Miyamoto Musashi is one of the most famous samurai in Japan, considered to be the Kensei or sword-saint. He is unrivalled in duels, having killed more than 60 challengers. At the age of 60, he reflected on his life and what led him to be so good. The Book of Five Rings was the result.

In this #shorts video, we are going to look at three principles from the book.

1. Study other arts
Have a main domain, but also study other arts such as painting, carpentry, or dancing for it will broaden your mind in your specialty. Musashi not only studied the sword but also studied painting and poetry. Another example is Bruce Lee who was good at martial arts, dancing, and public speaking.

2. Practice day and night
You will never attain perfection. But you will converge towards it through training. In today's society, we hear people talking about work/life balance. But true mastery necessitates obsession. You work not because you have to, but you work because you want to.

3. Know the spirit of your art
Technique is not enough. Notes played mechanically and flawlessly on a piano, does not have "soul". It misses the point. A true performance has "soul". In Musashi's time, the Way of the Warrior was to kill. That was the spirit of his art. And all movements and techniques led to that goal.