75+ Miyamoto Musashi Quotes From The Japanese Swordsman
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Musashi was a famous swordsman, strategist, philosopher, and writer.
Mushashi wrote some good books on swordsmanship and strategy. Two of which 'The Book Of Five Rings' and 'Dokkōdō', written in his last years, are the most famous.
He has had an unbeaten record of 61 duels. Hence, being called Japan's sword-saint. He also founded the Niten Ichi-ryu style of swordsmanship. Check out the quotes below to know more about the man himself.
If you liked our Miyamoto Musashi quotes go check out Samurai quotes and Martial Arts quotes.
Best Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
Read the best of these quotes by Musashi, from his viewpoint of the planet and life surrounding it.
1. "Whatever your determination or will power, it is foolish to try to change the nature of things. Things work the way they do because that is the way of things."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
2. "Nobody is strong and nobody is weak if he conceives of the body, from the head to the sole of the foot, as a unity in which a living mind circulates everywhere equally."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
3. "Do not regret what you have done."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
4. "The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
5. "Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food… extricate yourself by your own wisdom."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
6. "In battle, if you make your opponent flinch, you have already won."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
7. "In large-scale strategy, it is beneficial to strike at the corners of the enemy’s force. If the corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole body will be overthrown."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
8. "Many things can cause a loss of balance. One cause is danger, another is hardship, and another is surprise."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
9. "The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
10. "Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
11. "Everything can collapse. Houses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
12. "From one thing, know ten thousand things."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
13. "Step by step walk the thousand mile road."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
14. "Understand the harm and benefit of everything."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
15. "Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
Miyamoto Musashi Philosophy Quotes
Proper perception of these Miyamoto Musashi quotes on life and philosophy will help you in many ways.
16. "If we look at things objectively, from the viewpoint of laws of the world, we see various doctrines departing from the true Way."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
17. "Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
18. "No fear, no hesitation, no surprise, no doubt."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
19. "With your spirit open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view... distinguish between good and evil."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
20. "A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
21. "The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
22. "Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy. From this example, the principle can be seen."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
23. "It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
24. "Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
25. "Language does not extend to explaining the way in detail, but it can be grasped intuitively."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
26. "Aspire to be like Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
27. "The purpose of today's training is to defeat yesterday's understanding."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
28. "Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
29. "There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
Interesting Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
Perceive the way of the warrior and get motivated through these useful quotes that will even help you in your everyday life.
30. "If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
31. "To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
32. "Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
33. "The principle is 'strategy by means of the long sword'. If he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
34. "You must not be influenced by the opponent."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
35. "If you wish to control others you must first control yourself."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
36. "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."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
37. "Do nothing which is of no use."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
38. "Do not let the body be dragged along by mind nor be dragged along by the body."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
39. "Once at the enemy, you should not aspire just to strike him, but to cling after the attack. You must study this deeply."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
40. "Never accept an inferior position to anyone. It is the strongest spirit that wins, not the most expensive sword."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
41. "It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
42. "Control your anger. If you hold anger toward others, they have control over you. Your opponent can dominate and defeat you if you allow him to get you irritated."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
43. "Determine that today you will overcome yourself of the day before, tomorrow you will win over those of lesser skill, and later you will win over those of greater skill."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
Quotes Of Musashi On Strategy
The ones seeking victory, definitely, read these quotes on strategy.
44. "The warrior is different in that studying the Way of strategy is based on overcoming men."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
45. "If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
46. "Immature strategy is the cause of grief."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
47. "To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
48. "Strategy is the craft of the warrior."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
49. "When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly... attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
50. "It shows the inferior strategy of a weak spirit that men should be dependent on the length of their sword, fighting from a distance without the benefit of strategy."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
51. "Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
52. "Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
53. "The spirit of my school is to win through the wisdom of strategy, paying no attention to trifles. Study this well."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
54. "When you have attained the way of strategy there will be nothing that you cannot understand. You will see the way in everything."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
55. "The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
56. "There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
57. "In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm."
- Miyamoto Musashi.
Famous Miyamoto Musashi Quotes From Books
Lastly, we have some of the famous quotes from Miyamoto Musashi 'The Book Of Five Rings' quotes and 'Dokkōdō', that tell us how to be stronger and smarter. See how it can change your view, not to think lightly and get to the top of the mountain through one path.
58. "Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
59. "Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
60. "You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
61. "You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
62. "You can only fight the way you practice."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
63. "Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
64. "Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
65. "Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
66. "If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
67. "Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
68. "It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword… Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
69. "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."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
70. "Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
71. "All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
72. "Be detached from desire your whole life long."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
73. "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."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
74. "Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world."
- 'Dokkōdō'.
75. "Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy, it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things."
- 'The Book Of Five Rings'.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Miyamoto Musashi quotes, then why not take a look at Daisaku Ikeda quotes, or Karate quotes.
Editorial credit: enchanted_fairy / Shutterstock.com
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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