Its fair enough not to like him but one should understand that much of his development came from his understanding the futility of the "thug" phase. He was a gifted warrior and being self- taught he bested formally taught samurai and saw the impracticality of their styles and promoted seeking the "true way" which is what all modern militaries aspire to do in "lessons learnt in blood" It is important to know that one doesn't "join" the samurai like they do the military today. It is a class of aristocracy that musashi was not a part of. He obtained greatness, prestige, discipline and skill through the pursuit of martial prowess so if it appears as though it seems as though swordsmanship is end of the means its because it is. Also the "investigate thoroughly" may be an eastern writing thing I know that the confucian book, like almost every sentence is like "The master/teacher says..." its just their writing style/translation convention. Lastly the importance of man's life was different in japan in those days. Samurai were taught not to fear death and at any moment could be asked to commit suicide by their lord and the should do so with dignity. So the idea of turning down a duel would be shameful and many of the swords schools themselves built their prestige on said duels. its the culture. but like who you like
Took the words right out of my mouth. I always tell people to look at him as a great martial artist and martial philosopher rather than a spiritual philosopher or a philosopher of humanism.
I concur. Someone once told me that their interpretation was that he was "an old man talking about how badass he used to be." I disagree. My interpretation is that he is being absolutely blunt and functional, the same philosophy he brought to conflict. Utter disregard for the connotation of his words. In my opinion, he is reflecting on his exploits in youth and all the "badass" things he did, as a warning to others. "I did all this macho bullshit, and it was because I didn't know jack."
Thank you for your participation on our Beloved's Warrior Poet Society channel and RUclips forum. My birthyear being 1977 common era. i am the mastermind. Question everything John is my beloved muppet puppet, aren't you John Lovell. Ah sweet victory. I loved this one it was somthing personal and special to me. Not a coincidence thumbs up stopped at 77 after all these years, i have been watching it and decided to finally tell you. That's a special comment i would personally give you a thumbs up but not this time, just for the algorithm i want to see it stay at 77 likes. 🤭🤔🤫
Mr. Lovell, First, I want to tell you that your videos are second to none. They bring a different feel and spin to the warrior mindset. I honestly believe that I've followed up on more content from your videos than anyone else I have watched on RUclips. You bring an enlightening, refreshing and practical angle to life with the lessons and practices you film for all of us, and I genuinely want to thank you for that. Secondly, your Warrior Poet Profiles are relevant, educational, and inspirational. I would love if you dug in a little deeper with the text and content, I honestly can't soak enough in. I do not know how plausible it would be for you, but if you started a Warrior Poet podcast I would be locked in, as I'm sure many others would be too. Thanks Again & God Bless, John H.
Really appreciate the encouragement John, thank you. This last warrior poet profile was a bit longer - hope that sates your thirst a bit more. These videos are really meant to inspire folks to read, read, read!
Awesome video, I agree with most of those pros and cons. Though, one thing to keep in mimd is that the mentality in feudal Japan was very contrast to our current western culture. Not knocking either because it's apples and oranges. But back then, the samurai saw death differently. Similar to vikings whom could only get to Valhalla by dying in battle, the samurai saw honor in death. perhaps in 2017 Miyamoto can be seen as a narcissistic murderer killimg his countrymen but within the context of feudal Japan, I think he was upholding their beliefs and virtues by putting his life on the line with duels amd giving others an honorable death. Great video, please make more!!
Yet another great video John! It's rare to come across someone that would be as formidable of an opponent on a debate stage as they would be on the battlefield, and vice versa. I can tell that you really do your research before you speak on a subject. A true warrior poet!
Musashi was an interesting figure in history because he didn't stand for anything but himself. So Musashi fought for himself, lived for himself, thought for himself. For a warrior of that time it was unheard of to do that. Also, some of his duels were badass.
Another thing to consider when reading a translation : Things written in old kanji can be misinterpreted by westerners. One symbol can convey multiple meanings, indeed a whole sentence of information. So if there is a line in the symbol stressing "importance", now your reading it translated literally "you should investigate this thoroughly" every time. It doesn't mean Musashi was mentally hung up on egotistically writing it out each time...lol
I know old Chinese writing does this too.. May have been a style thing, or maybe he was just saying that what he had written / discovered was only a part of the 'full' picture, and that the reader shouldn't just blindly take his words as fact, but rather to experiment and discover his or her own views on the matter.
to add another response to this, I felt as I read it that he was taking it that the book shouldn't be read all at once. He meant it as a meditation. So there he goes over the parts and says, "alright, here's where you take what I've told you and see how it works for you"
Rommel was a professional warrior, but had compassion for vanquished does. He came upon a SS NCO mistreating a prisoner. Rommel interveined and saved the prisoner.
I agree with your assessment. He was someone who could be respected, though not necessarily admired. It's been a while since I read this book, but one bit that always stood out was a particular duel which was to take place at dawn. He purposely showed up late in a small boat then wasn't even prepared. He studied his opponent closely then began whittling a sword from the wooden Orr. When he faced his increasingly angered opponent he was able to strike him down with relative ease. As it turned out when studying his opponent he carved his sword purposefully a few inches longer than his opponents giving him a distinct advantage.
I am so happy to have found WPS, love all, well almost all lol, of your content. And you aspire to the same things I have always aspired to, God, family, country, self reliance, these are things all men should aspire to. Thank you for putting your thoughts out into the universe. On a completely different note, love hearing rounds hitting steel in the background...😎😎
I was one of the guys who recommended you did this profile on Musashi, after watching it I definitely I agree that using the criteria and spirit you've expressed about the warrior poet mentality he doesn't fit the bill... but he was literally a warrior and a poet so apparently those were the only two words I heard in the first video of the series haha. Keep 'em coming John!
Excellent review and thoughts (your content is always great!). Just a few things to consider...I'm not a fan of Musashi personally either...definitely not Warrior Poet Society material... but it's important to consider the age and society in which he lived, especially the years he was reflecting back on when he was writing. For the early part of his life, Japan was embroiled in a multi-generational series of overlapping civil wars (the Sengoku or Warring States period). This was a very "Game of Thrones" time and a pivotal era in Japanese history. Immediately prior to this, Japan was a nation-state more in name than in fact, with an ever-changing patchwork of substantially independent feudal states of wildly varying size and power. It was chaotic and lawless, and the social structure of the country reflected that. In part because of Buddhist and shinto perspectives, life was seen as transitory, ephemeral, and illusory. Human life was of little value, no matter what class. As late as the 20th century revival of bushido, the Japanese "Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors" urged fighting men to remember always that "duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather." To give one's life, or to take another's, was seen as natural and heedless. This was the era of uchi-sute, the "right to cut and walk away", in which bushi of higher rank could strike down a person of lower rank, including bushi of lower rank, in the moment merely for giving offense. In fact, *failure* to do so was sometimes seen as a disgrace. The disgraced bushi could perhaps regain their honor by, for example, exterminating the offender's whole family(!). Of course, exercising the right was also subject to intricate and sometimes arcane conditions, and the penalty for improper uchi-sute was (you guessed it) death. It was really nasty, ugly stuff. (Again, definitely not Warrior Poet material) Until about the year Musashi was born, the samurai/bushi class wasn't even well defined or strictly ordered. It wasn't necessarily hereditary, and there was a fair amount of social mobility (and a lot of self-styling)...very often through distinguishing yourself through combat, either in war or in individual feats of martial prowess like dueling. Though that had technically changed in 1584, it took another generation or so for the new laws to be either widely enforced or broadly accepted (basically when the side that made them ended up winning the civil wars), so Musashi, who did come from a family with bushi connections, if not outright bushi status, made his name at a time when fighting and killing people in what were, in effect, life-and-death pro athletic contests was pretty much the nature of things for men in his situation. "Any Given Sunday", except with decapitations. If he comes across as a high-handed self-promoter, it's because he was. Think of him as a kind of Muhammad Ali of the sword. Like Ali, he was also usually able to deliver on his boasts, and not at all shy about telling everyone about it. As he got older, he mellowed and wrote as if to say, "Yeah, there are some really dangerous fighters out there...like me...and a lot of showmen and posers, so don't just take their word for it. Look, learn, and get to the heart of the matter yourself."
Thank you John for the time it takes to study for these Bio's. I enjoyed this one as well. And I must applaud the courage to share what you believe to be true, regardless of if some may not agree or like what you found in your studies. I am really looking forward to General Geo. Washington! Keep'em coming! God Bless!
I really liked Musashi's thoughts on fighting, or being the best at something, however I also fully agree with your analysis. He seemed only to care about being the best or excellent in one's chosen particular skill set. I did want to speak briefly on the "not needing a teacher" point. Obviously not knowing him it is hard to say what he meant but there is a similar philosophy in taoism that one you understand the principles the principles themselves became your master.
Musashi did have higher ideals. He believed that the pen was just as important as the sword. He used his knowledge of warfare to help master other crafts like painting, metal working, gardening, teaching, building, and many other things. When you know the way broadly you will see it in all things. Anyone who has went far enough on a path of mastery will relate to musashi as would musashi probably relate to any kind of real master. In my opinion musashi may have been one ofthe best metaphysical philosophers of all time along with his other talents.
An admirer of Musashi, your POV is valued. He was an example of the "Lone Wolf" lifestyle; he took no wife, had no children, gave his allegiance to no one. The idea of "society" was not included in his beliefs; this is what separates him from us. His system is the same as ours, nonetheless; the difference is that we are a group unified by our beliefs, skills and the purpose of our ways. Musashi had similar beliefs, but they were meant for only himself. He was never meant to be a "warrior poet" per se, according to your tutelage, but rather, a warrior and a poet. Because he chose to be alone, he would not be considered as a comrade, but rather, a formittable opponent. What an honor it must have been, those who died by his hand, as a true warrior would have wanted death to be.
ultraclassic01hd same here! Picked it up after his book recommendations video. At first when I got it, I thought "Just 60 pages?" but man it is deep! I don't think I could take more than 60 pages! I can barely handle three or four pages a day Haha lots of good stuff in that book.
Love your point of view!!! I looked at a lot of things differently in how the writings viewed things. Without disagreeing is there really any learning. Great channel John
You beat me to it!! I wondered if I was just missing something. Respect John. Very good points made ... Especially Musashi eliminating dozens of role models and fighters for personal gain.
2:34 "moving the shadows"... ive done this a LOT as a veteran and experienced bar bouncer as well as an experienced fighter. I'd never heard the term or phrase before... very interesting and humbling to know its been about for such a long time... always throwing people out who WANT to fight for no reason other than pure alcohol induced anger, ive always used it as a "test the waters" approach and "jumped" on the first flaw they had made to press their fight and use it against then in a very judo-esc manner.
Great series, John. I agree with a lot of your points about Musashi. There's a difference between a fighter and a warrior. I think Musashi embodied the concept of a fighter rather than a warrior. Some ideas about future profiles: Boudica, Scipio Africanus, Hector of Troy
Great content, first video of yours I've watched and I really enjoyed it. On the topic of Musashi's arrogance re: his repeated phrases, I wanted to offer my own insight, for whatever it might be worth to you four years later. "You must investigate this thoroughly" should, in my opinion, be interpreted as saying "Don't take my word for it. I'm not an authority, and these are observations from my life. You will need to draw your own conclusions for yourself based on your own life." Just as you continually said throughout the video "I don't like him, you're still allowed to like him. It wasn't for me, but I might be wrong." etc. its about how individuals vary in their responses to what they encounter and live through in life. This book is an explanation of Musashi's own life's truths that is vague enough that you may find some positive way to use it if you try and apply it to your own life - or maybe not. Musashi's duels are, themselves, him wondering "maybe I'm wrong" when he puts himself up against a renowned master of the sword. How can a self-taught, lower class thug beat a highly trained sword master of noble lineage? Let alone beating over fifty in his lifetime? You won't know until you try (in other words: you must investigate this thoroughly or you will never know for yourself). It reminds me of the story of the man asking mountain travelers on their way down from the summit what the view was like from the top of the mountain. The man eventually asked so many returning travelers, and had so many varied answers from each of them, that he decided he never needed to climb to the top because he had heard so much about it from others who had been there. He never experienced what that journey, and the view from the summit, would have been like for himself as a person. My two cents, for what its worth. Keep up the cool content!
You should do the general on a profile video I really enjoy these you need to bring them back to being a regular thing John. Love everything you do man you were an inspiration for me to start my own channel it’s new and haven’t posted many videos but I’m starting thanks for everything you do keep the warrior poet profiles going
I like your perspective about Musashi, and you're right, he was just as you just said he was a "pure fighter", but I remember another book he wrote in his late final days "the way of walking alone" I think is titled there he explains his perspective of life in a more "philosophical" way. The book of the five rings is awesome but in the end of his life he kind of underestood what he missed in his younger days and got more spiritual and focused on his legacy to others. Anyway cool video.
I'm mostly done with the Five Rings. And I would have to agree with your assessment of Musashi. Great knowledge of tactics. What I liked most was how fighting hasn't changed much if at all. I'm also tempted to steal the writing in the margins and highlighting to help with retention. Thank you for the video!
Seriously this time: I call myself a warrior poet on my twitter since 2009. So I really liked seeing this term being used by someone else being of the same breed as myself. Thumbs up on this video. I really appreciate your presentation, especially when you disagree. (Tweeted this video)
As a martial artist that has studied with a few Japanese sword masters, I would like to add that the duel were not USUALLY to the death. They were to defeat. This is First Blood (when blood is draw of any kind), or to surrender. The reason many ended in death is pretty simple, a long pointy sword is dangerous and another factor is pride. Musashi is credited with over 60 duels but many of them were with bokken (wooden training sword) or what is called a Shinai today (light bamboo sword).
For Samurai during that time in Japanese history, the higher meaning they devoted themselves to was seeking perfection solely as a warrior. Bushido, the way of the sword, striving for perfection in every aspect of war and combat was the higher purpose. Within that caste there was no other purpose, but that caste also was held in very high honor in Japanese society. They were not farmers or musicians or cooks or architects. They were expected to learn reading and writing and mathematics and they wrote poetry and pursued art and other things but all of these things were meant only to make them more sophisticated warriors. They learned to apply poetry to combat. They learned to apply math to combat. They learned to apply art to combat. Or to at least find a lesson within these other disciplines that could relate to combat. They strived to become the greatest warrior in the land purely for the sake of becoming a master of war. They were not concerned with being the master of building things or the master of making soup. To learn everything that could be learned about life from war before one died (preferably in battle) was the goal. That is why they took it so seriously that they came up with crazy things like seppuku. To lose in battle and be captured was considered such a dishonor, a failure in ones pursuit of mastering war, that it could not be endured and so samurai would commit a ritualized suicide to restore their honor. An act of willingly accepting death by the sword at ones own hand. Samurai were so fanatical about warfare that to them it was spiritual in and of itself. There is actually a lot about samurai that most people don't know. Like how they were essentially head hunters. They would literally cut off the heads of their enemies in battle in order to bring them back as proof to their lord of their success in battle. There was actually a lot of drama among samurai involving them trying to claim the honor of killing certain opponents by disguising severed heads to look like someone else. Yes...they had a problem with counterfeiting severed heads... The culture of Japan during that time is very different from Western ways of thinking.
Musashi came from a very violent period in Japanese history, he was a very practical fighter,that meant he knew all the cheap tricks . It is true that he could be considered a thug,and maybe he was,but one must consider the approach to life and death of those times,expecially from samurai perspective. Samurai lived and breathed with the concept that they could die every minute,and to sacrifice themselves for their lord. To live or to die was not a concern,compared to mantaing their honor. A samurai in musha shugyo,warrior pilgrimage,would challenge other famous fighters and schools,killing and maybe being killed. This was their world, there was no hesitation or complaint about this. The point was to reach the apex of skill. To be the absolute best,that was the higher purpose. His father was a very skilled man himself,to the point of being defined Tenka Musou : " peerless under the heavens" He decided to renounce all of this after seeing the futility , and wrote the Go Rin no Sho only after this. I don't believe he was only pseudo,he fully embraced the zen buddhist doctrine and reinterpretated his skill in the zen lexicon. He really came to avoid fighting after his 30s after his realisation. I can concede that he does not fit the concept of warrior poet,but i have to disagree with the concept that he simply peppered his school with buddhist terms,expecially when he advocates for discarding the ego and reaching the "mu" ,emptiness,meaning acting naturally and effortlessly. You have to remember that this is a book written by a man that abandoned that aggressiveness but still recognised its utility. His decision of abandoning the musha shugyo altogether ,and to use a bokken not to as easily kill his opponents is to be considered an extremely merciful choice,considering the time and place,akin to medieval knight tossing his cape with family emblem to the mud to make a beggar pass. After all that,you should remember that he was known for being very pragmatic and far from boastful. His choice of word,also considering the different asian manner of writing and elements lost in translation,come across as blunt,but practical and simple. He did not concern with explaining the subtleties and pleasantries,so he spoke in a matter-of-fact way,kinda like how many grandpas and veterans do today.
i appriciate the discussion! And i agree completely about the vanity. I didnt read all the comments below sorry, and im sure ive missed the point im about to mention. In that era of japanese culture the idea was to "seek perfection" it was his goal to be the perfect swordsman. i think with that type of mentality his level of vanity is needed. the code of honor the samurai followed - bushido- did not allow for any weakness. it demanded that one would knowingly charge headlong into a losing battle for honor and glory. Vanity was the way of samurai. In modern society that way of thinking has no place in military or civil. Musashi may have been the best swordsman in japanese history, but he was no role model, nor was he a great general. He was a master swordsman, he was a killer. Great military leaders can be pulled from all corners of that era. Check out Oda Nobunaga
John, In answer to your question, I think both are very important to train. That being said, if you don't have the right mindset going into any battle, you could be in the best shape of your life and still lose. It's Not always the biggest, strongest person that wins, it's the one with the positive outlook and being prepared for anything thrown at him. Work smarter, not harder. sometimes you do have to take some calculated risks. If you want to walk on water, you gotta get out of the boat. :)Of course no physical training will get you nowhere fast as well. I guess it's a toss up but I would lean on the side of training the mind as more important.
Accounts say Musashi didn't shave his head in the samurai style. Musashi began his career on the losing end of a battle and had no connection to the established value systems, no family, no lord. His higher purpose was the perfecting of his art. It would be of value to read different translations of the book side by side, since a word in Japanese may have subtlety that doesn't get covered in one translation that does get said in another translation.
Musashi has a lot of great quotes but I think my favorite is "a man must not favor any particular weapon, but must consider all things." how i can justify having multiple types of weapons to work toward proficiency ;) You're of course entitled to have your opinion. In a spiritual sense, he preferred not to rely on the gods but on his own strength. As a servant, he didn't really passionately serve anyone as you note, but then his first big battle he was on the losing side, so maybe it put a bad taste in his mouth, even after serving another lord later on. In a philosophical sense, you could say he took what he found useful and incorporated them. As for the Book itself, it was really more of a manual than a story with a moral or a big lesson. He wrote it in his dying days for his apprentices as something to guide the development of their swordsmanship, and likely only kept what he considered to be essential and primarily for the development of swordsmanship, hence the repeated, "you must investigate this thoroughly." I also like to imagine he would leave some other life lessons as something for them to discover on their own. This isn't me screeching "YOU'RE WRONG! MUSASHI IS GREAT!" or anything, it's just my musings and information I've found on the man. As he often says, one must investigate thoroughly. ;) Tadakatsu Honda, aka Heihachiro, Tokugawa's leading general. Rival lords called him "a samurai among samurai" and a "luxury for Ieyasu." Definitely someone you'd like as a warrior for a higher purpose. Dude was undefeated in 100 battles and without a scratch, the "warrior who surpassed Death itself." Musashibo Benkei, you'd definitely like that guy as a warrior, tactician and as a passionately loyal servant. He's got some great stories. Like the famous "checkpoint" story is one, how he met the lord he chose to serve, and the way he died. Not a specific warrior poet persona recommendation but this book, "Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel. I think you'd really like it. I haven't taken up archery but it certainly changed my outlook on marksmanship. Added a spiritual, meditative aspect to it. Probably should give Ryan Cleckner a call and hit the long range again.
im saving and saving and saving evey cent i can to trian more (and with you) because i feel that we're on a similar wave length... i enlisted too you and didn't have enough patience to deal with the authority at a young age... if only i could tell my younger self what i know now.
John, I think you are missing the point of Musashi's journey through life in the Way (Bushido). His first kill was in defence of his mother and their home, against a brigand who he killed at the age of 12 with a wooden sword. As you point out, he did go on to become a thug and fight for the sake of proving the superiority of his "art". If I am not mistaken, Musashi never became an instructor who started a school. His personal development was for his own sake. The struggle was internal to continually self improve. In the end he was a gardener who was discovered to be a master swordsman by the way he cut the stems of flowers. He was repeatedly challenged and would avoid duels whenever possible but ultimately he was forced to duel with his arch rival (a young tough looking to make a name for himself) but he chose to meet him with a wooden sword he carved from a broken paddle as he was rowed to the island where it was agreed they would meet. In the end he prevailed and regretted being forced to take the life of his opponent. But to the bushi, life and death are all the same. They sought to fight without thoughts of family or love or regrets so that they could focus on the moment. I remembering a quote I read once regarding bushido that "to live or die in a single blow is heaven, to exist under crossed swords is hell."
I am really enjoying your videos and I feel like you are dead on with your assessment. You and your other listeners may already know this but for the ones that don't I feel it may be useful. After WWII the US and U.K. governments did a lot of study's to make their fighting forces better. Part of that came from these studies was a realization that 98% of their soldiers didn't shoot at the enemy. They shot close by trying to scare them away so they wouldn't have to kill them. But they found 2% that would really try and kill the enemy and they really wanted to find out why, so they studied them. These were their conclusions: 1% would fight to defend their friends, their loved ones, their country and their flag. Modern military training is based on making 99% of the soldiers into the 1% that would fight for their friends, their country, they would become patriots. But what about the other 1% most of the time we don't want to think about them. They have a much different outlook, they are their because they want to be, they want to fight, to kill, to see the opponent dead. They are not patriotic their opponent can be someone across the chow hall just as much as across the battlefield. Samurai Miyamoto Musashi in my opinion was part of this 1%. He lived for the battle, not for loved ones, not for his country, he lived to win. It's a very different type of warrior. I am very interested in your thoughts on this.
When I read "The Five Rings" years ago I remember being bothered by his constant repetition of "hey this is important listen up" too. Ha. It's one of the few things I recall about the book, sadly. Looking forward to your video on George Washington. Great choice 👍
you are welcome brother! Which do you think is more important to train? Mind or body? What do people spend most of their time working on? like my leading questions??? ;)
I agree with your POV. Ive read a couple of those books as well. Another thing Musashi did which you didnt touch on, was attacking his opponents before they were ready. He won a fair amount of duels that way. And as dishonorable as that may appear to be, history is written by the victor.
Hey John, I bet you have alot of suggestions but a thought that came into my head would be the Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. PS love the videos and channel
Dude-great research and giving us the "cliff notes" version. This is much appreciated! I really hear your take on him as "pseudo philosophical thug" Without vision the people shall perish! Keep it up bro!
I get the impression that he was daoist, essentially, by which I mean that he may have aligned himself only with what is - without prejudice and without thought. It may come across as deviant or counter-culture but in essence its a kind of philosophical naturalism. ..just thought I'd throw this out there because its somewhat familiar to me.Thankyou for your thoughts and your uploads man, they're great!! :D
This is an incredibly late response, but Musashi was a MUCH more philosophical guy than we give him credit for in the modern era. Musashi actually conceived a daughter with a prostitute, which at the time was seen as a HUGE mark of shame, and he mourned for days after the child suddenly died in early infancy. To have that kind of perspective, to hold such love for an infant that society disgusted and shunned on principle, is beyond levels of compassionate that we would be seeing today. A warrior poet in Feudal Japan I would recommend researching would be Mitsunari Ishida. The guy was defending lepers and Christians against the Tokugawa and died for them. Fantastic philosophical fortitude and moral courage from this man.
10:55-end. ill be ordering a copy come payday and bill to learn more. thank you for peeking my interest to "get back in the game" on picking up old history... a civilization who doesn't remember history are bound to repeat their mistakes.
That would be great, particularly since there is not a whole lot of available material on him. I'd be really interested to see what your own research uncovers!
He was trained to kill and he was the best at what he was born into. Also the perfection of everything is part of the story and their views on death is completely different from ours today
When it came to a wooden sword. He fought opponents with his wooden sword . One story on a way to a duel that was held on an island he carved a sword out of a boat ore . His opponent was so mad that he showed up late he charged Musashi . Of course he cut him down with a wooden sword . Many of these duals that he fought with men who put signs up . Excepting all challenges . The first one at 12 was the case . Musashi charged in without warning and cut the guy down . The guy had a sign up that said excepting all challenges .It all depends on how you look at it . He attacked the guy when he wasn’t ready of course if you put out that kind of challenge you should be always ready . He was everything a samurai wasn’t . He didn’t really follow any codes , he never bathed, he didn’t fight like anyone else , He would show up late to a fight . The samurai were not the shining example of conduct either . They would cut people down just because they didn’t bow properly to them . This was the common man , farmer ,store owner . My view of him he was a anti establishment kinda guy . A great movie in my opinion is the 7 Samurai. It’s an old movie and subtitled. It’s loosely shaped around Musashi ‘s exploits. If you want a book to read Hagakure . “ Hidden amongst the leaves “ It’s stories told by a aging Samurai. The story may be a couple of sentences or several paragraphs . It does give a bit of insight of the warrior samurai of the day .
The reason why he keep say basically "listen up, this is really important" is because the book was written directly for one of his student (Terao Maganojou). A series of instructions to a specific person from a man who was close to the end of his life.
Back in a unit long, long ago... we learned to use phrases like: BLUF and WIIFM, while simplified, the point is the point, everything else is important as a supporting element to the point or I would not be talking about it. No need to “this is really important” or the “Foot Stump”, true students understand and are listening! Another interpretation: he may have meant that He did fully have the ability to explain to each reader how these ideas would pertain to them and there-by, letting us know he did know everything and was still learning himself.
Each to their own. I prefer to view Musashi as a man relentlessly driven to master one single focus, fighting. The man fought with such ferocity and such tactics and that is what we should emulate. I believe one cannot exist as both the warrior and the poet but must first be the warrior THEN the poet later on in life as he gains the experience and wisdom to understand and make peace with what he has done. Grace is only allowed to be given by the man who is capable of great violence.
That's what sets Musashi apart. His life purpose was to become the greatest swordsman, he was a ronin and chose to stay a ronin. In most of his writings Musashi dose not pretend to be anything other than a swordsman. And he did become the greatest killer of his time, once he did Musashi retired and never sought out another fight. Musashi was single minded in his life's mission, leaving little room for honor or loyalty to others.
I've studied isshinryu which was founded by Tatsuo shimabuku in 1956 it's a direct and to the point martial art it's blocks are meant to be hits and so on he took shorin-ryu and goju-ryu to form isshinryu which if you look at it its for hurting people if they attempt to attack
Great series John, what happened to it? Just a few suggestions of people you should profile Carlos Hathcock, Frank Hamer, Fredrick Russell Burnham, and Francis Marion, I think all of them would be very interesting profiles.
I'm sure you've studied Sun Tzu's the art of war, you may also find Morihei Ueshiba's (the founder of Japanese Aikedo) the art of peace, I think he embodies the warrior poet much more than Musashi does.
Oh wow, I wasn't expecting this one! There's something about this culture people love but I personally never really understood... Good video nonetheless! :-)
I believe that in this time period guns were not around yet or maybe in their infancy. I've read the five rings and from what I've gathered Musashi pretty much invented two sword fighting.
spot on. his focus was solely to be the very best duelist; at the cost of all else. the most accurate biography i've come across is "The Lone Samurai (the life of Myamoto Musashi). there is a fun, popular video trilogy (historical fiction with Toshiro Mifune playing Musashi) // Bushido could be broken down into two camps: die for your lord -or- keep your lord/heirs alive. the very best of warriors were consumed in the Japanese civil wars leading up to the Tokugawa Shogunate. // might i suggest another historical fiction ? Once an Eagle by Anon Myrer // might i also suggest The Ronin by W.D. Jennings ? well done right up until the last pages. // aaaaannnnnnnd a Japanese movie that turned the very idea of Bushido on its head: Hara Kiri.
You're absolutely right. The Book of Five Rings was "required reading" in a lot of martial arts schools as I was coming up and I always remembered being confused about why we were reading his book cause he seemed like a bit of an ass. I asked a couple instructors, got some lazy answers, and finally while talking to one instructor (old school Tang Soo Do based Kickboxing coach, love her, she's still great) she just looked at little 16 year old me and went: "You're right, he was a jerk. I want you to be familiar with him because it's important to me that you guys can recognize that just because someones right about something it doesn't mean they're a good influence. Learn from what he's right about and discern where he's wrong. Think. Now get back on the bag."
This book was required reading in Shotokan karate...read it when I was 13..Book of 5 rings...we had to have the attitude that at all times..there were spears pointingbatbyou untilbyounwere safe in your home
What I got from the reason he started carrying the wooden sword is because he gained maturity and saw the flaws in his ways. I think holding any of these great warriors to the standards of today will be hard considering times were so different and same with the ideals of the common man.
Hello John, I just got into your videos and have liked them. On this one, at 11:00, I really enjoyed the how you emphasized the vain mentality of Musashi. His desire to duel and be the best did cost his Nation heroes and the local community of a role models. Of course Japan did believe and perceive death differently than we do. For example in WWII they would kamikaze a plane. I believe we should teach warfare and be prepared for the purpose of protecting our loved ones, communities (Nation) and ourselves. "don't stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake" Leviticus 19:16
I think you touched on but missed the essence of the most valuable lesson Musashi tried to impart. It is the concept of the "Dynamic" In a rigid and ritualized martial arts community he championed the personality traits you praise in the SOF community. In duels, he threw away the rule book, "cheated" by fighting "unconventually", and stressed introducing "chaos" into the "dance" movements to disrupt his opponents tactics. He fought multiple opponents and succeeded by using their rigidity and predictability against them. for example, when his opponents formed a line he attacked the man at the end to force the whole line to be in a constant state of chaos while he was only exposed to one or two opponents at a time. Genius ...
Its fair enough not to like him but one should understand that much of his development came from his understanding the futility of the "thug" phase. He was a gifted warrior and being self- taught he bested formally taught samurai and saw the impracticality of their styles and promoted seeking the "true way" which is what all modern militaries aspire to do in "lessons learnt in blood"
It is important to know that one doesn't "join" the samurai like they do the military today. It is a class of aristocracy that musashi was not a part of. He obtained greatness, prestige, discipline and skill through the pursuit of martial prowess so if it appears as though it seems as though swordsmanship is end of the means its because it is.
Also the "investigate thoroughly" may be an eastern writing thing I know that the confucian book, like almost every sentence is like "The master/teacher says..." its just their writing style/translation convention.
Lastly the importance of man's life was different in japan in those days. Samurai were taught not to fear death and at any moment could be asked to commit suicide by their lord and the should do so with dignity. So the idea of turning down a duel would be shameful and many of the swords schools themselves built their prestige on said duels. its the culture.
but like who you like
thanks for weighing in sir
Thanks for the insights. It totally helps context for me as a newbie.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I always tell people to look at him as a great martial artist and martial philosopher rather than a spiritual philosopher or a philosopher of humanism.
I concur.
Someone once told me that their interpretation was that he was "an old man talking about how badass he used to be."
I disagree. My interpretation is that he is being absolutely blunt and functional, the same philosophy he brought to conflict. Utter disregard for the connotation of his words. In my opinion, he is reflecting on his exploits in youth and all the "badass" things he did, as a warning to others. "I did all this macho bullshit, and it was because I didn't know jack."
You sound angry dude, calm down
I'm really digging this series John.
it's fun to do! George Washington profile to be recorded tomorrow
definitely a Warrior Poet
Thank you for your participation on our Beloved's Warrior Poet Society channel and RUclips forum. My birthyear being 1977 common era. i am the mastermind. Question everything John is my beloved muppet puppet, aren't you John Lovell. Ah sweet victory. I loved this one it was somthing personal and special to me. Not a coincidence thumbs up stopped at 77 after all these years, i have been watching it and decided to finally tell you. That's a special comment i would personally give you a thumbs up but not this time, just for the algorithm i want to see it stay at 77 likes. 🤭🤔🤫
Mr. Lovell,
First, I want to tell you that your videos are second to none. They bring a different feel and spin to the warrior mindset. I honestly believe that I've followed up on more content from your videos than anyone else I have watched on RUclips. You bring an enlightening, refreshing and practical angle to life with the lessons and practices you film for all of us, and I genuinely want to thank you for that.
Secondly, your Warrior Poet Profiles are relevant, educational, and inspirational. I would love if you dug in a little deeper with the text and content, I honestly can't soak enough in. I do not know how plausible it would be for you, but if you started a Warrior Poet podcast I would be locked in, as I'm sure many others would be too.
Thanks Again & God Bless,
John H.
Really appreciate the encouragement John, thank you. This last warrior poet profile was a bit longer - hope that sates your thirst a bit more. These videos are really meant to inspire folks to read, read, read!
@@WarriorPoetSociety thirsty for 💘
Awesome video, I agree with most of those pros and cons. Though, one thing to keep in mimd is that the mentality in feudal Japan was very contrast to our current western culture. Not knocking either because it's apples and oranges. But back then, the samurai saw death differently. Similar to vikings whom could only get to Valhalla by dying in battle, the samurai saw honor in death. perhaps in 2017 Miyamoto can be seen as a narcissistic murderer killimg his countrymen but within the context of feudal Japan, I think he was upholding their beliefs and virtues by putting his life on the line with duels amd giving others an honorable death. Great video, please make more!!
Yet another great video John! It's rare to come across someone that would be as formidable of an opponent on a debate stage as they would be on the battlefield, and vice versa. I can tell that you really do your research before you speak on a subject. A true warrior poet!
Thanks Wesley!
Musashi was an interesting figure in history because he didn't stand for anything but himself. So Musashi fought for himself, lived for himself, thought for himself. For a warrior of that time it was unheard of to do that. Also, some of his duels were badass.
Another thing to consider when reading a translation : Things written in old kanji can be misinterpreted by westerners. One symbol can convey multiple meanings, indeed a whole sentence of information. So if there is a line in the symbol stressing "importance", now your reading it translated literally "you should investigate this thoroughly" every time. It doesn't mean Musashi was mentally hung up on egotistically writing it out each time...lol
I know old Chinese writing does this too.. May have been a style thing, or maybe he was just saying that what he had written / discovered was only a part of the 'full' picture, and that the reader shouldn't just blindly take his words as fact, but rather to experiment and discover his or her own views on the matter.
to add another response to this, I felt as I read it that he was taking it that the book shouldn't be read all at once. He meant it as a meditation. So there he goes over the parts and says, "alright, here's where you take what I've told you and see how it works for you"
This is why I try to read multiple translations of a given text and compare.
I agree with you great video, I know they're not Japanese but check out Dian Wei and Xiahou Dun
Have you considered Rommel? The man lead by example and his book "Infantry Attacks" reads like a live action Fm 7-8 but was written shortly after WW1.
I haven't studied him but need to! Good recommendation Daniel
Would love to hear about Rommel.
"The Desert Fox"
Rommel was a professional warrior, but had compassion for vanquished does. He came upon a SS NCO mistreating a prisoner. Rommel interveined and saved the prisoner.
And Musashi did have GREAT contempt for almost all of his contemporaries as he thought most of them were wasting their lives
I agree with your assessment. He was someone who could be respected, though not necessarily admired. It's been a while since I read this book, but one bit that always stood out was a particular duel which was to take place at dawn. He purposely showed up late in a small boat then wasn't even prepared. He studied his opponent closely then began whittling a sword from the wooden Orr. When he faced his increasingly angered opponent he was able to strike him down with relative ease. As it turned out when studying his opponent he carved his sword purposefully a few inches longer than his opponents giving him a distinct advantage.
no doubt - brilliant
I am so happy to have found WPS, love all, well almost all lol, of your content. And you aspire to the same things I have always aspired to, God, family, country, self reliance, these are things all men should aspire to. Thank you for putting your thoughts out into the universe.
On a completely different note, love hearing rounds hitting steel in the background...😎😎
I was one of the guys who recommended you did this profile on Musashi, after watching it I definitely I agree that using the criteria and spirit you've expressed about the warrior poet mentality he doesn't fit the bill... but he was literally a warrior and a poet so apparently those were the only two words I heard in the first video of the series haha. Keep 'em coming John!
Hey John. Just wanted to take a second and say thank you. I love your content, your mindset and your philosophy. Please keep on doing what your doing.
will do - thanks Justin
Excellent review and thoughts (your content is always great!). Just a few things to consider...I'm not a fan of Musashi personally either...definitely not Warrior Poet Society material... but it's important to consider the age and society in which he lived, especially the years he was reflecting back on when he was writing. For the early part of his life, Japan was embroiled in a multi-generational series of overlapping civil wars (the Sengoku or Warring States period). This was a very "Game of Thrones" time and a pivotal era in Japanese history. Immediately prior to this, Japan was a nation-state more in name than in fact, with an ever-changing patchwork of substantially independent feudal states of wildly varying size and power. It was chaotic and lawless, and the social structure of the country reflected that. In part because of Buddhist and shinto perspectives, life was seen as transitory, ephemeral, and illusory. Human life was of little value, no matter what class. As late as the 20th century revival of bushido, the Japanese "Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors" urged fighting men to remember always that "duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather." To give one's life, or to take another's, was seen as natural and heedless. This was the era of uchi-sute, the "right to cut and walk away", in which bushi of higher rank could strike down a person of lower rank, including bushi of lower rank, in the moment merely for giving offense. In fact, *failure* to do so was sometimes seen as a disgrace. The disgraced bushi could perhaps regain their honor by, for example, exterminating the offender's whole family(!). Of course, exercising the right was also subject to intricate and sometimes arcane conditions, and the penalty for improper uchi-sute was (you guessed it) death. It was really nasty, ugly stuff. (Again, definitely not Warrior Poet material)
Until about the year Musashi was born, the samurai/bushi class wasn't even well defined or strictly ordered. It wasn't necessarily hereditary, and there was a fair amount of social mobility (and a lot of self-styling)...very often through distinguishing yourself through combat, either in war or in individual feats of martial prowess like dueling. Though that had technically changed in 1584, it took another generation or so for the new laws to be either widely enforced or broadly accepted (basically when the side that made them ended up winning the civil wars), so Musashi, who did come from a family with bushi connections, if not outright bushi status, made his name at a time when fighting and killing people in what were, in effect, life-and-death pro athletic contests was pretty much the nature of things for men in his situation. "Any Given Sunday", except with decapitations. If he comes across as a high-handed self-promoter, it's because he was. Think of him as a kind of Muhammad Ali of the sword. Like Ali, he was also usually able to deliver on his boasts, and not at all shy about telling everyone about it. As he got older, he mellowed and wrote as if to say, "Yeah, there are some really dangerous fighters out there...like me...and a lot of showmen and posers, so don't just take their word for it. Look, learn, and get to the heart of the matter yourself."
Ridiculously well thought out. Outstanding video, Sir. Thank you.
Dig it man! First Warrior Poet vid I've seen and I'm hooked! Thank you!
so glad! Share the love with some friends and family
I read his works ready to love, but found it a labor and picked up the vanity in it as well. First of these I've seen, good stuff, keep it going.
thanks Warren!
Love these videos and your opinions and your point of views and perceptions that I haven't thought about. Thank you, please keep em coming
Thank you John for the time it takes to study for these Bio's. I enjoyed this one as well. And I must applaud the courage to share what you believe to be true, regardless of if some may not agree or like what you found in your studies. I am really looking forward to General Geo. Washington! Keep'em coming! God Bless!
Thanks Robert! Will do.
Great channel John, thanks so much.
I really liked Musashi's thoughts on fighting, or being the best at something, however I also fully agree with your analysis. He seemed only to care about being the best or excellent in one's chosen particular skill set. I did want to speak briefly on the "not needing a teacher" point. Obviously not knowing him it is hard to say what he meant but there is a similar philosophy in taoism that one you understand the principles the principles themselves became your master.
Fantastic idea to study historic figures and learn from.their pros and cons. Brilliant. Thank you
Miyamoto's book The book of five rings is a good read. Lots to learn there.
Musashi did have higher ideals. He believed that the pen was just as important as the sword. He used his knowledge of warfare to help master other crafts like painting, metal working, gardening, teaching, building, and many other things. When you know the way broadly you will see it in all things. Anyone who has went far enough on a path of mastery will relate to musashi as would musashi probably relate to any kind of real master. In my opinion musashi may have been one ofthe best metaphysical philosophers of all time along with his other talents.
An admirer of Musashi, your POV is valued. He was an example of the "Lone Wolf" lifestyle; he took no wife, had no children, gave his allegiance to no one. The idea of "society" was not included in his beliefs; this is what separates him from us. His system is the same as ours, nonetheless; the difference is that we are a group unified by our beliefs, skills and the purpose of our ways. Musashi had similar beliefs, but they were meant for only himself. He was never meant to be a "warrior poet" per se, according to your tutelage, but rather, a warrior and a poet. Because he chose to be alone, he would not be considered as a comrade, but rather, a formittable opponent. What an honor it must have been, those who died by his hand, as a true warrior would have wanted death to be.
Mr. Lovell I must say I enjoy your point of view.
Great perspective on Musashi. I've always been a fan, but your analysis made me view him in a different light. Great vid!
★★★★★ Really enjoying "The Art of War" Sun Tzu......................😁
ultraclassic01hd same here! Picked it up after his book recommendations video. At first when I got it, I thought "Just 60 pages?" but man it is deep! I don't think I could take more than 60 pages! I can barely handle three or four pages a day Haha lots of good stuff in that book.
classic. it's awesome.
Dude. I freaking love this channel.
Love your point of view!!! I looked at a lot of things differently in how the writings viewed things. Without disagreeing is there really any learning. Great channel John
You beat me to it!! I wondered if I was just missing something. Respect John. Very good points made ... Especially Musashi eliminating dozens of role models and fighters for personal gain.
2:34 "moving the shadows"... ive done this a LOT as a veteran and experienced bar bouncer as well as an experienced fighter. I'd never heard the term or phrase before... very interesting and humbling to know its been about for such a long time... always throwing people out who WANT to fight for no reason other than pure alcohol induced anger, ive always used it as a "test the waters" approach and "jumped" on the first flaw they had made to press their fight and use it against then in a very judo-esc manner.
I love the diversity on your channel. Thanks!
we've got a lot to teach each other.
John Lovell you have a gift for teaching, and the heart of a teacher. 1 Tim 3:2 ...able to teach. God bless!
Really excellent. Thank you. And I do agree with most of your points. Your doing a great job and making a difference. Keep up the great work.
Great series, John. I agree with a lot of your points about Musashi. There's a difference between a fighter and a warrior. I think Musashi embodied the concept of a fighter rather than a warrior.
Some ideas about future profiles: Boudica, Scipio Africanus, Hector of Troy
Good recommendations!
I very much enjoy your series of videos. Thank you for all your hard work!
Great content, first video of yours I've watched and I really enjoyed it. On the topic of Musashi's arrogance re: his repeated phrases, I wanted to offer my own insight, for whatever it might be worth to you four years later.
"You must investigate this thoroughly" should, in my opinion, be interpreted as saying "Don't take my word for it. I'm not an authority, and these are observations from my life. You will need to draw your own conclusions for yourself based on your own life." Just as you continually said throughout the video "I don't like him, you're still allowed to like him. It wasn't for me, but I might be wrong." etc. its about how individuals vary in their responses to what they encounter and live through in life.
This book is an explanation of Musashi's own life's truths that is vague enough that you may find some positive way to use it if you try and apply it to your own life - or maybe not. Musashi's duels are, themselves, him wondering "maybe I'm wrong" when he puts himself up against a renowned master of the sword. How can a self-taught, lower class thug beat a highly trained sword master of noble lineage? Let alone beating over fifty in his lifetime? You won't know until you try (in other words: you must investigate this thoroughly or you will never know for yourself).
It reminds me of the story of the man asking mountain travelers on their way down from the summit what the view was like from the top of the mountain. The man eventually asked so many returning travelers, and had so many varied answers from each of them, that he decided he never needed to climb to the top because he had heard so much about it from others who had been there. He never experienced what that journey, and the view from the summit, would have been like for himself as a person.
My two cents, for what its worth. Keep up the cool content!
You should do the general on a profile video I really enjoy these you need to bring them back to being a regular thing John. Love everything you do man you were an inspiration for me to start my own channel it’s new and haven’t posted many videos but I’m starting thanks for everything you do keep the warrior poet profiles going
No your honesty is what gives your channel credibility because it's not tainted by any outside influence
I'd tend to study both for comparison. Found I can learn from the bad as well as the good. as always JL, great material and commentary.
I like your perspective about Musashi, and you're right, he was just as you just said he was a "pure fighter", but I remember another book he wrote in his late final days "the way of walking alone" I think is titled there he explains his perspective of life in a more "philosophical" way. The book of the five rings is awesome but in the end of his life he kind of underestood what he missed in his younger days and got more spiritual and focused on his legacy to others. Anyway cool video.
I'm mostly done with the Five Rings. And I would have to agree with your assessment of Musashi. Great knowledge of tactics. What I liked most was how fighting hasn't changed much if at all. I'm also tempted to steal the writing in the margins and highlighting to help with retention. Thank you for the video!
Thanks man - I loved that too
Lakota Sioux warrior Crazy horse. Or Quanah Parker from the Comanche Indians.
Good recommendations. I'd like to cover a Native American.
@@WarriorPoetSociety try "Hanta Yo" by R.B. Hill or "Give Your Heart to the Hawks" by Blevins.
@@WarriorPoetSociety hmmmm. Uh huh. Tell me more sweet lies.
Another great video. I look forward to viewing the next! If I may suggest William Wallace for a future Warrior Poet profile. Thanks.
he's in the queue!
Seriously this time: I call myself a warrior poet on my twitter since 2009. So I really liked seeing this term being used by someone else being of the same breed as myself. Thumbs up on this video. I really appreciate your presentation, especially when you disagree. (Tweeted this video)
Love it bro. Awesome. Thank you
John Lovell happy holidays for you and your family, brother. Greetings from Germany.
As a martial artist that has studied with a few Japanese sword masters, I would like to add that the duel were not USUALLY to the death. They were to defeat. This is First Blood (when blood is draw of any kind), or to surrender. The reason many ended in death is pretty simple, a long pointy sword is dangerous and another factor is pride.
Musashi is credited with over 60 duels but many of them were with bokken (wooden training sword) or what is called a Shinai today (light bamboo sword).
"and if you don't like what I say, I really don't care." One of the best and funniest things bout your channel. 👍👍👍
For Samurai during that time in Japanese history, the higher meaning they devoted themselves to was seeking perfection solely as a warrior. Bushido, the way of the sword, striving for perfection in every aspect of war and combat was the higher purpose. Within that caste there was no other purpose, but that caste also was held in very high honor in Japanese society. They were not farmers or musicians or cooks or architects. They were expected to learn reading and writing and mathematics and they wrote poetry and pursued art and other things but all of these things were meant only to make them more sophisticated warriors. They learned to apply poetry to combat. They learned to apply math to combat. They learned to apply art to combat. Or to at least find a lesson within these other disciplines that could relate to combat. They strived to become the greatest warrior in the land purely for the sake of becoming a master of war. They were not concerned with being the master of building things or the master of making soup. To learn everything that could be learned about life from war before one died (preferably in battle) was the goal. That is why they took it so seriously that they came up with crazy things like seppuku. To lose in battle and be captured was considered such a dishonor, a failure in ones pursuit of mastering war, that it could not be endured and so samurai would commit a ritualized suicide to restore their honor. An act of willingly accepting death by the sword at ones own hand. Samurai were so fanatical about warfare that to them it was spiritual in and of itself. There is actually a lot about samurai that most people don't know. Like how they were essentially head hunters. They would literally cut off the heads of their enemies in battle in order to bring them back as proof to their lord of their success in battle. There was actually a lot of drama among samurai involving them trying to claim the honor of killing certain opponents by disguising severed heads to look like someone else. Yes...they had a problem with counterfeiting severed heads...
The culture of Japan during that time is very different from Western ways of thinking.
Musashi came from a very violent period in Japanese history, he was a very practical fighter,that meant he knew all the cheap tricks . It is true that he could be considered a thug,and maybe he was,but one must consider the approach to life and death of those times,expecially from samurai perspective.
Samurai lived and breathed with the concept that they could die every minute,and to sacrifice themselves for their lord. To live or to die was not a concern,compared to mantaing their honor.
A samurai in musha shugyo,warrior pilgrimage,would challenge other famous fighters and schools,killing and maybe being killed. This was their world, there was no hesitation or complaint about this. The point was to reach the apex of skill. To be the absolute best,that was the higher purpose.
His father was a very skilled man himself,to the point of being defined Tenka Musou : " peerless under the heavens"
He decided to renounce all of this after seeing the futility , and wrote the Go Rin no Sho only after this.
I don't believe he was only pseudo,he fully embraced the zen buddhist doctrine and reinterpretated his skill in the zen lexicon. He really came to avoid fighting after his 30s after his realisation.
I can concede that he does not fit the concept of warrior poet,but i have to disagree with the concept that he simply peppered his school with buddhist terms,expecially when he advocates for discarding the ego and reaching the "mu" ,emptiness,meaning acting naturally and effortlessly. You have to remember that this is a book written by a man that abandoned that aggressiveness but still recognised its utility. His decision of abandoning the musha shugyo altogether ,and to use a bokken not to as easily kill his opponents is to be considered an extremely merciful choice,considering the time and place,akin to medieval knight tossing his cape with family emblem to the mud to make a beggar pass.
After all that,you should remember that he was known for being very pragmatic and far from boastful. His choice of word,also considering the different asian manner of writing and elements lost in translation,come across as blunt,but practical and simple. He did not concern with explaining the subtleties and pleasantries,so he spoke in a matter-of-fact way,kinda like how many grandpas and veterans do today.
i appriciate the discussion! And i agree completely about the vanity. I didnt read all the comments below sorry, and im sure ive missed the point im about to mention. In that era of japanese culture the idea was to "seek perfection" it was his goal to be the perfect swordsman. i think with that type of mentality his level of vanity is needed. the code of honor the samurai followed - bushido- did not allow for any weakness. it demanded that one would knowingly charge headlong into a losing battle for honor and glory. Vanity was the way of samurai. In modern society that way of thinking has no place in military or civil. Musashi may have been the best swordsman in japanese history, but he was no role model, nor was he a great general. He was a master swordsman, he was a killer. Great military leaders can be pulled from all corners of that era. Check out Oda Nobunaga
Love going through this John thank you for the awesome videos.
John, In answer to your question, I think both are very important to train. That being said, if you don't have the right mindset going into any battle, you could be in the best shape of your life and still lose. It's Not always the biggest, strongest person that wins, it's the one with the positive outlook and being prepared for anything thrown at him. Work smarter, not harder. sometimes you do have to take some calculated risks. If you want to walk on water, you gotta get out of the boat. :)Of course no physical training will get you nowhere fast as well. I guess it's a toss up but I would lean on the side of training the mind as more important.
I'd agree! Mindset first!
Accounts say Musashi didn't shave his head in the samurai style.
Musashi began his career on the losing end of a battle and had no connection to the established value systems, no family, no lord. His higher purpose was the perfecting of his art.
It would be of value to read different translations of the book side by side, since a word in Japanese may have subtlety that doesn't get covered in one translation that does get said in another translation.
cool deal. Thanks for the add ons
Musashi has a lot of great quotes but I think my favorite is "a man must not favor any particular weapon, but must consider all things." how i can justify having multiple types of weapons to work toward proficiency ;)
You're of course entitled to have your opinion. In a spiritual sense, he preferred not to rely on the gods but on his own strength. As a servant, he didn't really passionately serve anyone as you note, but then his first big battle he was on the losing side, so maybe it put a bad taste in his mouth, even after serving another lord later on. In a philosophical sense, you could say he took what he found useful and incorporated them. As for the Book itself, it was really more of a manual than a story with a moral or a big lesson. He wrote it in his dying days for his apprentices as something to guide the development of their swordsmanship, and likely only kept what he considered to be essential and primarily for the development of swordsmanship, hence the repeated, "you must investigate this thoroughly." I also like to imagine he would leave some other life lessons as something for them to discover on their own.
This isn't me screeching "YOU'RE WRONG! MUSASHI IS GREAT!" or anything, it's just my musings and information I've found on the man. As he often says, one must investigate thoroughly. ;)
Tadakatsu Honda, aka Heihachiro, Tokugawa's leading general. Rival lords called him "a samurai among samurai" and a "luxury for Ieyasu." Definitely someone you'd like as a warrior for a higher purpose. Dude was undefeated in 100 battles and without a scratch, the "warrior who surpassed Death itself."
Musashibo Benkei, you'd definitely like that guy as a warrior, tactician and as a passionately loyal servant. He's got some great stories. Like the famous "checkpoint" story is one, how he met the lord he chose to serve, and the way he died.
Not a specific warrior poet persona recommendation but this book, "Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel. I think you'd really like it. I haven't taken up archery but it certainly changed my outlook on marksmanship. Added a spiritual, meditative aspect to it. Probably should give Ryan Cleckner a call and hit the long range again.
im saving and saving and saving evey cent i can to trian more (and with you) because i feel that we're on a similar wave length... i enlisted too you and didn't have enough patience to deal with the authority at a young age... if only i could tell my younger self what i know now.
John, I think you are missing the point of Musashi's journey through life in the Way (Bushido). His first kill was in defence of his mother and their home, against a brigand who he killed at the age of 12 with a wooden sword. As you point out, he did go on to become a thug and fight for the sake of proving the superiority of his "art". If I am not mistaken, Musashi never became an instructor who started a school. His personal development was for his own sake. The struggle was internal to continually self improve. In the end he was a gardener who was discovered to be a master swordsman by the way he cut the stems of flowers. He was repeatedly challenged and would avoid duels whenever possible but ultimately he was forced to duel with his arch rival (a young tough looking to make a name for himself) but he chose to meet him with a wooden sword he carved from a broken paddle as he was rowed to the island where it was agreed they would meet. In the end he prevailed and regretted being forced to take the life of his opponent. But to the bushi, life and death are all the same. They sought to fight without thoughts of family or love or regrets so that they could focus on the moment. I remembering a quote I read once regarding bushido that "to live or die in a single blow is heaven, to exist under crossed swords is hell."
I hadn't yet read the Five Rings and appreciate your take.
Love all the videos great stuff
I am really enjoying your videos and I feel like you are dead on with your assessment. You and your other listeners may already know this but for the ones that don't I feel it may be useful.
After WWII the US and U.K. governments did a lot of study's to make their fighting forces better. Part of that came from these studies was a realization that 98% of their soldiers didn't shoot at the enemy. They shot close by trying to scare them away so they wouldn't have to kill them. But they found 2% that would really try and kill the enemy and they really wanted to find out why, so they studied them.
These were their conclusions:
1% would fight to defend their friends, their loved ones, their country and their flag. Modern military training is based on making 99% of the soldiers into the 1% that would fight for their friends, their country, they would become patriots.
But what about the other 1% most of the time we don't want to think about them. They have a much different outlook, they are their because they want to be, they want to fight, to kill, to see the opponent dead. They are not patriotic their opponent can be someone across the chow hall just as much as across the battlefield. Samurai Miyamoto Musashi in my opinion was part of this 1%. He lived for the battle, not for loved ones, not for his country, he lived to win. It's a very different type of warrior.
I am very interested in your thoughts on this.
When I read "The Five Rings" years ago I remember being bothered by his constant repetition of "hey this is important listen up" too. Ha. It's one of the few things I recall about the book, sadly.
Looking forward to your video on George Washington. Great choice 👍
glad someone else thought so
I liked that part haha
Dig what you are doing here. Thanks for giving us something fresh. This is sort of the "monk" type thing. Teaching the mind as much as the body.
you are welcome brother! Which do you think is more important to train? Mind or body? What do people spend most of their time working on? like my leading questions??? ;)
I agree with your POV. Ive read a couple of those books as well. Another thing Musashi did which you didnt touch on, was attacking his opponents before they were ready. He won a fair amount of duels that way. And as dishonorable as that may appear to be, history is written by the victor.
I don't think you know how to make a bad video! Thanks for making them! Keep it up your work is awesome!
Hey John, I bet you have alot of suggestions but a thought that came into my head would be the Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.
PS love the videos and channel
thanks Matt and appreciate the good rec
Lee would be a great recommendation too!
Dude-great research and giving us the "cliff notes" version. This is much appreciated! I really hear your take on him as "pseudo philosophical thug"
Without vision the people shall perish! Keep it up bro!
Thanks man!
I get the impression that he was daoist, essentially, by which I mean that he may have aligned himself only with what is - without prejudice and without thought. It may come across as deviant or counter-culture but in essence its a kind of philosophical naturalism. ..just thought I'd throw this out there because its somewhat familiar to me.Thankyou for your thoughts and your uploads man, they're great!! :D
Love the channel.
so glad - thanks Michael
This is an incredibly late response, but Musashi was a MUCH more philosophical guy than we give him credit for in the modern era. Musashi actually conceived a daughter with a prostitute, which at the time was seen as a HUGE mark of shame, and he mourned for days after the child suddenly died in early infancy. To have that kind of perspective, to hold such love for an infant that society disgusted and shunned on principle, is beyond levels of compassionate that we would be seeing today.
A warrior poet in Feudal Japan I would recommend researching would be Mitsunari Ishida. The guy was defending lepers and Christians against the Tokugawa and died for them. Fantastic philosophical fortitude and moral courage from this man.
10:55-end. ill be ordering a copy come payday and bill to learn more. thank you for peeking my interest to "get back in the game" on picking up old history... a civilization who doesn't remember history are bound to repeat their mistakes.
Good stuff. How about Patton? Omar Bradley as well.
Patton is a good pick - I need to check out Bradley
what about crazy horse?
I'd love to study him in depth. Perhaps so!
That would be great, particularly since there is not a whole lot of available material on him. I'd be really interested to see what your own research uncovers!
Please do Tashunka Witko (Crazy Horse) A great book about him is the journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall. I would truly appreciate it.
Thanks for the analysis, like it. Love GW, and the series Turn.
Loving GW at the moment as well. What an awesome dude.
He was trained to kill and he was the best at what he was born into. Also the perfection of everything is part of the story and their views on death is completely different from ours today
Great video!
Thanks Bryan
When it came to a wooden sword. He fought opponents with his wooden sword . One story on a way to a duel that was held on an island he carved a sword out of a boat ore . His opponent was so mad that he showed up late he charged Musashi . Of course he cut him down with a wooden sword . Many of these duals that he fought with men who put signs up . Excepting all challenges . The first one at 12 was the case . Musashi charged in without warning and cut the guy down . The guy had a sign up that said excepting all challenges .It all depends on how you look at it . He attacked the guy when he wasn’t ready of course if you put out that kind of challenge you should be always ready .
He was everything a samurai wasn’t . He didn’t really follow any codes , he never bathed, he didn’t fight like anyone else , He would show up late to a fight .
The samurai were not the shining example of conduct either . They would cut people down just because they didn’t bow properly to them . This was the common man , farmer ,store owner . My view of him he was a anti establishment kinda guy .
A great movie in my opinion is the 7 Samurai. It’s an old movie and subtitled. It’s loosely shaped around Musashi ‘s exploits.
If you want a book to read Hagakure . “ Hidden amongst the leaves “ It’s stories told by a aging Samurai. The story may be a couple of sentences or several paragraphs . It does give a bit of insight of the warrior samurai of the day .
I appreciate your candor & honesty concerning Musashi well done.
The reason why he keep say basically "listen up, this is really important" is because the book was written directly for one of his student (Terao Maganojou). A series of instructions to a specific person from a man who was close to the end of his life.
Back in a unit long, long ago... we learned to use phrases like: BLUF and WIIFM, while simplified, the point is the point, everything else is important as a supporting element to the point or I would not be talking about it. No need to “this is really important” or the “Foot Stump”, true students understand and are listening!
Another interpretation: he may have meant that He did fully have the ability to explain to each reader how these ideas would pertain to them and there-by, letting us know he did know everything and was still learning himself.
Each to their own. I prefer to view Musashi as a man relentlessly driven to master one single focus, fighting. The man fought with such ferocity and such tactics and that is what we should emulate. I believe one cannot exist as both the warrior and the poet but must first be the warrior THEN the poet later on in life as he gains the experience and wisdom to understand and make peace with what he has done. Grace is only allowed to be given by the man who is capable of great violence.
That's what sets Musashi apart. His life purpose was to become the greatest swordsman, he was a ronin and chose to stay a ronin. In most of his writings Musashi dose not pretend to be anything other than a swordsman.
And he did become the greatest killer of his time, once he did Musashi retired and never sought out another fight.
Musashi was single minded in his life's mission, leaving little room for honor or loyalty to others.
I've studied isshinryu which was founded by Tatsuo shimabuku in 1956 it's a direct and to the point martial art it's blocks are meant to be hits and so on he took shorin-ryu and goju-ryu to form isshinryu which if you look at it its for hurting people if they attempt to attack
I love this fighting philosophy
Great series John, what happened to it? Just a few suggestions of people you should profile Carlos Hathcock, Frank Hamer, Fredrick Russell Burnham, and Francis Marion, I think all of them would be very interesting profiles.
I'm sure you've studied Sun Tzu's the art of war, you may also find Morihei Ueshiba's (the founder of Japanese Aikedo) the art of peace, I think he embodies the warrior poet much more than Musashi does.
Oh wow, I wasn't expecting this one! There's something about this culture people love but I personally never really understood... Good video nonetheless! :-)
I believe that in this time period guns were not around yet or maybe in their infancy. I've read the five rings and from what I've gathered Musashi pretty much invented two sword fighting.
Musashi will refer to guns and give them high respect as good instruments of war.... but they weren't Glocks...
spot on. his focus was solely to be the very best duelist; at the cost of all else. the most accurate biography i've come across is "The Lone Samurai (the life of Myamoto Musashi). there is a fun, popular video trilogy (historical fiction with Toshiro Mifune playing Musashi) // Bushido could be broken down into two camps: die for your lord -or- keep your lord/heirs alive. the very best of warriors were consumed in the Japanese civil wars leading up to the Tokugawa Shogunate. // might i suggest another historical fiction ? Once an Eagle by Anon Myrer // might i also suggest The Ronin by W.D. Jennings ? well done right up until the last pages. // aaaaannnnnnnd a Japanese movie that turned the very idea of Bushido on its head: Hara Kiri.
Musashi was a bad mo fo, the Bruce Lee of samurai, there was a killer documentary about him on the history channel a few years back
Jason Stratton I believe I know the doc your talking about narrated by mark dacascos
Thank you for your courageousness in saying you don't like Musashi. I will check out Tadakatsu Honda
I love how you say "This guy was a dangerus, dangerus guy"
Here's a doozy for you to study: Carl von Clausewitz and his magnum opus: "On War"
You're absolutely right. The Book of Five Rings was "required reading" in a lot of martial arts schools as I was coming up and I always remembered being confused about why we were reading his book cause he seemed like a bit of an ass. I asked a couple instructors, got some lazy answers, and finally while talking to one instructor (old school Tang Soo Do based Kickboxing coach, love her, she's still great) she just looked at little 16 year old me and went: "You're right, he was a jerk. I want you to be familiar with him because it's important to me that you guys can recognize that just because someones right about something it doesn't mean they're a good influence. Learn from what he's right about and discern where he's wrong. Think. Now get back on the bag."
Thank you for accepting my suggestion!
Thanks for giving it! Hope I handled him soberly enough.
John Lovell absolutely!
Hey John, can you do a profile of Sun Tzu? I have to start "The Art of War" over cause I lost it in a move and I just recently found it.
This book was required reading in Shotokan karate...read it when I was 13..Book of 5 rings...we had to have the attitude that at all times..there were spears pointingbatbyou untilbyounwere safe in your home
Have you thought about doing one for genghis khan I know he wasn't the greatest guy out there but definitely was a warrior and effective at that.
His war tactics where many many years ahead of his time.
What I got from the reason he started carrying the wooden sword is because he gained maturity and saw the flaws in his ways. I think holding any of these great warriors to the standards of today will be hard considering times were so different and same with the ideals of the common man.
Hello John, I just got into your videos and have liked them. On this one, at 11:00, I really enjoyed the how you emphasized the vain mentality of Musashi. His desire to duel and be the best did cost his Nation heroes and the local community of a role models. Of course Japan did believe and perceive death differently than we do. For example in WWII they would kamikaze a plane. I believe we should teach warfare and be prepared for the purpose of protecting our loved ones, communities (Nation) and ourselves. "don't stand idly by when your neighbor's life is at stake" Leviticus 19:16
I think you touched on but missed the essence of the most valuable lesson Musashi tried to impart. It is the concept of the "Dynamic" In a rigid and ritualized martial arts community he championed the personality traits you praise in the SOF community. In duels, he threw away the rule book, "cheated" by fighting "unconventually", and stressed introducing "chaos" into the "dance" movements to disrupt his opponents tactics. He fought multiple opponents and succeeded by using their rigidity and predictability against them. for example, when his opponents formed a line he attacked the man at the end to force the whole line to be in a constant state of chaos while he was only exposed to one or two opponents at a time. Genius ...
I'm excited for your Sun Tzu episode.