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The Complete Book of Five Rings

The Complete Book of Five Rings

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Average rating5

15

All the Book of Five Rings translations get lumped together but are not at all equal, this is five stars specifically for Kenji Tokitsu's translation. Many others are one-star translations.

This is the only translation of this book I've ever read that understands that Musashi was writing a martial arts manual, not a book of generally applicable philosophy. Most translations of Five Rings try to turn it into a mystic festival of woo woo feelings. That's not what it is, the philosophy that is in here is an outgrowth of his cultural background and attempts to put his style of martial arts into words.

If you're looking for Musashi the martial artist, this is your edition.

June 29, 2018