Warrior Work

Miyamoto Musashi was a Samurai's Samurai. Born in the late 1500s, soon after his death he became an icon for Japanese children something like Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett used to be for American kids. He was quirky like Davy and Daniel too. However skilled (no fan of showy moves, a master of fighting with two swords), he supposedly didn't bathe much so as to never be surprised unarmed. He'd sometimes show up stinky, disheveled and late to a duel so as to unnerve his opponents. This didn't stop Japan's John Wayne/Clint Eastwood, Toshiro Mifune, from portraying him in Samurai I, II, and III, a series called Japan's Gone With the Wind.

But Musashi's lasting contribution was his Go Rin No Sho, The Book of Five Rings. In it he explains "the Way of the Long Sword":

Masters of the long sword are called strategists. As for the other military arts, those who master the bow are called archers, those who master the spear are called spearmen, those who master the gun are called marksmen, those who master the halberd are called halberdiers. But we do not call masters of the Way of the long sword "longswordsmen", nor do we speak of "companionswordsmen". Because bows, guns, spears and halberds are all warriors' equipment they are certainly part of strategy. To master the virtue of the long sword is to govern the world and oneself, thus the long sword is the basis of strategy. The principle is "strategy by means of the long sword". If he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men. Just as one man can beat ten, so a hundred men can beat a thousand, and a thousand men can beat ten thousand. In my strategy, one man is the same as ten thousand, so this strategy is the complete warrior's craft.

Musashi is endorsing a bricoleur's curiosity as the basis for mastering strategy. In the intro of the book (and throughout) he gets more specific:

When I reached thirty I looked back on my past. The previous victories were not due to my having mastered strategy. Perhaps it was natural ability, or the order of heaven, or that other schools' strategy was inferior. After that I studied morning and evening searching for the principle, and came to realise the Way of strategy when I was fifty.

Since then I have lived without following any particular Way. Thus with the virtue of strategy I practise many arts and abilities - all things with no teacher.

All things with no teacher? What's that mean? Back to that word Bricoleur, this time from Claude Levi-Strauss:

'The "bricoleur" is adept at performing a large number of diverse tasks; but, unlike the engineer, he does not subordinate each of them to the availability of raw materials and tools conceived and procured for the purpose of the project. His universe of instruments is closed and the rules of his game are always to make do with "whatever is at hand", that is to say with a set of tools and materials which is always finite and is also heterogeneous, because what it contains bears no relation to the current project, or indeed to any particular project, but is the contingent result of all the occasions there have been to renew or enrich the stock or to maintain it with the remains of previous constructions of destructions.' (Levi-Strauss 1966: 17)

A fundamental feature of bricolage is that it does not worry about 'proper' and 'improper' uses of objects. It makes do with whatever is available, whether perfect or imperfect, cheap or expensive, simple or elaborate. It is no respecter of conventional definitions of value -- under certain circumstances a discarded soup tin may be more valuable than a diamond. An expensive piece of furniture and a rotting log may double up as a stool, under different circumstances, and perform the task equally effectively. Thus, bricolage is opportunistic, ad hoc, devious, creative and original, constantly re-defining tools into materials and materials into tools, while, at the same time, re-defining the task at hand in the light of the meanings attributed to the available resources. As a form of work, Levi-Strauss argues that the preferred materials of bricolage are not concepts (the materials of scientific theories), but signs (p.20ff) -- the bricoleur has the privilege over the scientist of being able to define a block of wood alternately as material, support, extension, chopping board, hammer, and so forth -- each potential use representing a distinct [reality and utility.]

Musashi came to see the diverse skills and resourcefulness of the carpenter as an exemplar of strategy...

Like the foreman carpenter, the commander must know natural rules, and the rules of the country, and the rules of houses.... The Way of the foreman carpenter is the same as the Way of the commander of a warrior house.

Okay, enough exposition. The Five Rings is here online and also here (with commentary) and really is a fantastically readable and relevant book if you're in the strategy business (and who isn't?).

Anyway, in it Musashi gets down to brass tacks and offers his Way of the Long Sword:

This is the way for men who wish to learn my strategy:

1. Do not think dishonestly.
2. The Way is in training.
3. Become acquainted with every art.
4. Know the Ways of all professions.
5. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
6. Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything.
7. Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
8. Pay attention even to trifles.
9. Do nothing which is of no use.

Er, yeah, The Way of Resourcefulness. Now, the interesting thing is--you still here?--you can read Musashi's book and explanations, or you can also go here and get a modern-day Kensei's take on them, related as personal and professional development lessons by Peter Hill. It's a course he teaches, but he offers these free also, and breaks them down into 30 weekly lessons and extends beyond the nine above to dealing and mastering some other realities of life using other cultural touchstones such as Miguel Ruiz' "The Four Agreements," a book based on Toltec wisdom for finding your way in the world suiccussfully. Anyway, here's week #1:

Principle 1: Seek the truth. Do not be dishonest in your thinking.

Often our world is like that of the elephant and the 9 blind men. Each of us vehemently defends our part of the elephant because of what we "see" forgetting or neglecting that we are only seeing one part of the elephant and there are many more sides. Also we are often unaware that our intent can subtly shift our perception and what we "see" at one moment may change dramatically the next. For instance, if you are working smart, building your power and position at work then you perceive the people around you as an asset or a threat to that power and you behave accordingly. Friday comes and maybe your intent shifts to having fun so your perception shifts and you go out and meet some really fun people and create a great time. Monday comes, your intent shifts back to power and the "fun" people suddenly repulse you; you're short and rude with them when they call and then you wonder, "Why was I such a jerk?" Your intent directly effects and colors your perception and that in turn directs your behavior. Just like a computer program, your system's energy is directed through verbal and physical techniques to achieve your goals and intent even if you are not consciously aware of the process going
on beneath the surface events.

As you go through the week, ask yourself each day what your intent is toward yourself, the people and situations you encounter. Watch how it colors your world and then if you don't like what you see then change your intent and develop new behavioral skills to foster achieving the intent and goals you affirm! Then apply the same "bar" to those around you. If their intent is not clear, look at their behavior and what it achieves, then use some empathy to see what they see and then you have a better under standing of their goal or intent. You can also use that knowledge to question their intent or goals, perception (how do you see this?) or behavior (what was your goal in doing that?)

Off you go, Grasshopper.