Joe Rogan's Favorite Book: The Book of Five Rings (1645)

Discover an old but brilliant book today: The Book of Five Rings(1645) by Miyamoto Musashi. Joe Rogan calls it "one of the most valuable things anyone has ever written." Read on to find out the mistakes fighters make, techniques to make your opponents show their hand, and more.

The man behind the classic. Musashi was undefeated across 61 fights, and is thought of as a “sword-saint” in Japan. Legend says he never did any of these things: get married, have children, comb his hair, take a bath. Find out this singular man’s ideas on war and life.👇

No favorite weapon. Musashi cautions fighters against over-reliance on one move or “special fondness for a particular weapon”. He writes: “Too much is the same as not enough.” Stay pragmatic, don’t entertain “likes and dislikes,” and arm yourself with what you need for victory.

The rhythm matters. Everything around us is rhythmical: the seasons, music, dance, rising and falling fortunes - and martial arts. To win, predict and disrupt the enemy’s rhythm. An enemy without his rhythm has no orientation and becomes a soft target.

Perception vs Observation. Perception is skimming the surface; observation is penetrating the depths. Musashi recommends detachment to what is close, and awareness of what is distant. He writes: “See that which is far away closely and what is nearby from a distance.”

Become the opponent. What is your enemy’s POV? This is not for compassion but for better predicting attacks and better gauging their self-perceived weaknesses. Step into the enemy’s mind to see where the fear lays - then strike there.

Moving shadows. Not able to look into the enemy’s mind? Move shadows. “Pretend to make a powerful attack” and observe the reaction. The enemy will show his hand. Once their strategy is known, their defeat is imminent.

Become new. When “snarled up and making no progress,” hit restart. Musashi uses a wonderful phrase: “toss your mood away.” In a defeated mood, losses pile up. We can’t travel back in time, but by going back to the square one mentality, we can overturn the negative momentum. 

Bigger isn’t always better. Musashi notes some fighters prefer long swords for their greater reach. But what if it becomes a close-quartered fight? Then a long sword can’t swing back and forth like a shorter one can. Strength and power can’t simply be pinned down to size.

Bottom line. Make false moves to force the enemy into revealing their hands. If you can peek into their mind, you can stab their heart. Avoid over-reliance on one move or weapon, and reverse negative momentum by mentally starting anew.