Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite non-fiction works from feudal Japan. The author is Miyamoto Musashi, a famous samurai known for his deep thinking and mastery of the sword and combat. He is akin, in my mind, to the Western Philosopher/Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Musashi spent a great deal of his
time in meditation and conversation with some of the deepest thinkers of his time. His treatise, “The Book of Five Rings,” encapsulates a great amount of philosophy in such a short book. I highly recommend reading the book prior to this post, it is available for free on the internet (including here) and though most of the book is specific to combat, it’s not difficult to extend the ideals prescribed to sport…
In the realm of endurance sports, the pursuit of mastery extends far beyond physical prowess; It requires a blend of mental fortitude, strategic thinking, and unwavering determination. In life and in the relentless pursuit of excellence through sport, we can draw inspiration from the timeless wisdom of Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of Five Rings." Endurance athletes can glean valuable insights that transcend the boundaries of sport and offer profound implications for achieving peak performance from the various scrolls written by the infamous swordmaster.
Musashi was a legendary swordsman and strategist of feudal Japan, he distilled his life's learnings into a treatise on the art of swordsmanship and combat strategy. While his teachings were rooted in the context of martial arts, their principles are remarkably applicable to the challenges faced by endurance athletes in their quest for excellence. Each of the five rings described by Musashi, relating to the 5 Elements, provides unique insight into how the pursuit of excellence through sport can help us to grow beyond the confines of our Athlete identity.
The first ring, the "Earth Scroll," emphasizes the importance of laying a solid
foundation in your specific pursuit, in the case of Musashi it was his style of swordsmanship taught in his school. For endurance athletes, this can translate into cultivating a strong physical capacity through consistent training, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. Just as a sturdy foundation supports a formidable structure, building endurance requires a disciplined approach to preparation and conditioning. Spreading yourself too thin across multiple disciplines can dilute your capacity. To cultivate a deeper understanding of your craft/sport involves deep consideration of all levels of it, in the words of Musashi:
“Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground... These things cannot be explained in detail. From one thing, know ten thousand things. When you attain the Way of Strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. You must study hard.”
In this way, we strive to gain deep insight of both our pursuit, and of ourselves.
The "Water Scroll" delves into the need for flexibility. Fluidity and adaptability are cornerstones to remain flexible in the face of adversity. This largely includes your ability to remain mentally flexible, not being restricted by singular focus, but to expand your capacity through that focus. The insight from Musashi in this scroll teaches us to not become too rigid, lest our rigidity cause fractures in our adaptability. To remain in control of your bearing is to be flexible, not restricted in how you react to the world by external influences:
“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.”
In the unpredictable terrain of endurance sport, athletes must learn to flow with the ever-changing circumstances, adjusting their strategies and pacing as needed. Whether navigating rough terrain or encountering unexpected weather or physical challenges, the ability to adapt with grace is essential for success. This too can be elaborated on through life, as you learn through sport that it’s not always a matter of who’s the fittest on the day, but who has all of their faculties about them wins the day, so too does success in life depend not only on your preparation, but your ability to adapt and react physically and emotionally to sudden changes around you. Musashi elaborates in this scroll on specific strategies and stances, encouraging the reader to practice various “attitudes” and specific techniques to avoid becoming reliant on one singular attitude & technique. By practicing under different conditions and with different styles, you de-limit your abilities to adapt and react to the elements you experience in competition and in life.
The "Fire Scroll" is focused more on general tactical advantage, and knowing what your opponents strengths and weaknesses are relative to your own. This involves finding the relative weaknesses of your opponents and asserting yourself on the high ground:
“You must look down on the enemy, and take up your attitude on slightly higher places.”
In the endurance context, this can be your strengths and weaknesses relative to the race course or compared to the other competitors. In life, you must also use your strengths to your advantage and mitigate the costs your weaknesses impose on you. If you’re an athlete who is weak on the up-hills but has strong technical skills in descending, you can work to mitigate the negative impact your weakness has on your performance by focusing on not over-working on the climbs and trust yourself to regain lost ground in the descents. However, this is no excuse to lapse on training your weakness. Understanding and emulating the strengths of your competitors, you can strive to be more:
“As one man can defeat ten men, so can one thousand men defeat ten thousand. However, you can become a master of strategy by training alone with a sword, so that you can understand the enemy's stratagems, his strength and resources, and come to appreciate how to apply strategy to beat ten thousand enemies.”
Fire itself embodies the fiery passion and intensity required to overcome obstacles and achieve victory, and endurance athletes must stoke the flames of determination, pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones and embracing the discomfort that accompanies prolonged effort. Just as fire tempers steel, adversity forges resilience, shaping athletes into stronger, more formidable competitors.
The "Wind Scroll" speaks to the importance of knowing the various tools,
philosophies, and schools of thought. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each philosophy of training creates context to how you will train yourself. Endurance sports demand a keen understanding of pacing, energy management, and race tactics. Like a master strategist on the battlefield, athletes must carefully assess their surroundings, anticipate their competitors' moves, and strike with precision when the moment is right. Knowing what other competitors are doing for their training and incorporating it into your own training will help create a more rounded individual:
"Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword-fencing, and limit their training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body."
By limiting yourself to one philosophy, (HIIT, Zone 2, “The Norwegian Method,” 80/20, etc) you limit the outcomes and experience you can achieve in your training. Learning and understanding the various methods can help lead to innovation and incorporating the best of each method as it suits you can help you become a more versatile athlete.
Finally, the "Void Scroll" delves into the esoteric realm of transcendence, where the mind achieves a state of clarity and focus beyond distraction:
“By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist.”
Musashi encourages the reader to delve deeper into these notions, learning to grasp the metaphysical questions that drive us. Endurance athletes often encounter moments of doubt, physical fatigue, and mental fatigue during their training and racing. By addressing the question of “why,” we can cultivate a capacity for mindfulness and presence, tapping into our inner reserves of strength and resilience, pushing through barriers and reaching new heights of performance. The thing that doesn’t exist, in Buddhism and in my experience, is the ‘Self.’ As you discover this through hours, days, months, and years of physical training, you will learn to understand more deeply the meaning of Void. Things like pain, disappointment, and desire, these exist only in the way we allow them to exist. They consume us only if we allow them too. Rooting your expectations in reality and understanding, deeply, what is real, that can help you stay motivated and on course for whatever success looks like for you.
I highly recommend reading the great Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of Five Rings," as it offers a treasure trove of wisdom for endurance athletes seeking to master their craft. By embracing the principles of the five scrolls, athletes can unlock more of their full potential and conquer the challenges that lie ahead. Just as Musashi honed his skills on the battlefield, endurance athletes can draw upon his timeless teachings to sharpen their edge and emerge victorious in the arena of sport.
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