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Yagyū Munenori Quotes (1571-1646)
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About Yagyū Munenori
Yagyū Munenori (1571 – May 11, 1646) was a Japanese swordsman, the son of Yagyū Munetoshi, and founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū school of swordsmanship. He is famous as the author of the Heihō kadensho (1632), an acclaimed treatise on practical swordsmanship and how it can be applied to life and politics. His sons, Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi and Yagyū Munefuyu, were also famous swordsmen.
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Yagyū Munenori quotes.
“Conquering evil, not the opponent, is the essence of swordsmanship.”
“There may be a hundred stances and sword positions, but you win with just one.”
“It is easy to kill someone with a slash of a sword. It is hard to be impossible for others to cut down.”
“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.”
“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.”
“If you gaze at a single leaf on a single tree, you do not see the other leaves. If you face the tree with no intention and do not fix your eyes on a single leaf, then you will see all the many leaves. If your mind is preoccupied with one leaf, you do not see the others, if you do not set your attention on one; you will see hundreds and thousands of leaves.”
“Throwing down your own sword is also an art of war. If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never lack for a sword. The opponent's sword is your sword. This is acting at the vanguard of the moment.
• Variant translation: If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword.”
• Variant translation: If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword.”
Yagyū Munenori Quotes by Topic
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Yagyū Munenori on Sword 4 quotes
“Conquering evil, not the opponent, is the essence of swordsmanship.”
Yagyū Munenori on Impossibility
“It is easy to kill someone with a slash of a sword. It is hard to be impossible for others to cut down.”
About Yagyū Munenori
Yagyū Munenori (1571 – May 11, 1646) was a Japanese swordsman, the son of Yagyū Munetoshi, and founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū school of swordsmanship. He is famous as the author of the Heihō kadensho (1632), an acclaimed treatise on practical swordsmanship and how it can be applied to life and politics. His sons, Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi and Yagyū Munefuyu, were also famous swordsmen.