The Ground – Warrior Mind
The Mind of a Warrior, Musashi addresses the idea of the warrior mindset in The Book of the Ground. I must admit I am uncomfortable talking about warriors. You may see it this way, the same way. I have had more than a few confrontations. Some involved weapons, a burglar, and a thief in my car. In every situation, I was successful, but that doesn’t make me a warrior. I look at it as a civilian who is defending himself and his property. And I was able to do so via martial arts.
A warrior has the attributes I described and then more. Warriors are willing to sacrifice at a moment’s notice. Warriors sacrifice for others, ideals, or to help their parent society. Often, there is a code that helps them define who they are and what they do. Examples of two codes are the Bushido code from Japan and the Code of Chivalry from Europe. There is a distinct escalation between civilians and warriors.
Trade Offs
Let’s address the idea of the warrior mindset. The trade-offs of warriorship are deep and profoundly life-changing. No person returns from military service the same as when they entered. Some of those changes are methods of conduct, others are more profound and difficult. We can call them expenses.
Three Quick Items That Come to Mind
- Mental Health Struggles: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety
- Transitioning to Civilian life: Finding a job, reconnecting with family
- Physical Health Issues: Injuries with long-term effects.
Expenses for The Warrior
In this list I am going to list elements of Muashi’s lifestyle. These are expensive exchanges for warriorship. So, with this disclaimer in place, let’s audit Musashi and the prices paid. A disclaimer, some may see these as benefits or it is popular today to claim, “It is not a bug but a feature” of the activity.
- Musashi never married
- Musashi never had biological children (He adopted two sons)
- Musashi never owned a home
- Musashi never owned property
- Musashi in later days lived in a cave, the Reigan-do (Spirit Rock Cave)
- Musashi is not known to have any close friends
- Musashi was not a mercenary; he was not known to take money to fight
- Musashi was estranged from his father.
Simply put, Musashi was committed to an ascetic lifestyle and the betterment of his swordsmanship. He was a true warrior engaged in extreme behavior, acts, and asceticism.
Asceticism is not for Everyone
Asceticism has several thresholds:
- Self-discipline
- Simplicity
- Detachment
- Spiritual focus
Combining this ascetic lifestyle with the sword, you get a formidable warrior.
The majority of us never cross those thresholds in any meaningful manner. Most of us go to the recreation center to train two times a week. We prefer our comfort, and enjoy multiple choices at every turn in life. You can be a civilian and practice many of these elements and increase your experience. But to do a deep dive, some sacrifices must be made.
Testing Musashi and The Warrior Mindset
If you were able to ask Musashi to trade home and property for not having the epiphany to pick up a second sword, I am confident he would choose to pick up the second sword. This is a different mindset from yours. The Warrior v. The Civilian, you can see it as a Venn diagram, but to cross over into full warrior, do so with caution.
Be well and keep the path.
Key Takeaways:
- Being a warrior is expensive; it takes its toll
- You can have elements of warriorship if you choose
You may enjoy the previous post, you can see it here: https://www.martialjournal.com/the-ground-two-swords/
Or you can explore more at: KrisWilder | Twitter, Instagram | Linktree
He has authored several books on martial arts and self-defense, such as "The Way of Kata" and "The Little Black Book of Violence". Kris also runs the Wilder Karate Academy, where he teaches classes and conducts seminars.
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