( 7 reviews )
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Posted: Jun 3 2009
If you like warrior philosophy this is a must own book. It is designed to reread and contemplated, and it is not a flowing story for those looking for entertainment or history. The author's intro sums it up: "The most important factor in studying the martial arts is not merely to understand, but to transcend rationale and technique. Mastering both of these concepts is necessary and, like the two wheels of a cart, neither will be useful if one is missing. "In the martial arts, the spiritual aspect is the most important, and our forerunners, who were swordsmen of genius, have left legacies gathered from their personal encounters. Here I have collected works that I feel are most pertinent to the true understanding of the martial arts. These books were written between the 15th & 16th century, a time in Japanese history of Warring States and attempts at unification. The art of war was not merely a sport or spiritual training; this was a time when one's existence depended on one's skill in destroying the enemy. These works, the records of men who lived by the sword in harsh times, contain valuable lessons for us today." My one complaint is I already own some of these excerpts from their original source, so their is some redundancy. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding collection. The book has the following chapters: 1) Hereditary Manual of the Martial Arts -Yagyu Munenori 2) Technical Study of Kenpo -Kotoda Yahei Toshisada 3) The Miracle of Immovable Wisdom -Takuan Soho 4) The Ultimate Sword -Takuan Soho 5) School of 2 heavens -Musashi 6) Jyoseishi Kendan -by Matsura Seizan (possibly based on an early Shinto Ryu system?) 7) Tengu's Dialog on the Martial Arts -Issai Chozanshi 8) Secrets of Tactics -by the author 9) Hagakure excerpt 10) A study of Leadership & Politics -Le Sei Min (known in Japan as "Taisou", he was a Tang Chinese ruler) 11) Gichou (a prime minister of Taisou) 12) Sai Kon Tan -Kou Ji Sei (Ming Dynasty China) 13) The Levels of Enlightenment -Kok Yim Ci Yuen (13th in succession from Buddha) 14) Satori If that doesn't get you excited, this book is definitely not for you.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Oct 21 2008
This is a great book! It contain several texts/teachings from the great masters of martial arts which are just as important and helpful today as the day that they were written. I would highly recommend this book to any practitioner of the martial arts, and especially to those who are truly interested in the warrior lifestyle. Kazumi Tabata has done a great job in compiling and writing this book and I enjoyed it very much and frequently refer back to it for motivation. This is a great addition to any martial arts library and I highly recommend that anyone interested in martial arts check this book out. You will not be disappointed! Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
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Posted: Sep 6 2007
This may actually be the best book I have ever read. The principles can be applied to all aspects of life, so it's certainly for anyone. It's a shame that it's not more widely known, but word of mouth should help to make this book the classic it should be. Okay, for those of you wondering what's in the book, it has a lot of very insightful information and it is written very well. Lots of books such as these may babble on and on about some of the philosophies, but this book is very to the point. It doesn't, by any means, skimp on information, it's just very direct and efficient. The writing in many ways is consistent with the teachings within. Read the book...... EVERYONE!!!!
