April 2008 Principles of Warriors
In the code of warriors there are two kinds of principles, with four levels.
The two kinds of principles are ordinary principles and emergency
principles. The ordinary principles include principles of knighthood and
principles of weaponry. The emergency principles include army
principles and combat principles.
The principles of knighthood include washing your hands and feet and
bathing morning and night, keeping your body clean, shaving and
dressing your hair every morning, dressing formally according to the
season and circumstances, and always keeping your fan in your belt, not
to mention your always keeping your fan in your belt, not to mention your
long and short swords. When dealing with guest, you treat them
courteously according to their status and avoid useless talk. Even when
you partake of a bowl of rice or a cup of tea you are always careful not to
be slovenly.
If you are in public service, when off duty you do not simply lounge
around: you read, practice calligraphy, contemplate ancient stories or
ancient warrior codes. Whether you are walking, standing still, sitting
down or reclining in your conduct and manner you carry yourself in away
that exemplifies a genuine warrior.
As for the principles of weaponry, the first thing to lean is
swordsmanship, then lancing, riding, archery, shooting and any other
martial arts. Your duty is to study, practice and master them, so you can
be ever ready with them.
Once you have cultivated these two levels, the principles of knighthood
and the principles of weaponry, you lack nothing in the way of ordinary
principles. In the eyes of ordinary people you will seem like a good
warrior, worthy of employ. However, warriors are fundamentally
emergency usual knightly ways for the moment, adopt military
terminology for their superiors, comrades and subordinates, doff their
formal suits and put on armor, take up weapons and head for the enemy's
ground. There are all sorts of manners and forms of doing this,
collectively referred to as army principles. It is imperative to know these.
Next are combat principles. When your enemies and allies clash in battle,
if you dispositions and maneuvers work as planned, you gain victory;
otherwise, you lose the advantage and suffer defeat. There are
traditional secrets to these various maneuvers and dispositions; these are
called combat principles. It is imperative to know them.
Army principles and combat principles are the two levels of emergency
principles.
A warrior who has cultivated the four levels of ordinary and emergency
principle to perfection is considered a top class knight. If you have
accomplished the two levels of ordinary principles, you are competent for
service as a knight but if you have not mastered the two levels of
emergency principles, you cannot be a samurai commander, a group
leader, a magistrate or anything like that.
Accordingly, making this distinction, to become an all around warrior it is
essential to practice the principle of knighthood and weaponry, as well as
the inner secrets of army and combat principles, determining never to
give up without having become a top-class knight.
In the code of warriors there are two kinds of principles, with four levels.
The two kinds of principles are ordinary principles and emergency
principles. The ordinary principles include principles of knighthood and
principles of weaponry. The emergency principles include army
principles and combat principles.
The principles of knighthood include washing your hands and feet and
bathing morning and night, keeping your body clean, shaving and
dressing your hair every morning, dressing formally according to the
season and circumstances, and always keeping your fan in your belt, not
to mention your always keeping your fan in your belt, not to mention your
long and short swords. When dealing with guest, you treat them
courteously according to their status and avoid useless talk. Even when
you partake of a bowl of rice or a cup of tea you are always careful not to
be slovenly.
If you are in public service, when off duty you do not simply lounge
around: you read, practice calligraphy, contemplate ancient stories or
ancient warrior codes. Whether you are walking, standing still, sitting
down or reclining in your conduct and manner you carry yourself in away
that exemplifies a genuine warrior.
As for the principles of weaponry, the first thing to lean is
swordsmanship, then lancing, riding, archery, shooting and any other
martial arts. Your duty is to study, practice and master them, so you can
be ever ready with them.
Once you have cultivated these two levels, the principles of knighthood
and the principles of weaponry, you lack nothing in the way of ordinary
principles. In the eyes of ordinary people you will seem like a good
warrior, worthy of employ. However, warriors are fundamentally
emergency usual knightly ways for the moment, adopt military
terminology for their superiors, comrades and subordinates, doff their
formal suits and put on armor, take up weapons and head for the enemy's
ground. There are all sorts of manners and forms of doing this,
collectively referred to as army principles. It is imperative to know these.
Next are combat principles. When your enemies and allies clash in battle,
if you dispositions and maneuvers work as planned, you gain victory;
otherwise, you lose the advantage and suffer defeat. There are
traditional secrets to these various maneuvers and dispositions; these are
called combat principles. It is imperative to know them.
Army principles and combat principles are the two levels of emergency
principles.
A warrior who has cultivated the four levels of ordinary and emergency
principle to perfection is considered a top class knight. If you have
accomplished the two levels of ordinary principles, you are competent for
service as a knight but if you have not mastered the two levels of
emergency principles, you cannot be a samurai commander, a group
leader, a magistrate or anything like that.
Accordingly, making this distinction, to become an all around warrior it is
essential to practice the principle of knighthood and weaponry, as well as
the inner secrets of army and combat principles, determining never to
give up without having become a top-class knight.
May 2008 Not forgetting Combat
For warriors it is of combat in mind twenty-four hours a day, whether
walking, standing still, sitting down or reclining, never forgetting it.
Japanese custom is different from that of other countries and artisans all
treasure a rusty short. This is a Japanese custom, but even so, these
three lower castes do not make soldiery a profession.
In warrior houses, even the underlings and squires always wear a short
sword, as a rule; how much more so is it imperative for full-fledged
knights to see to it that they are never without swords at their sides,
even wear an edgeless sword or a wooden sword to the bath.
If you are this attentive even at home, how much the more so when you
go out. It is not impossible that on the road, or at your destination, you
may run into someone in a drunken rage, or some kind of fool and get
into an unexpected duel. There is an old saying, "When you go out your
door, it is like seeing an enemy". Since you are a professional warrior
and wear swords at your side, you should never forget the spirit of
combat at any time.
When you do not forget the spirit of combat, you also spontaneously act
in accordance with the reality of keeping death in mind.
A warrior who wears two swords at his side but does not put the spirit of
combat into his heart is nothing but a peasant or a merchant wearing the
skin of a warrior.
For warriors it is of combat in mind twenty-four hours a day, whether
walking, standing still, sitting down or reclining, never forgetting it.
Japanese custom is different from that of other countries and artisans all
treasure a rusty short. This is a Japanese custom, but even so, these
three lower castes do not make soldiery a profession.
In warrior houses, even the underlings and squires always wear a short
sword, as a rule; how much more so is it imperative for full-fledged
knights to see to it that they are never without swords at their sides,
even wear an edgeless sword or a wooden sword to the bath.
If you are this attentive even at home, how much the more so when you
go out. It is not impossible that on the road, or at your destination, you
may run into someone in a drunken rage, or some kind of fool and get
into an unexpected duel. There is an old saying, "When you go out your
door, it is like seeing an enemy". Since you are a professional warrior
and wear swords at your side, you should never forget the spirit of
combat at any time.
When you do not forget the spirit of combat, you also spontaneously act
in accordance with the reality of keeping death in mind.
A warrior who wears two swords at his side but does not put the spirit of
combat into his heart is nothing but a peasant or a merchant wearing the
skin of a warrior.