Make friends with the dead.
Coaches are often "rule followers" although everyone's rules are different. Worthy ideas repeat over millennia.
Here's a list from Threads poster "Traditionalmasculinity." Find some to share with our student-athletes.
21 Rules a Dying Swordsman Left Behind
A week before his death in 1645, Miyamoto Musashi - undefeated in more than 60 duels - wrote 21 principles ("The Way of Walking Alone") for his student.
Musashi developed "two sword fighting" and is considered by many to be the greatest Samurai ever. 60-0 in fights to the death deserves note. I add some basketball annotations in black:
- Accept everything as it is. Don't argue with reality; adjust your understanding of the world to match it. "Control what you can control" or in market language, "The market is always right."
- Don't seek pleasure for its own sake. Satisfaction is a byproduct of purpose, not a goal in itself. Wooden, "Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable."
- Never act on a half-conviction. If you're not sure, you're not ready.
- Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. Ego clouds judgment. Take our job seriously but not ourself. People are thinking about us far less than we think.
- Be detached from desire throughout your life. Attachment makes you easier to control.
- Never regret what you've done. Learn from it, but don't dwell on it. If we "Always do our best," that leaves less room for regret. Also a restatement of Rohn's, "There are two types of pain - the pain of discipline and the pain of regret."
- Never be jealous. Jealousy punishes the one who feels it.
- Do not be saddened by separation. People come and go—that is the natural order.
- Resentment and complaint help no one. Wooden's "Don't whine, don't complain, and don't make excuses."
- Don't let lust or love govern your decisions. Strong emotions can distort judgment.
- Have no fixed preferences. Stay open and adaptable.
- Be indifferent to where you live. Contentment comes from within, not from your surroundings.
- Don't chase fine food. Eat to live, not live to eat.
- Let go of possessions you don't need. The lighter your burden, the easier your journey. "Simplify." Revise our teaching, our playbook, our drill book.
- Think for yourself. Don't follow tradition simply because it's customary, and don't reject ideas merely because they're unconventional.
- Don't collect more tools than you'll master. Depth of skill is better than accumulation. "Excel at what we do a lot."
- Do not fear death. Fear weakens judgment and action.
- Don't hoard wealth for an uncertain future. Be prudent without becoming consumed by accumulation.
- Respect the divine, but never depend on it in place of your own effort. How many times we were taught, "The Lord helps those who help themselves."
- Guard your honor above your own body.
- Never stray from the Way. "We make our habits and our habits make us."
Final Reflection:
Musashi wrote these principles near the end of his life, refining his own philosophy. The work of self-improvement is never finished until life is over.
Lagniappe. Coach Lync shares a list of situations.
Late Game Situations 🗑️ pic.twitter.com/2qejFwmjIQ
— CoachLync | Tools & Playbooks (@CoachLync) July 7, 2026
Lagniappe 2.
