On composure:
“There is nothing more base than for a man to lose his temper too often. No matter how angry one becomes, his first thought should be to pacify his mind and come to a clear understanding of the situation at hand. Then, if he is in the right, to become angry is correct. To be a Samurai is to be polite at all times.”
-Hojo Nagauji, 1464 AD

The Way of the Warrior:
“It is hardly necessary to record that both learning and the military arts are the way of the warrior, for it is an ancient law that one should have learning on the left and martial arts on the right. But this is something that will not be obtained if one does not work at it every day of one’s life.”
From Twenty One Precepts -Hojo Soun, 1517 AD

On coaching:
“A good carpenter will not throw wood away; a good General will not discard a Warrior. A man who would have a gardener do a carpenter’s job is no judge of men and is highly incompetent. No matter how bright a person is, he will have his strong and weak points. If one will comply with men’s various abilities and use them appropriately, all matters will be assigned correctly and the General will be without trouble. A General of great merit should be said to be a man who has met with at least one great defeat. A man like myself who has gone his whole life with victories alone and suffered no defeats cannot be called a man of merit, even though he has wealth and gains in years.”
From The Soteki Waki –Asakura Norikage, 1552 AD

On training:
“Regardless of whether a man’s rank be high or low, there is one thing that will make it replete. If only a man will not do what he himself would like to do, and do those things that he finds unpleasant, his position, no matter what it is, will be replete.”
From The Koyogunkan –Takeda Shingen, 1572 AD

Field conduct:
“One’s soldiers should not yell abuses at the enemy. Arouse a bee and it will come after you with the force of a dragon.”
From Opinions in Ninety-Nine Articles – Takeda Nobushige, 1558 AD

Tactics:
“When facing the enemy, one should attack from their weakest angle. It is the custom of our clan to simply dash in at full speed, and give the enemy no respite. If one’s forces are winning the battle, it is better to push right on through without giving the enemy a chance to rally. While all of the enemy forces have still not been crushed, there is yet a chance for them to recover. An attack is like the rising of the wind.”
From The San Lueh, circa 220 BC

On coaching:
“When the good Generals of long ago were in charge of their Warriors, if wine was sent to the camp, they had it all thrown in the river. They then drank water from the streams like everyone else.”
From The San Lueh, Circa 220 BC

The Way of the Warrior:
“A man’s whole life is determined in his youth. One should act so that his fellows will not lose confidence in him. In combat, one should be rough and reckless. Not so in everyday affairs. No matter whether a person belongs to the upper or lower ranks, if he has not put his life on the line at least once he has cause for shame.”
From Lord Nabeshima’s Wall Inscriptions
-Nabeshima Naoshige, 1615 AD

On being part of a team:
“Unify with the heart of one family. Exert yourself in the cause of loyalty, mutually helping one another, preserve your righteousness and strive in bravery. Be of the mind never to stain the reputation of a clan that has not remained hidden from the world; our Warriors have gained fame in military valor for generations. The foundation of man’s duty as a man is in “truth”. Beyond this, there is nothing to be said.”
From The Last Statement of Torii Mototada, 1600 AD

On balance:
“The arts of peace and the arts of war are like the two wheels of a cart which, lacking one, will have difficulty in standing. What is called cherishing the Way of the Warrior is NOT a matter of extolling the martial arts above all things and becoming a warmonger.”
From Notes on Regulations –Kuroda Nagamasa, 1620 AD

The Way of the Warrior:
“The Way of the Samurai is found in death. It is not particularly difficult, be determined and advance. If by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without shame, and he will succeed in his calling. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.”
From The Hagakure –Yamamoto Tsunetomo, 1716 AD

Martial spirit:
“When on the battlefield, if you lead the charge against the enemy with the sole intention of breaking into the enemy lines, then you will not fall behind others, your mind will become fierce, and you will manifest martial valor.”
From The Hagakure

On focus:
“See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body.”
-Master Swordsman Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646 AD)

On tactics:
“Feinting is an essential part of an attack. The more the opponent can be caught off guard, or more important still, off-balance by means of feints, the better.”
From The Tao of Jeet Kune Do –Bruce Lee, 1976 AD

“War is running. When you can no longer run, it’s time to die.”
From Seven Samurai –Akira Kurosawa, 1957 AD

The Way of the Warrior:
“For Bushido, the three qualities of Loyalty, Right Conduct, and Bravery are essential. We speak of the loyal Warrior, the righteous Warrior, and the valiant Warrior, and it is he who is endowed with all three of these virtues who is a Warrior of the highest class.”
From Budo Shoshinshu –Daidoji Yuzan, circa 1680 AD