“There is a time and a place for use of weapons. The best use of the companion sword is in a confined space, or when you are engaged closely with an opponent. The long sword can be used effectively in all situations.
The Halberd is inferior to the spear on the battlefield. With the spear you can take the initiative; the halberd is defensive. In the hands of one of two men of equal ability, the spear gives a little extra strength. Spear and halberd both have their uses, but neither is very beneficial in confined spaces. They cannot be used for taking a prisoner. They are essentially weapons for the field.
Anyway, if you learn “indoor” techniques, you will think narrowly and forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters.
The bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a moor, as it is possible to shoot quickly from among the spearmen. However, it is unsatisfactory in sieges, or when the enemy is more than forty yards away. For this reason there are nowadays few traditional schools of archery. There is little use nowadays for this kind of skill.
From inside fortifications, the gun has no equal among weapons. It is the supreme weapon on the field before the ranks clash, but once swords are crossed the gun becomes useless.
One of the virtues of the bow is that you can see the arrows in flight and correct your aim accordingly, whereas gunshot cannot be seen. You must appreciate the importance of this.
Just as a horse must have endurance and no defects, so it is with weapons. Horses should walk strongly, and swords and companion swords should cut strongly. Spears and Halberds must stand up to heavy use: bows and guns must be sturdy. Weapons should be hardy rather than decorative.
You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault for not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others, but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troopers to have likes and dislikes. These are things you must learn thoroughly.”
Miyamoto Musashi – The Book of Five Rings
Use the right solution for victory
The right solution is not what you’re most comfortable with. Your comfortable solution will fail you if it is not a working solution. When things go wrong, most people double-down on their original choice instead of turning to an alternative or the unknown to find a better solution.
Before you go into the darkness, have an idea of what you are looking for. Set a target even if it’s vague.
If your goal is happiness after a period of unhappiness, you must be willing to become an explorer and look for solutions in the darkness. Even if those solutions require you to sever ties with what you are most familiar with.
Do not define your solutions or assume they will come from what you know. Be open to any path to victory.
You cannot see many solutions through one path.
Mastery is narrow and wide
A archer must continue to walk the path, even if it takes him down a different path of putting down the bow and picking up the rifle. This evolution may show that his mastery is not the bow, but the concept of accuracy, which is at the root of the bow and the gun.
If an archer during the invention of the gun neglected the innovation, his path may end.
You may be on a wider path than you think.
Instead of being on the path of, let’s say accounting, you could be on the path of finance which has numerous paths and disciplines to pursue. The path can grow and give us more areas to explore. A martial artist does not master karate and quit learning. He becomes a mixed martial artist; a student for life. A medical doctor may decide to specialize. Then go back to general. Then specialize in something else. Then teach.
Mastery never ends.
Function over style
Style isn’t made to be efficient, it’s made to stand out. Before something can be stylish, it must be functional. Style first comes at the cost of function which hurts success. While a Ferrari may be a stylish car, it’s functions are limited. A Ferrari cannot drive through the snow, maneuver over speed bumps, or tow another vehicle. A beat-up truck can do all of those tasks.
Style for style’s sake always reduces function. Function has a style of its own that often looks better than style for the sake of style. A stylish product that doesn’t function is useless. The stylish new product appears fantastic until people use it and see there is no function or it does not function as well as a less styled product. Style is emphasized when function does not exist at equal quality. Put function before style. Style may come after, but function must always come first.
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