A famous quote by Miyamoto Musashi, the master swordsman who remains popular today through his appearances in various creative works.
Miyamoto Musashi was a real swordsman in the early Edo period and a strategist who is still frequently featured in creative works today—plays, novels, manga, and films.
He is likely a great historical figure whose name almost everyone, young and old, has heard at least once.
He also had the face of an artist; his ink paintings and crafted works such as wooden swords can still be found in museums across various regions.
This time, we’ve shone a spotlight on the famous sayings Musashi left behind.
The words of this multitalented great figure are sure to illuminate your life.
Famous quotes (1–10) by the popular swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who still appears in various works today
With only a superficial grasp of swordsmanship’s advantages, one cannot truly understand swordsmanship.Miyamoto Musashi
The phrase “shin-gi-tai” (mind, technique, and body) that you often see in judo halls and sumo training stables always sharpens my focus whenever I look at the calligraphy brushed in ink.
This principle seems not only relevant to martial arts but also to the underlying “state of mind” that runs through all sports.
Miyamoto Musashi’s words here seem to teach that training which is only useful for swordsmanship is not enough.
If the heart doesn’t catch up with the technique, it’s nothing more than mere movement.
In Japan, there are many disciplines with the word “dō” (the Way), such as kendo and kyudo.
Perhaps these words also connect to that very “Way.”
A small distortion at the beginning will later become a large one.Miyamoto Musashi
A story about a single degree measured with a protractor.
A deviation of just one degree at the start becomes a 1.7 cm error one meter away, which is serious.
Some might think, “Isn’t 1.7 cm trivial?” but if a rocket sets off for the Moon with a one-degree angular error at the launch point, by the time it reaches the Moon the difference amounts to the width of five Earths.
Miyamoto Musashi’s words teach us that “the beginning is crucial in all things,” emphasizing the importance of fundamentals.
How you hold a pencil, how you grip a ball—these are the kinds of things we should be mindful of, even if we’re tempted to think, “A small difference won’t matter…”
I honor the gods and buddhas, yet I do not rely on them.Miyamoto Musashi
Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, is the main event of New Year’s.
Which shrine did you go to this year? You could avoid the crowds by shifting the date a bit, but somehow you still want to go on New Year’s Day.
Even if you pray for success in getting into university, you’re the one who has to study hard.
This straightforward lesson is among the most famous of Miyamoto Musashi’s quotes, arguably in the top one or two.
It often appears in calligraphy and on hanging scrolls, and if you’re mindful, you’ll likely spot it in many places, such as inns and training lodges.
Whether one is large or small, it is important to keep one’s heart straight and not be bound by one’s own conditions.Miyamoto Musashi
NBA superstar Allen Iverson is about 180 cm tall.
In a league where many players are over 2 meters, he’s quite small—well, “small” as in, most people would think, “That’s a bit short to succeed in the NBA.” That’s why his words when he won the scoring title hit so hard: “If you worry about size, you’ll never get good at basketball.” Reading Musashi’s words reminded me of that.
It’s a truly admirable stance: that one’s current circumstances have nothing to do with the path of the sword—or, if I may, with one’s life.
I want to hold on to this kind of positive mindset.
In the Way of strategy, let your state of mind never depart from your ordinary mind.Miyamoto Musashi
I’ve heard that Mr.
Masayuki Kakefu—known as “Mr.
Tigers”—always adds the words “calm mind” to his autograph.
It’s a phrase that truly reflects him, someone who discovered proper batting on the far side of tension and excitement.
The words by Miyamoto Musashi quoted here also teach the importance of maintaining a calm mind.
You probably get nervous too—during school tests, company presentations, and the like.
When you’re facing such unusual situations, remember these words.
Your heart will feel lighter, and you’ll surely overcome the challenge!
Doing nothing that is of no use.Miyamoto Musashi
Takehiko Inoue’s smash-hit manga Vagabond is a work that puts the spotlight on two figures: Musashi Miyamoto and Kojiro Sasaki.
Although it’s still ongoing, its character portrayals are remarkable—so much so that they almost make you feel the climactic duel awaiting them at the end no longer matters.
What’s depicted isn’t merely the two men’s lives, but their very way of living.
These words from Musashi remind me of the episode in the manga where he briefly engages in farming.
In the end, it’s you yourself who decides what is useful and what isn’t; thinking that way makes these words resonate even more deeply.
Grasp one principle, and you understand all things.Miyamoto Musashi
Ukosaben is pronounced “uko-saben.” It means wavering as you look to the right and to the left, unable to decide.
While one might think that taking the long way around leads to many encounters, Musashi teaches with this phrase that if you want broad knowledge, you should master one thing.
Whether it’s training to build your ideal physique or learning a foreign language to master linguistics—anything is fine.
If you truly master that one thing, you’ll find many more open paths waiting beyond it!
Train for a thousand days to forge yourself; train for ten thousand days to refine yourself.Miyamoto Musashi
Have you ever been on a diet? You start out thinking, “I’m going to lose weight!” but the reality is, it’s hard to keep it up, isn’t it? Not just dieting—studying, strength training, journaling—why is it so hard to continue? It’s almost baffling.
When I came across this quote by Miyamoto Musashi, I felt the weight of the word ‘discipline,’ and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
For Musashi, continuing something—discipline—is not mere practice; it’s already in the realm of rigorous training.
You set an ideal you can never fully attain, and you discipline yourself to get closer to it.
These are words that will resonate especially with those who are single-mindedly doing their best.
I will have no regrets in my actions.Miyamoto Musashi
Though they may differ in size, I personally believe that life is, to a greater or lesser extent, a succession of regrets.
More often than not, it turns into futile time, yet drifting into thoughts like “If only I had chosen the right path then,” or “If only I had acted immediately,” is also part of life.
Still, deep down, everyone wants to live like Musashi—looking straight ahead and moving forward.
“I have regrets, but I do not regret.” That kind of bold spirit is something I aspire to emulate!
In one’s whole life, never harbor greedy desires.Miyamoto Musashi
People are often ruled by desire, aren’t they? There are surely those who live their whole lives steeped in it.
In the midst of that, Miyamoto Musashi declared that he would have no desire.
Perhaps he understood well that harboring desire would ruin him.
He was a very stoic person.
And this quote also seems to express a resolve: if you think “a little is fine” and let desire in, it will pull you along and ruin the path you were striving to master—so don’t have it at all.
When you feel you’re about to be ruled by desire, remember these words.
