Kyō

ARTICLES ON STRENGTH

Shōbu kyōjaku no koto

STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS IN BATTLE

In all contests, not only military ones, there is a difference between being strong or weak and being victorious or defeated. Sometimes the winner may be weak, while the loser is strong. Those who die may be honoured, while those who have survived can be shamed. It is a question of who is loyal and righteous and who is disloyal and unrighteous. To die showing loyalty to your lord is honourable, while to obstinately cling to life is disloyal and shameful. If you remain righteous but are defeated one hundred times in one hundred battles, how can this be called weak? Know that if you are unrighteous and gain victory one thousand times then this is not the way of the samurai.

Being strong or weak in battle fully depends on loyalty and disloyalty and righteousness and unrighteousness. Dedicate yourself completely to this.

Keibō rikiryō masaru koto

STRATEGY OUTDOES PHYSICAL STRENGTH

Physical strength depends upon the nature a person is born with; some have it and others do not. Some can carry twenty or thirty kan in weight, while others can carry only five or ten kan. This fact of life must simply be accepted – you cannot make yourself stronger through force of will. However, physical strength does not serve loyalty and in days of old there were cases where people of immense physical strength were nonetheless weak in loyalty or righteousness. Today those who gain achievement on the path of loyalty often outshine those who have only physical strength. If you gain benefit through strategy and direct or indirect tactics, people will admire you as long as these tactics are born out of the righteousness found in your loyalty. However, if someone gains victory, even over one hundred people, by means solely of physical strength backed up by disloyal and unrighteous strategies, how can such a person be admired? Be aware that loyal strategy excels physical strength.

Rikisha to Shōbu kokoroe no koto

FIGHTING SOMEONE OF SUPERIOR PHYSICAL STRENGTH

If you are fighting someone who is physically more powerful than you, use swordsmanship when you are up close, and projectile weapons when you are at a distance. Above all, do not grapple with someone of such physical strength – this would be like using fire to fight water. Knowing this is a military skill.

Edōgu ni taishi Shōbu no koto

FIGHTING AGAINST SOMEONE WITH HIS FAVOURED WEAPON

Generally, it is difficult to gain a victory over someone using a certain art that he has mastered. If the opponent has exquisite mastery in swordsmanship, then secure your victory with projectile weapons. Keep this mental attitude in mind; it is called Shōbu keisaku no narai – the teachings of the tactics of victory.

Heigu tashinami senyō no koto

ALWAYS BE PREPARED WITH MILITARY TOOLS

As mentioned previously, samurai should not forget about war even in times of peace. Keep in mind that you should never be lacking in the realm of military equipment and weapons. Samurai who lack the proper attitude and the necessary military equipment and skills are like farmers who have forgotten how to farm, craftsmen who know nothing of iron squares and merchants who have lost the art of calculation. This can be called toshoku – to steal one’s salary.

Sengoku zatsudan kokoroe no koto

CASUAL TALK ABOUT TIMES OF WAR

Samurai without dedication to the Way during peacetime do not understand military skills (gunjutsu) or the military way (gundō). When preparing for war comes up in casual conversation, these people tend to betray their ignorance of the subject. They are like lumberjacks who talk about the sea or fishermen who talk of the mountains. Keep in mind that a samurai should not discuss matters he does not understand.

Jinbure kokoroe no koto

POINTS ABOUT ORDERS FOR WAR

Wars can have various different causes. They may be sparked off by a riot, for example, or by a quarrel between two provincial governors, or by the occupation and barricading of a castle by a person who holds a grudge against his lord. There are many ancient cases recorded of each of these types of situation. When war does break out, the lord will issue jinbure – orders for war. First tell your men what needs to be done immediately and what can be done later, then make your departure through the gate. Further details are in the scroll Ippei Yōkō.

Shutsujin kokoroe no koto

POINTS ABOUT DEPARTING FOR WAR

When given an order to march to war as mentioned above, you may be unsure what to take with you or what instructions to give to the servants who are coming with you, and so on. This is because you are not constantly dedicated to the military way. However, all samurai groups will receive orders from their captains. It is not acceptable to fail to leave for war because of a lack of weapons, armour, people or horses. Samurai must be prepared at all times – study the path of warfare and take care to maintain stocks of military equipment. These points should be kept in mind concerning departure for war.

Niwakani shutsujin kokoroe no koto

POINTS ABOUT IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE FOR WAR

Sometimes the lord is ordered to depart for war at short notice and you may need to set off in two or three days, which may leave no time to question anyone.¹⁷⁷ In these situations those who are not prepared will come unstuck. No matter how urgent the case is, when moving to war with haste, move lightly, as if you were preparing for a journey during normal times. Details on tools and so on are given in the scroll Heigu Yōhō – this information should constantly be checked and given continual attention.

Gunkō tsune ni kaezaru koto

THERE IS NO CHANGE FROM THE NORM WHEN DEPARTING FOR WAR

People consider war to be very different from normal times and there are many tales of upheaval and the various ways that life changes. However, nothing should differ from normal times. For those who are determined and prepared, should there be any change when going to war? They are called soldiers and bushi because there is no difference for them between war and peace. Some may even venture the opinion that warfare is not the path of a samurai. Keep in mind that, be it in times of peace or times of war, samurai should be prepared for war and not forget heido – the way of the soldier.

Shutsujin kijin no koto

LEAVING FOR AND RETURNING FROM WAR

Each samurai school has its own established ways to leave for and return from war. In our school details are given in the scrolls Ippei Yōkō and Gunbai Yōhō, and so the subject is not discussed here. You should refer back to these documents, study them diligently and keep them in mind.

Chakugu kokoroe no koto

POINTS ABOUT DONNING ARMOUR

Many people who are not prepared do not know how to put on armour. Here is a summary of the task:

The first step

•hadagi – under-kimono

•momohiki – light trousers

•habaki – gaiters

•waranjigake – foot covering

•waranji – straw sandals

The traditions for these are in the scroll Heigu Yōhō.

The second step

•suneate – greaves

Use the traditional method for tying the strings.

The third step

•haidate – thigh protectors

•gusoku – full cuirass¹⁷⁸

These are fully secured by the kurijime-cords. The main outer obi-belt should also be put on at this point.¹⁷⁹

The fourth step

•kurijime – armour-securing cords

The measurements for these are in the scroll Heigu Yōhō.

The fifth step

•uwaobi – outer obi

The measurements for this are in the scroll Heigu Yōhō.

The sixth step

•kabuto shita – padded cap

•hachimaki – headband

The measurement and fastening are done in the traditional way.

The seventh step

•hoate – faceguard

Details are in the scroll Heigu Yōhō.

The eighth step

•kabuto – helmet

•shinobi-no-o – helmet cords

Details are in the scroll Heigu Yōhō.

The ninth step

•koshiate – sword clasp

There are traditions for this.

The tenth step

•ōgi – fan

Details are in the scroll Ippei Yōkō, but illustrations are in a different scroll.

The eleventh step

•sashimono – banner

This should be put outside the gate. There are traditions about how to place and secure it.

The twelfth step

•saihai – war baton

The illustrations and traditions for this are in another writing.

These are called tō-ryū jūni yoroi – the twelve parts of armour of our school. There are other teachings in addition to the above. Remember that items should be donned from the lower to the upper. There are more details which have not been recorded here and they are found in the scrolls Heigu Yōhō and Ippei Yōkō.

Gungaku taiman subekarazaru koto

HAVE NO NEGLIGENCE IN MILITARY STUDIES

Samurai are not permitted to be lax in their military studies at any time. To reinforce this point, a golden saying from an ancient warrior has been recorded here.

Honda Heihachirō Yasutoshi was a retainer of Shinkun.¹⁸⁰ Once he saw his son practising with a spear, upon which he chastised him by saying:

Those samurai who clash with spears during battle are low ranking. High-ranking samurai¹⁸¹ have to manoeuvre large bodies of people, thus spear-fighting is not a task they should engage in. From the first time I engaged in battle, I wished less for glory with the spear and was more focused on the manoeuvring of my troops. Any samurai who commands people with a war baton should think more of the larger goals than his own petty achievements. Samurai should nonetheless train themselves in gunjutsu – military skills – including spear-fighting and so on. To be clear, spear-fighting, swordsmanship, archery, horse-riding and so on are arts that cannot be mastered without effort. However, war is an art that cannot be mastered without constantly conducting it. Keep this in mind. This is even more so for my sons, for they should not devote themselves to the spear or the like.

In Chu¹⁸² there was an excellent swordsman and a retainer reported his expertise to King Xiang. The king said:

That is an art of fighting only one enemy. I will study how to defeat tens of thousands of enemies.

True to his word, he attained great achievements through the ability to manoeuvre vast armies. There are countless stories like this. Samurai should always keep in mind the military path. A commander-in-chief needs to know how to position his troops correctly so that they are ready for situations like the first clash of spears or musket-fighting. This is not like the knowledge passed on from father to son.¹⁸³ This is the learning to which samurai should dedicate themselves.

Δ Tradition says:

The traditions for the above thirteen¹⁸⁴ points follow below. They should be kept in mind and understood as they are said. They include teachings on the different meanings of strong and weak, contests¹⁸⁵ and preparing for war.

Shōbu ikki ai

CONTESTS AND SINGLE COMBAT

When in single combat, attack from a lower position. At night it is even more desirable to position yourself lower. An opponent who attacks you from a higher position tends to make mistakes. For example, if he attempts to strike you with his sword as soon as he has drawn it, he may misjudge the distance.

Katana nuku to nukazaru kokoro

THE MINDSET OF WHETHER TO DRAW YOUR SWORD OR NOT

Drawing your sword is weak, while not drawing is strong. Those who have a courageous mind will not draw without care.

Yari no kokoromochi

THE HEART BEHIND THE SPEAR

At night, sweep the spear horizontally and when you hit something, pull back and stab. When in a thicket or forest, do not stab using a cross-shaped spear, instead you should thrust with the butt of the spear. For this situation there are things to be kept in mind about the butt of the spear. The mind should be fully aware of the use of weapons.

Jinbure keishin

MARCHING LIGHTLY WHEN ORDERED TO DEPART FOR WAR

When you are ordered to march to war, you have not got time for meticulous preparations. You just need to go. Rushing off to war is expensive, so make sure you have enough gold and silver in reserve at all times.

Somei tsuma ni tsugu

INFORM YOUR WIFE OF YOUR ANCESTRY

Make sure your wife understands that your ancestry obliges you to leave immediately for battle and to be prepared to sacrifice your life for the lord. This will mean that in an emergency she will know what to do and will carry out the appropriate tasks.

Gōoku chūshi

THE MINDSET THAT LIES BETWEEN BRAVERY AND COWARDICE

To have too much courage can be as detrimental to a samurai as to have too little. In times gone by, Yoritomo taught Noriyori and Yoshitsune about advancing and retreating and bravery and cowardice by using a thick bronze cauldron. This mindset is called chūshi – the middle mind. This means to be neither too brave nor too cowardly.

Heize rō wo takuwaeru

STORING UP FOOD IN TIMES OF PEACE

Prepare dried rice and soy pulp each year. Be aware that stockpiling food is an essential part of preparing for emergencies.

Heize hito wo takuwaeru

KEEPING PEOPLE IN RESERVE FOR TIMES OF PEACE

Also keep extra people in reserve. Choose appropriate people, give them gold and silver and have them promise that they will perform as your servants if an emergency arises. Lower people will feel indebted to you and will not break their promise and will come in times of need. This is called hito wo takuwaeru no nari – the teaching of keeping people in reserve.

The thirteen points and the eight traditions add up to twenty-one points in total. These are concerned with the teachings of strength and weakness, contests and preparations for war.

There have been 290 articles up to this point, following on from the twelve tools of virtue, which were listed at the start. These articles run from the heading Heika Jodan Mokuroku and end here.

177Meaning that if a samurai is unprepared in matters of war, he will not have time to ask the many questions on protocol that may arise.

178The original simply states gusoku and haidate together.

179Steps three to five concentrate on securing the armour and are done at almost the same time, so are not as distinct as the process in the text makes them appear.

180Tokugawa Ieyasu.

181Shōshin and taishin, low- and high-ranking samurai.

182An ancient Chinese state.

183Meaning that warfare is an extremely high-level skill that requires actual experience.

184The original manual states that there are only twelve.

185 Shōbu – two or more factions standing against each other.