Where the best place to stand is in regards to the light source, and the strategies to keep in mind when fighting. This is also the section in which he explains ways you can use your physical surroundings to your advantage. This section focusses on the use of your mind in every situation to your advantage.
The Fire Chapter is chapter three, and in this section, he uses fire as an analogy for battle since, like fire, battles can be small or large. "You should consider these principles as though they were discovered from your own mind, and continually make great efforts to make them a physical part of yourself." The use of a sword is a full-body experience. He also stresses the importance of the mind and the body specifically, the eyes, hands, feet, head, neck, and posture when learning the Ways. Musashi runs through a number of different scenarios and the ways in which you can defeat your opponent. Of course, he takes the time to tell you why his style is the correct one, and why any other style is inferior.
Musashi detail practical knowledge and tips to holding and handling swods, specifically in his preferred style of the ‘Two-Sword Style. Chapter two is the Water Chapter, which uses water as a model for the mind, and focusses on the swordsmanship of his Way. Chapter one is the Earth Chapter and is an introduction into Musashi’s Way, and give an overview of what he is going to cover in the next four chapters. The book is split up into five sections ‘The Earth Chapter’ ‘The Water Chapter’ ‘The Fire Chapter’ ‘The Wind Chapter’ and ‘The Emptiness Chapter,’ and each deals with a separate facet of Musashi’s practice and beliefs, known as his ‘Way’. It can be understood as Musashi’s guide book on how to be a successful samurai, and hints many times at the things he thinks you should research more thoroughly, or practice consistently. Coming into this with no prior information about Japanese samurai culture didn’t feel like a disadvantage after reading the introduction, and the accessible way in which it has been written. The book is really easy to read, and accompanied by an insightful introduction and a great bibliography at the end. The Book of Five Rings, detailing Musashi’s beliefs and practices of his Way of Truth.
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