Miyamoto Musashi also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer, and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 61 duels He is considered a Kensei, a sword-saint of Japan. These Miyamoto Musashi quotes will motivate you.
Best Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
- “Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Anger. Control your anger. If you hold anger toward others, they have control over you. Your opponent can dominate and defeat you if you allow him to get you irritated.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Determine that today you will overcome your self of the day before, tomorrow you will win over those of lesser skill, and later you will win over those of greater skill.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“No Fear, No Hesitation, No Surprise, No Doubt” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “There is no one way to salvation, whatever the manner in which a man may proceed. All forms and variations are governed by the eternal intelligence of the Universe that enables a man to approach perfection. It may be in the arts of music and painting or it may be in commerce, law, or medicine. It may be in the study of war or the study of peace. Each is as important as any other. Spiritual enlightenment through religious meditation such as Zen or in any other way is as viable and functional as any “Way.”… A person should study as they see fit.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“In time, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “True warriors are fierce because their training is fierce.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “You can only fight the way you practice” ~ Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
- “If you wish to control others you must first control yourself” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Aspire to be like Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective. With your mind as high as Mt Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things happening near to you.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Accept everything just the way it is.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Too much is the same as not enough.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Do nothing which is of no use.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Do not think dishonestly… Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything. Perceive those things which cannot be seen. Pay attention even to trifles. Do nothing which is of no use.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy’s cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy’s useful actions but allow his useless actions” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “A bullet from a gun does not make a distinction between practice and combat. You are training to be one and the same way in your life” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“In battle, if you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “When you have attained the way of strategy there will be nothing that you cannot understand. You will see the way in everything.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Whatever your determination or willpower, it is foolish to try to change the nature of things. Things work the way they do because that is the way of things” ~ Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
- “It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Imitation is the surest form of flattery and failure. I am not interested with your talk about my ideas. I am more interested in your applying them to your life. If you do not, then you are essentially not in accord with your own mind.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Step by step walk the thousand-mile road.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “From one thing, know ten thousand things” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy…attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
- “Do not let the body be dragged along by mind nor the mind be dragged along by the body” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “A warrior has no confusion in his mind…This is true emptiness.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“As far as I’m concerned, I regret nothing.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “The Way is in training… Do nothing which is not of value.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited or over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Even if a man has no natural ability, he can be a warrior.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “…most warriors only perform tricks. The way of the warrior is filled with soul and feeling” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the ways of different arts one by one.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Do not let your opponent see your spirit” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “It is imperative to master the principles of the art of war and learn to be unmoved in mind even in the heat of the battle.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Do not act following customary beliefs.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “In strategy, your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “People in this world look at things mistakenly and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
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“Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “No man is invincible, and therefore no man can fully understand that which would make him invincible. Even with complete and thorough study, there is always the possibility of being defeated and although one may be expert in a particular form, mastery is something a man never stops seeking to attain.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “Also by training, you will be able to freely control your own body, conquer men with your body, and with sufficient training, you will be able to beat ten men with your spirit. When you have reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible?” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
- “See to it that you temper yourself with one thousand days of practice, and refine yourself with ten thousand days of training.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi
