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Quotes from A Hereditary Book on the Art of War — Yagyū Munenori

d. 1646 Japan

← All quotes by Yagyū Munenori

4 quotes

There may be a hundred stances and sword positions, but you win with just one.

A Hereditary Book on the Art of War (1632)

Once a fight has started, if you get involved in thinking about what to do, you will be cut down by your opponent with the very next blow.

A Hereditary Book on the Art of War (1632)

A stroke of the sword that does not hit its target is the sword stroke of death; you reach over it to strike the winning blow. Your adversary's initiative having missed its mark, you turn the tables around and get the jump on your adversary.

A Hereditary Book on the Art of War (1632)

When you strike a blow, do not let your mind dally on it, not concerning yourself with whether or not it is a telling blow; you should strike again and again, over and over, even four or five times. The thing is not to let your opponent even raise his head.

A Hereditary Book on the Art of War (1632)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Yagyū Munenori (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.