your pole on their head or body killing them. The intent is to control their balance not destroy it. I only use my pole arm head. I do not use the haft of the weapon to adjust their balance nor my body to strike or trip them (I would in a real fight). With only the blade of my pole I can throw some one 20 feet away (if they have too much aggression coming in) I have also put people in spinal locks and arm bars using only the blade of my nagi and their own energy. I am very deliberate and careful I do not wish to injure my opponents (they are my friends) I just want them to know without question that they have been defeated in spirit and the only thing keeping really bad things from happening to their bodies is my love and good will. All of these outcomes are just calmly exploiting the actions of your enemy but there is little need for violence if you can break their spirit.
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Post by Takayama Ryutaro Hidemasa on Dec 6, 2012 12:40:01 GMT -5
Hear is a another book to check out. I came acoss it at my local library: Samurai: The Japanese Warrior’s Unofficial Manual. it has some good information in it. but keep in mind that some of it refersto a mid 16th centry witten by a modern historian though a monk. This one does have some martal ideas in it.
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Post by Takayama Ryutaro Hidemasa on Dec 6, 2012 12:41:13 GMT -5
i will post a link later to day
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Post by Sō Haruko on Dec 7, 2012 1:15:03 GMT -5
Something to remember about Musashi is that he was built like a bear. He was very large and very strong. This isn't meant to invalidate his technique, but more to point out that there are some techniques that he recommends that can be difficult for smaller people to execute. (Also, I do not think any of the SCA fighting styles currently permit one to ram one's body into one's opponent, but I could be mistaken about heavies -- I do rapier and unarmored, and it's definitely not permitted in either of those.)
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Post by Takayama Ryutaro Hidemasa on Dec 8, 2012 19:35:40 GMT -5
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Mega Zenjirou Yoshi
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Post by Mega Zenjirou Yoshi on Apr 9, 2013 23:09:52 GMT -5
(Haven't actually gotten around to Musashi, though I should, having had a chance to admire some of his paintings last summer.) Shaionji-Sensei, you wouldn't happen to have any links to Musashi's art work, would you? I routinely only find a half dozen or so.
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Saionji Shonagon
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One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Apr 9, 2013 23:59:12 GMT -5
Digs for catalogue. They had a hanging scroll of a fat little horse and a set of folding screens with wild geese on it. The geese can be seen here. www.kampaibudokai.org/MusashiArt.htmOf course, I can't seem to find the one of the horse anywhere.
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