Book · 1992 · History
The Book of Five Rings
#87 of 15,601 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- mentions
- 64
- people
- 20
- podcasts
- 4
- episodes
- 51
- critical mentions
- 0
My favorite book of philosophy I started reading when I was like I guess I was 16. It's The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. He's a samurai who killed 60 men in one-on-one combat with swords.
Joe Rogan · The Joe Rogan Experience · Sep 2025 Listen at 58:52 What they say about it
- Read in youth10
- Great book on strategy“book on strategy”8

- Tattoo of author“this is on my arm”6

- Understand the way broadly“once you understand the way broadly”6

- Favorite book“one of my favorite books”5

The best things said about it
Like Miyamoto Musashi, he's a famous samurai, wrote this book, The Book of Five Rings. It's a great book on strategy.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2024 The issue is there's a there's a book called The Book of five rings by um Miyamoto Musashi yes one of my favorite books excellent book on sword fighting by the greatest sword swordsman in Japan real person it's actually mistranslated it's supposed to be the book of five Scrolls.
Like a book of five rings is one of my greatest all-time books i've read it like dozens of times in my life.
And i always recommend a book of five rings for fighters because one of the things that it's it's so crazy about it is his thing was balance.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2018 The Book of Five Rings is one of my like guide books for life.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jan 2013 This is Miyamoto Musashi from The Book of Five Rings, and in that book he said something I read it when I was like 17 years old: Once you understand the way broadly, you will see it in everything.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
20 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi is a classic treatise on strategy, tactics, and philosophy written by a legendary seventeenth-century Japanese swordsman. Joe Rogan repeatedly highlighted the text on The Joe Rogan Experience, noting that he first started reading it as a teenager and that it served as a major philosophical influence regarding strategy, martial arts, balance, and the pursuit of mastery. Josh Waitzkin also discussed the book on the same show, expressing disbelief that more people have not studied Musashi deeply to understand the concept of the way across all disciplines. Ian Crossland recommended the work on Timcast IRL, praising it as an excellent guide on sword fighting and leadership while noting a common translation detail regarding its scrolls. Other guests on the Joe Rogan Experience, such as Josh Barnett and Sturgill Simpson, similarly pointed to the volume or discussed returning to its insights on life, competition, and tactical execution. Across multiple episodes and contexts, speakers valued the text for its timeless approach to conflict, strategy, and personal discipline, maintaining that the philosophy of the renowned samurai applies just as effectively to modern challenges, mindset development, and physical combat training.
Every mention
Joe Rogan My favorite book of philosophy I I started reading when I was like I guess I was 16. It's The Book of Five… 35
“My favorite book of philosophy I I started reading when I was like I guess I was 16. It's The Book of Five Rings by Miiamoto Masashi. He's a samurai who killed 60 men in one-on-one combat with swords.”
“So like googie he he was an extraordinary human being but he wrote a book on strategy called the book of five rings.”
“That's a like a Miiamatu Masashi quote from the book of Five Rings, right? Once you know the way broadly, you could see it in all things.”
“You know, he wrote about this in the book of five rings.”
“the book of five rings the samurai that killed 60 men in unarmed combat and wrote a book on strategy”
“did you ever read any mamoto Musashi you know I read yeah of course I don't even have to ask but the book of five rings he talks about that because mamal Masashi was such a great sword fighter that he he believed the only way to fight at your best is you have to be a balanced person very”
“i'm sure you are a fan of miyamoto musashi i'm sure tell me about the japanese warrior book of five rings”
“I'm sure you are a fan of miyamoto musashi I'm sure tell me about the japanese warrior book of five rings”
“if you've read uh miyamoto musashi's writings book of five rings yeah absolutely”
“he killed 62 i think 62 men in one-on-one combat and he wrote a book called go written no show the book of five rings”
“he killed 62 i think 62 men in one-on-one combat yeah and he wrote a book called go written no show the book of five rings wow and it's all about strategy”
“like miyamoto musashi he's a famous samurai wrote this book the book of five rings it's a great book on strategy”
“mochi musashi he's uh who wrote the book of five rings that's a famous japanese samurai do you know who he is”
“you know miyamoto musashi the great samurai who wrote that book the book of five rings”
“it's mamoto Musashi who's a samurai in the 1400s he wrote this book called The Book of five rings and it's about strategy”
“it's interesting that that that concept of balance was written about in the 1400s by miyamoto musashi when he talked about being a great swordsman he talked about balance that you had to learn poetry and you had to learn calligraphy and art and he was he was a big believer that you didn't just concentrate on sword fighting you”
“Cuz I got into the book of five rings again”
“it's like the book of five rings Miyamoto Musashi talks about like the practicing real sword fighting literally is reaching”
“like that book Miyamoto Musashi's a book of five rings”
“miyamoto musashi he wrote that in the book of five rings once you understand the way broadly you will see it in all things”
“miyamoto musashi he wrote that in the book of five rings once you understand the way broadly you will see it in all things sweet”
“and i always recommend a book of five rings for fighters because one of the things that it's it's so crazy about it is his thing was balance”
“I mean this is something miyamoto musashi use to his advantage you know when you if you read the book of five rings”
“you know is this movie much miyamoto musashi quote that I like I use all the time once you understand the way broadly you see it in all things and that this this place that you're talking about like these new level places like that exists in martial arts that exists in comedy it exists in writing and exists in”
“I mean that's one of the things that miyamoto musashi used when he was a sword fighter in the book of five rings he would talk about all the different games he would play and people have documented it”
“have you read the book of five rings yes and he talks about you have to know your weaknesses you have to know other arts in order to make your art and style the best that's mashi nice”
“when I was um I think I was in my teens when I read the book of five rings the first time what I realized is he was explaining this concept that was totally alien to me at the time as like an insecure teenager”
“M to Musashi had this expression um that he wrote In the book of five rings that once you understand the way broadly you will see it in all things”
“is that from that's book of five rings I love that book”
“that's like U mioto Musashi's book of five rings you know he believed that everybody should every Warrior should also be well versed in poetry and calligraphy and art”
“Do you remember in the book of Five Rings when Mto Masashi says, Practice something enough so that the thing of itself reveals itself.”
“what is it the book of The Seven Rings book of five rings”
“this famous Samurai Guy and um he wrote this book called The Book of five rings it's this amazing book man where you got to get into this guy's head”
“You know, I read a lot of books on strategy like you know that's where I I first read um the uh book of five rings which became like a it's this is the tattoo that I have.”
“and you know I mean that's where the book of five rings cames from what the book of five rings is one of my like guide books for Life the mamot Mushi book”
David Lee Roth like a book of five rings is one of my greatest all-time books i've read it like dozens of times in my life 1
“like a book of five rings is one of my greatest all-time books i've read it like dozens of times in my life”
Ian Crossland The issue is there's a there's a book called The Book of five rings by um Miyamoto Musashi yes one of my fa… 1
“The issue is there's a there's a book called The Book of five rings by um Miyamoto Musashi yes one of my favorite books excellent book on sword fighting by the greatest sword swordsman in Japan real person it's actually mistranslated it's supposed to be the book of five Scrolls”
Josh Waitzkin So, the Book of Five Rings, right? Like to me, I feel that I cannot believe how few people have studied Mus… 1
“So, the Book of Five Rings, right? Like to me, I feel that I cannot believe how few people have studied Musashi deeply.”
Tu Lam what I'm saying that is the teachings of five rings ISU rule he broke down fire water Earth you know ground… 5
“what I'm saying that is the teachings of five rings ISU rule he broke down fire water Earth you know ground he broke down void these five teachings that kind of gued me through life infinity War”
“i read the book of five rings when i was 13 years old”
“the book of five rings”
“that's where i saw the rock where miyamoto wrote the book of five rings”
“it was musashi's words from the book of five rings written in 1645”
Cameron Hanes it's like this tattoo that I have is mamoto moushi the guy who wrote the book of five rings and when I was… 2
“it's from the book of five rings”
“it's like this tattoo that I have is mamoto moushi the guy who wrote the book of five rings and when I was a kid and I was um competing in martial arts tournaments I I read the book of five rings”
Matt Brown I read that and I read the book of five rings when I was 16 change 2
“I read that and I read the book of five rings when I was 16 change”
“and I read the book of five rings when I was 16”
Ryan Hall ...axioms that have come down through things like the book of five rings or the art of war or you know like… 2
“...axioms that have come down through things like the book of five rings or the art of war or you know like von klosterwicz even anything like that”
“reassessing of these ideas or axioms that have come down through things like the book of five rings or the art of war or you know like von klosterwicz even anything like that”
Anthony Kiedis I have uh a tiger with uh Miyamoto Musashi from the book of five rings okay do you know what that is I don'… 1
“I have uh a tiger with uh Miyamoto Musashi from the book of five rings okay do you know what that is I don't he's on Japanese Samurai from the 1400s who uh defeated 62 men in one-on-one combat and he wrote a book on strategy that I read when I was a teenager when I was doing martial arts”
Duncan Trussell and it's from the book of five rings um by miyamoto musashi and you mentioned something from that book 1
“and it's from the book of five rings um by miyamoto musashi and you mentioned something from that book”
Ed Calderon like I got that book that book of five rings before I went into training 1
“like I got that book that book of five rings before I went into training”
Eddie Bravo So I'm sure he read the book of five rings and one of the things about the book of five rings that it empha… 1
“So I'm sure he read the book of five rings and one of the things about the book of five rings that it emphasized was like taking in all sorts of different be soft like taking calligraphy do painting because stay flexible”
Jason Wilson if you've read uh miyamoto musashi's writings book of five rings 1
“if you've read uh miyamoto musashi's writings book of five rings”
John Dudley translate something from Japanese like especially Japanese from I think it was the 1400s y when mamoto mhi… 1
“translate something from Japanese like especially Japanese from I think it was the 1400s y when mamoto mhi wrote the B book of five rings you translate from that to today”
Josh Barnett cuz I got into the book of five rings again 1
“cuz I got into the book of five rings again”
Kevin Smith this is Miyamoto Musashi from the book of five rings and in that book he said something I read it when I wa… 1
“this is Miyamoto Musashi from the book of five rings and in that book he said something I read it when I was like 17 years old once you understand the way broadly you will see it in everything”
Nicholas Christakis a Musashi quote the book from the book of five rings 1
“a Musashi quote the book from the book of five rings”
Richard Haier he's an ancient warrior famous for the book of five rings in the martial arts world 1
“he's an ancient warrior famous for the book of five rings in the martial arts world”
Robert Breedlove uh who wrote Masashi wrote the book of five rings 1
“uh who wrote Masashi wrote the book of five rings”
Ron Funches he wrote this crazy book called the book of five rings 1
“he wrote this crazy book called the book of five rings”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker3
“because I read a quote when I was 16 years old when I was doing martial arts I read the book of five rings and this is that that's miyamoti Musashi on my right arm and he wrote this book the book of five rings which was a book on strategy”
“because I read a quote when I was 16 years old when I was doing martial arts I read the book of five rings and this is that that's miyamoti Musashi on my right arm and he wrote this book the book of five rings which was a book on strategy and Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai who killed 62”
“i i like this guy in my arm miyamoto musashi is the reason why this is on my arm it's from the book of five rings”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
“You ever get into like book of five rings or any of that”
“so I'd read like The Book of five rings like mamot Sashi I'd read a lot of psychology books”
“just like in Suns The Art of War or in the book of five rings”
“and now let me leave you some words for miyamoto musashi there's nothing outside yourself that can ever enable you to get better stronger richer quicker or smarter everything is within everything exists seek nothing outside of yourself”
“man i bought tony robbins [ __ ] i bought all kind i bought book of five rings about [ __ ] art of war i bought everything”





