Musashi explains how there is more to sword fencing than the fencing itself. He explains strategy from the viewpoint of his Ichi School. How to find the ground upon which your feet draw strength. He explains the correct way to hold your self and the sword. Reading this chapter teaches you the about the foundations of the Ichi school. It will give all of your sword fighting techniques a firm grounded base and thus their strength.

"Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and abilities there is timing.... There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain."