I just got a new copy of Miyamoto Musashi's 'The Book of Five Rings". I don't know if anyone here is familiar with the book or author, so i'll give a bit of a primer. Musashi was a top level swordsman in the Edo period of feudal japan. Guy was a ****ing animal, a top level martial artist who traveled the country and amassed a lot of victories in duels. He's something of a figure of legend in martial arts. Anyway "The Book of Five Rings" is a martial and philosophical treatise about swordsmanship, but also life and martial arts in general, and I found a couple cuts in the book that reminded me of things in boxing that I've noticed, or read in other sources. I thought I'd post some of them here: On Rhythm: As we all know, establishing rhythm against your opponent and breaking his is essential in any era of boxing. On Footwork: I found this interesting because I think that it encourages a sense of footwork that is very similar to textbook boxing footwork, the fundamental step-and slide that is one of the first thing a lot of students learn. Jabs thrown at the face: I liked this bit because it reminded me a lot about the importance of exchanging leads no matter what style you have. Boxing and fencing parallels are often made when looking back at classic fighters, here's something from the fencing side of that comparison. Any thoughts? Would you like me to post more? Anyone else read The Book of Five Rings? About Musashi: [ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi[/ame]
musashi died 400 years ago, how did you get a new copy of his book? just kidding. boxing is a martial art practiced as a sport, the principles of the five rings applies to boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo and knockdown karate as well.
