Mifune Quotes & Sayings

True spirit of Judo is nothing but the gentle and diligent free spirit. Judo rests on flexible action of mind and body. The word flexible however never means weakness but something more like adaptability and openmindedness. Gentleness always overcomes strength. — Kyuzo Mifune

The weed crushed and pressed by the heavy rock may slowly and gently grow up anew helped by the fresh air, sunshine, and sympathetic rain. On the other hand, the rock is often broken through exposure to nature and weathering. Life is a strong power to grow in tenderness; this fact may be considered as having a close relation with human life. At the same time tenderness has sometimes stronger power against stiffness or hardening due to extreme strain. — Kyuzo Mifune

Do not place hope in finding a secret technique. Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques. — Kyuzo Mifune

There are no shortcuts because there is no end — Kyuzo Mifune

A chance to try your technique is in one instant never to be regained, so try it without hesitation. — Kyuzo Mifune

A good Judoka never anticipates his action in a match, but his mind is as clever as a polished mirror which enables him to foresee precisely anything to happen and he displays freedom of his physique to cope with any change. Such mental state and physical action are called sei or tranquility and do or action, sometimes they are called ju and go or tenderness and sturdiness, in and yo or negative and positive, etc. — Kyuzo Mifune

Cause your opponent to repent, then let him fall — Kyuzo Mifune

The mind, if slackened even a little, will cause defeat, the same as fearing the opponent will make you unable to use full strength. — Kyuzo Mifune

"Ju" means being natural or in other words the way which is natural and in accords with the truth of the universe and the one that human beings have to follow. Also, "Ju" may mean anything reasonable, just and honorable, accordingly noble: namely the realization of Truth , Good and Beauty. — Kyuzo Mifune

To master an actual technique, mental culture should come first.
Acquiring a technique requires a careful, modest, non-mean, free and attentive mind. In other words a player should do his utmost and nothing less. — Kyuzo Mifune

Mifune had a kind of talent I had never encountered before in the Japanese film world. It was, above all, the speed with which he expressed himself that was astounding. The ordinary Japanese actor might need ten feet of film to get across an impression; Mifune needed only three feet. The speed of his movements was such that he said in a single action what took ordinary actors three separate movements to express. He put forth everything directly and boldly, and his sense of timing was the keenest I had ever seen in a Japanese actor. And yet with all his quickness he also had surprisingly fine sensibilities. — Akira Kurosawa

When I was eight or nine years old, I saw the TV version of 47 Ronin, played by Toshiro Mifune. He played Oishi. That was my first experience. I watched every week with my brother. "Who plays Oishi tonight? Who will play Kira tonight?" And we fought every week. — Hiroyuki Sanada