Crossing at a ford occurs often in a man’s lifetime. It means setting sail even though your friends stay in harbour, knowing the route, knowing the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day.
You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.
Do not regret what you have done.
Approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay.
There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.
If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.
If the enemy stays spirited it is difficult to crush him.
Never stray from the Way.
One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.
Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die.
You want some? Come get some!
This is your time! Now go out there and take it!
A debt should be paid off till the last penny; An enemy should be destroyed without a trace.
The best form of defense is attack.
Do not speak badly of yourself, for the warrior that is inside you hears your words and is lessened by them.
Fear doesn’t go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.
You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.
When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.
After victory, tighten the cords of your helmet.
The Way of a Warrior is to establish harmony.