GoKawiilJohn Carmack likens hand-coding skills to fading martial arts as AI advances
Programmer John Carmack reflected on Musashi's Book of Five Rings, drawing a parallel between the evolution of martial arts from combat necessity to hobby and sport, and the trajectory of manual coding skills as AI increasingly automates programming tasks. He suggests that meticulous hand-written coding is shifting from an essential craft into a ceremonial practice, much like traditional martial arts became after losing battlefield relevance.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Carmack's comparison highlights a broader anxiety in the tech industry about which human skills remain practically valuable as AI tools improve. His warning against becoming an 'out of touch Kung Fu master' suggests developers should adapt their skillsets rather than cling to traditional methods that may lose practical relevance, even while preserving them as craft or hobby.
- Carmack compares the decline of manual coding skills to the historical transformation of martial arts from combat use to sport and tradition.
- He warns programmers against becoming outdated experts overtaken by less skilled but AI-augmented practitioners.
- The retro computing community is framed as analogous to traditional martial arts—valuable as heritage but not for practical necessity.
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi — This is the very classic Carmack was reading when he started musing on how skills drift from battlefield necessity to hobby. Musashi's treatise on strategy, adaptability and not clinging to form reads surprisingly well as advice for programmers in the AI era. A short, sharp book worth keeping on the desk.
See The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: twitter.com, 2026-09-12
Published there as: “Don't be the out of touch Kung Fu master – John Carmack”
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