From Musashi to Ochiai

In order to make room for new books, I frequently sift through my old books and see if I can get rid of any (usually by selling them at Half Price Books).  Considering whether I should get rid of Hidy Ochiai's translation of and commentary on Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings, my thoughts traveled in several directions.

First, A Book of Five Rings.  I read this quite some time ago and liked it very much.  Using warfare as a metaphor for competition in business resonated with me at the time.  But 28 years later, with 28+ years of business experience under my belt, I'm no longer interested in that metaphor.  And though I respect Sensei Ochiai, I didn't gain much from his annotation.

Second, training in washin-ryu karate with Sensei Ochiai.  It has been a long time.  Though I progressed to purple belt (yon-kyu, one belt below brown and black), I would have trouble remembering any but the simplest of katas now.  But Sensei Ochiai was someone we all respected greatly.  It was not only for his skill, or his association with some of the biggest names in martial arts (such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris).  It was how he carried himself, and his demonstration of what training and self-discipline can accomplish.  I remember how nervous I was the first time he tested me for a belt!  And even more so, what it was like to practice sparring with him.

Sensei wrote two books that I will definitely keep in my library, as they are important reminders of that period of my life.  They include The Essence of Self-Defense and Hidy Ochiai's Living Karate.  But I'm going to give up his annotation of Musashi's classic.