Miyamoto Musashi's The Complete Book of Five Rings

The Complete Book of Five Rings is an authoritative version of the classic The Book of Five Rings by Musashi, translated and annotated by Kenji Tokitsu, a modern martial arts master. Tokitsu, who has dedicated most of his life to researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, illuminates this seminal text, along with several other writings by Musashi, in this book. These additional works include "The Mirror of the Way of Strategy," which Musashi composed in his twenties, as well as "Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy" and "Forty-two Instructions on Strategy," which were precursors to The Book of Five Rings, and "The Way to Be Followed Alone," which Musashi wrote just days before his death. Together, these five texts provide readers with an unusually detailed and nuanced understanding of Musashi's ideas on swordsmanship, strategy, and self-cultivation. Tokitsu contextualizes these writings within their historical and philosophical framework, making them accessible and relevant to today's readers and martial arts students. Possessing an exceptional understanding of Musashi's writings and the man himself as a martial artist, Tokitsu is able to offer a rare and insightful perspective into the legendary figure and his groundbreaking contributions.

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