This is addressed primarily to all of the "experts" of Musashi and the Book
of Five Rings. I hope your feelings won't be hurt but if they are, well, 5 AM
behind the temple....

I won't go into the validity of what some so-called "purists" think what the
Rings are about and how they should have been either interpreted or
translated but there is a serious lack of understanding based on
disinformation.

In the first place, whether or not Musashi actually wrote the Rings can never
be answered and even if he did, anyone who may have read them in the original
and then interpreted them from the original would have put their own
subjective thoughts into the meaning, Japanese or gaijin. Therefore any
interpretation of the alleged original is valid if it is done with sincerity.

Not to get into a pissing contest which most of you guys thrive on, pay
attention to the following and think before you respond emotionally which is
the reason that you would obviously be killed in a "real" contest.

The Rings are nothing more than a common sense approach to winning fights.
You don't have to be Japanese to understand what mythology creates if you
have been brought up in an environment that suggests survival as a means to
an end.

There are four (to my knowledge) translations and interpretations of the
Rings including  Harris, Cleary, Nihon Services (Brown), and mine. ALL of
them have value but there are differences in the approach to the teachings
that are taught.

1 - Nihon - The Real Art of Japanese Management does not approach Ring
reality other than through politically correct hype alleging that business is
war. IT IS NOT. There is a significant difference between not getting a deal
signed and having your head cut off.
2 - Cleary - An intellectual approach to the meaning of life which is
obviously based on direct translation and totally without feeling. Cleary
confuses the reality of differentiating between cutting and slashing and
therefore his work misses the point entirely.
3 - Harris - A good work and certainly valuable and informative. The writing
is dry, passionless and boring which leads to much confusion on the part of
students who want to know what the Rings are about. It's a nice coffee table
book.
4 - Kaufman - Based on 40 plus years in the martial arts and covers the
reality of combat from all angles regardless of style and school from a been
there, done that perspective.

I suggest that if anyone wants to make an intelligent contribution to the
discussion of validity based on philosophy and application they read all four
before passing judgment. Where I have explained the functionality of the book
to sincere questioners the simplicity of the teachings are evident. Perhaps
you should all sit down and listen to experience speaking. You might learn
something.

I have been greatly amused at much of the stupidity of the comments that I
have read and heard throughout this and many other strings on the subject,
but then again, Intelligence is no excuse for intelligence.

Stephen F. Kaufman, Hanshi 10th Dan
Dojo no Hebi - School of the Snake