Dokkodo Quotes

The fact of the matter is that the world does not care about you or me, our hopes, our desires, or our dreams. And, the world of dreams, hopes, and desires that is constructed between our ears it is not necessarily a reflection of what is actually going on around us.

I feel confident in this assumption because between myself and my longtime students, often things happen that seem like telepathy, but it is more truthfully a relationship that has reached a maturity where words are not necessary for full communication. A quick nod in the direction of some equipment in the room and the student who has been there for years will understand it to mean, “Go get that.” The unspoken statement in that question is surmised from the context of the lesson. I don’t need to tell them precisely which piece of equipment to bring, because they already know what I am asking for. They have been around long enough to be able to add two and two together. To a beginner, it may seem like a superpower, but it is just relationship. We could and should assume the same holds true here. Not every detail needed to be spelled out.

If you are distressed by anything external the pain is not due to the things itself but your estimate of it.

This is what you’re looking for. In fact, The Book of Five Rings is often placed alongside The Art of War by Sun Tzu, On War by General Carl von Clausewitz, Infantry Attacks by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Patterns of Conflict by Colonel John Boyd. Each of these works has materially influenced military thinking, directly or indirectly influencing modern combat despite the fact that they were written decades or even centuries ago.

On his death bed, he wrote his famous Dokkodo – final principles for the students of his school.   The third principle is, “In all things, have no preferences.”   The fourth principle is, “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.”   These two, to me, elegantly defend against the downsides of naive intuition.

when you accept things as they are, it allows you to step into reality. The veil of fantasy that most of us shield ourselves with is torn into pieces and we can deal with things as they actually are, good, bad, or indifferent. The fact of the matter is that the world does not care about you or me, our hopes, our desires, or our dreams. And, the world of dreams, hopes, and desires that is constructed between our ears it is not necessarily a reflection of what is actually going on around us.

When you have a powerful urge to act on pure emotion, stop yourself and think rationally.

The warrior must be victorious when his sword is crossed with one or many.

Unbiased method is an ‘art’ that is practical.

A needle pierces a fabric and pulls out the thread from it, in order to sew; similarly, a teacher pierces the darkness and pulls out the student from it, in order to show the light.

In any art and all its Ways, there is someone who has gone astray.

The momentum of the work should be sufficiently motivated after knowing the limitations of the work.

A carpenter needs tools that are sharpened to cut.

An expert sees the overall picture and then learns the finer details, as if going from an outside area to its deepest recesses of comprehension.

In one-to-one combat or ten thousand-to-ten thousand combat, the Way of war is the same.

Harmony has a rhythm and likewise, disharmony has a rhythm.

Avoid entertaining evil intentions.

Keep financial dealings discreet.

Recognize the inherent truth in all matters.

Perceive what the eyes cannot see.

Pay attention even to trivial matters.

Do not indulge in unnecessary activities.

You can defeat the enemy simply by looking at him with your eyes.

The mindset during combat should not be different from the normal mindset.

Your mind should be without any tension, direct and expansive, but not inattentive.

Even during calm moments, the mind remains active.

It is true that one can defeat ten and therefore, a thousand can defeat ten thousand.

A warrior should not have a preference for any weapon.

Too much and too little are both equally harmful.

Everything has a unique rhythm of its own.

Your mind should not freeze in times of change.

It is imperative to formulate alternate plans.

You need to know a single thing very well, in order to know ten thousand things.

Where the deviation occurred is where the truth was left.

Using the sword is not based only on speed.

Creating confusion is the core of fighting.

Confusion is created by using different techniques, performed from different directions, and having different speeds, individually or in combinations.

For a single person fighting many enemies, zigzagging is a very effective fighting method.

If the enemy behaves like a mountain, then you should attack like the sea; and if he behaves like the sea, then you should attack like a mountain.

It is hard to defeat an enemy who keeps a residual fighting spirit.

Think of the enemy soldiers as your own soldiers and yourself as their commandant.

Having an open and an unbiased mind regarding location, weapon, and technique, helps to secure certain victory.

Do not attempt to cut with excessive strength, and similarly, do not cut with lesser strength.

By not employing the correct method, it is not possible to win.

A small man must be vigilant of the confidence of a big man, and a big man must be aware of the thoughts of a small man.

Fear is created due to the happening of an unexpected, unknown, or a shocking event.

Fear can be created by sight, sound, deception, or by a threat.

Do not be influenced by your enemy.

With the knowledge of what exists, you can perceive what does not exist.

A teacher teaches best by becoming an example for the student to follow.

Winning is most important, and this is done by striking the enemy when he is confused.

The attacking spirit is totally different from the spirit of facing an attack.

If your gaze is fixed on minutiae, then you abandon essentials, bewilderment will grip your spirit, and winning will be out of your reach.

Look nowhere specifically and then you can see everything.

If you look for the leaf you cannot see the flower, if you look for the flower you cannot see the tree, but if you look for nothing then you can see the tree, the flower and the leaf.

Perceiving with all the senses ensures certain victory.

You must secure victory by pouncing on the disorderliness and the derangement of the enemy, and by not allowing even the minutest degree of hope for any recovery.

You must always compel the enemy into troublesome situations.

Chase the enemy and compel him to submit to your fighting spirit.

Your reputation is what other people think about you; your honor depends exclusively on you, not the opinions of others.

With respect to every martial art posture, it is crucial to maintain an everyday posture while in combat, and a combat posture while in everyday life.

The gaze should be inclusive and extensive.

It is crucial that a warrior must see close objects as if they were far away, and distant objects as if they were nearby.

Grip the sword with the thumb and index finger clasped loosely at the hilt, the middle finger should have a moderate grip, while the two bottom fingers should have a tight grip.

The sword should be gripped with the purpose of cutting down the enemy.

A stiff hand is a dead hand, the hand of life is a fluid hand.

Always maintain an expansive and an untainted spirit.

Wisdom sits on the seat of an expansive mind.

It is imperative to enrich your mind and deepen your wisdom.

Be the depth of your wisdom, and you will be able to distinguish between unreasonableness and reasonableness, as well as between evil and good.

The languid mind as well as the exuberant mind, both signify weakness.

Sticking gives firm control, while entangling gives weak control.

Always force the enemy into places where he cannot get a strong foothold, or with hindrances on his side.

Slashing and cutting are different.

Train your entire body so that it becomes one.

Taking one step at a time, step-by-step, travel the thousand-mile path.

Real survival experience is most important.

Whenever your sword is crossed with the sword of your enemy, you must maintain the spirit of winning.

In a fight, how your sword moves determines the victory for your sword.

Take advantage of his rhythm, fluctuations, and timings, and attack decisively.

Everything is prone to breaking down and decay.

One who is shut and cannot come out is like a pheasant, while the one who opens and enters is like a falcon.

Never hold any enemy in awe, however strong he may be, so that one can emerge victorious in every fight.

Mental balance is lost by danger, hardship, or surprise.

Always conquer the location by using the virtues of its features.

By timing your attack correctly, you can win quickly.

If you can time your attack, then you can certainly win.

If you have not yet reached your destination, and the wind has changed, then you must be prepared to lower the sail and start rowing, in order to cover the remaining distance.