“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”― Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings
Miyamoto Musashi was one of the greatest swordsmen the world has ever known. Not only was he undefeated in over 80 duels, many of them to the death, but he also fought in the pitched battles common in 16th century feudal Japan. What makes him truly spectacular, however, was that he was not just a master of the sword. He was the master of many crafts.
Musashi wasn’t just an accomplished samurai and sword-fencer. He also forged his own weapons, wrote treatises on strategy, and created beautiful ink paintings. His surviving works are considered national treasures in Japan.
At the end of his life, Musashi isolated himself in a cave to compose The Book of Five Rings, a text on swordplay martial arts and strategy in general. Nearly four centuries later, the seminal work is still read and studied by millions around the…
