36 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes About Inspiration & More

36 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes About Inspiration & More

Last updated on January 5th, 2024 at 01:05 pm

Duel between Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi” by “Roger Ferland“, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Miyamoto Musashi was a swordsman and philosopher born in a modest Japanese town. Despite being the son of a farmer, he possessed exceptional swordsmanship skills. The ancestry and birth records of Miyamoto Musashi have sparked numerous theories. It’s difficult to know anything about his early life because of contradicting tombstones, birth dates, and divorce records.

Despite the lack of knowledge of Musashi, his work ‘The Book of Five Rings’ (Go Rin no Sho) contains some information about him and his origins. The book is primarily about martial arts. Musashi’s school, Hyh Niten Ichi-ry, uses this book to teach philosophy and technique. Even if most of us don’t engage in sword-based martial arts, Musashi’s concept holds much value.

He was born in Shinmen Takezo, Harima Province, Japan. At birth, he was named Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Genshin. Musashi’s father, Shinmen Munisai, was a samurai who was excellent in kenjutsu and juttejutsu, and it was likely through him that Musashi developed an interest in this combating style.

His mother died shortly after his birth, and he was raised by his stepmother Toshiko. After his father divorced her, he was sent to the Shoreian monastery to live with his uncle Dorin, a monk there. He was taught Zen Buddhism during his time there and received primary education.

Check out this list of Miyamoto Musashi quotes.

Miyamoto Musashi Inspirational Quotes

While you may not be fighting sword duels regularly, his words might impact your life. Perceive the warrior’s path and be inspired by these Miyamoto Musashi inspirational quotes that will aid you in your daily life.

“Do not regret what you have done.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“No Fear, No Hesitation, No Surprise, No Doubt.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“From one thing, know ten thousand things.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

 “Understand the harm and benefit of everything.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
Miyamoto Musashi Inspirational Quotes
“Step by step walk the thousand mile road.”
SOURCE : THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

 “The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“Language does not extend to explaining the way in detail, but it can be grasped intuitively.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

Miyamoto Musashi Self Improvement Quotes

He understood that simply improving one’s sword-handling skills was insufficient. To win a battle, one needs to understand other methods, such as judging the opponent’s moves and planning their moves accordingly. Here are some of Miyamoto Musashi self improvement quotes.

Miyamoto Musashi Self Improvement Quotes
“Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.”

“Be indifferent to where you live.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Do not act following customary beliefs.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : MIYAMOTO MUSASHI: HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS

“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Be detached from desire your whole life long.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
Miyamoto Musashi Self Improvement Quotes
“Never be jealous.”

“Never be afraid of anything, be strong.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Be honest, be brave.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

Miyamoto Musashi Warrior Quotes

A warrior is someone who is determined to achieve the goals in life. To be a warrior requires courage and dedication. You can be a warrior by overcoming your fears. Here are some Miyamoto Musashi warrior quotes to motivate you.

“The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“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
Miyamoto Musashi Warrior Quotes
“It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.”
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS

“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

“You can only fight the way you practice.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
SOURCE : THE COMPLETE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS
Miyamoto Musashi Warrior Quotes
“Victory is of a warrior, not of a machine.”

As far as I’m concerned, I regret nothing.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Whatever your determination or will power, 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

“You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“If you do not control your enemy, enemy will control you.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI

“Resilience is the mantra to victory.”

MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
Miyamoto Musashi Warrior Quotes
“A warrior is more powerful than a weapon.”

Many of Miyamoto’s philosophical ideas were linked to swordsmanship, strategy, and battle. His first swordsman achievement, according to him, was when he was thirteen years old and defeated a samurai named Arima Kibei. There was no turning back after that.

With a 61-match undefeated record, he has earned the title of Japan’s sword-saint. He also established the Niten Ichi-ryu swordsmanship technique. He inspires us to keep trying and never give up, and he has proven to be a true hero.

Let us know which one of these Miyamoto Musashi quotes is your favorite.

You can also check out 50 Brilliant Quotes by Plato.

Curated by: Divya Singh

Nitesh Kuchhal, an IIM Calcutta graduate, is more than an educator—he's a mentor. With a passion for leadership and entrepreneurship, and travel. He has explored over 20 countries. Beyond teaching, he dives into psychology and discusses social issues. Though he is not a history expert, he enjoys learning about it through books, adding a historical touch to his many interests.

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