In 17th century Japan, there was a samurai so skilled that myths started to grow about him while he was still alive. After his death, he became a legend of supernatural skills with the sword. His name was Miyamoto Musashi, and he is known to have gone undefeated after more than 60 duels. Interestingly, not only was Musashi a master swordsman, he was also a poet, an artist, and a philosopher.

He wrote a book containing what he considered to be the ideal qualities of a samurai. The Book of Five Rings. In order to understand the business applications of The Book of Five Rings, we must first understand its originin Japanese culture.

The book is divided into five chapters based on the five elements of Japanese Buddhism: earth, water, fire, wind, and emptiness.