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Autumn Lightning: The Education of an American Samurai
Dave Lowry juxtaposes his singular experience as an adept student of "kenjutsu" (the art of swordsmanship) under a Japanese teacher in St. Louis with a riveting account of the samurai tradition in Japan. Intertwining tales of the masters with reflections on his own apprenticeship in the samurai's arts, he reveals in their time-honored methods a way of life with p...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
March 12th 1985
by Shambhala
(first published 1985)
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There are a few books that I read when I was in middle school and high school and have continued to re-read once every couple years since then. Autumn Lightning is one of these. The book is partly a story of Lowry's own early studies in kenjutsu as a young man, and partly a story of the development of the style in which he studied. But this is not just an interesting book on martial arts; it is a simple good story, thoughtfully and skillfully written, and something about it keeps making me co...more
First and foremost: I'm biased. Besides being an avid DL fan, I'm a sucker for rite-of-passage stories related to Japanese martial arts and I was fortunate enough to translate this book in my native language (Greek), meaning I had the chance to work with it up close and personal.
The book is, simply put, great. Although DL writes basically for the martial arts cognoscenti, he’s smart enough to make his language comprehensive to a broader audience –at least he does in “Autumn Lightnin...more
The book is, simply put, great. Although DL writes basically for the martial arts cognoscenti, he’s smart enough to make his language comprehensive to a broader audience –at least he does in “Autumn Lightnin...more
This was probably the closest I've got to gaining some insights into the ways of samurai and their history. I'm glad a fellow Goodreads member recommended it to me.
The story chronicles the life of an American who decides to undergo the tutelage of a samurai sensei. The story nicely contrasts Occidental and Oriental cultures and tells a parallel story of historic Japan where the sensei's ancestors made the art of the sword (kenjutsu) popular.
Although the reading was slow at times, it ...more
The story chronicles the life of an American who decides to undergo the tutelage of a samurai sensei. The story nicely contrasts Occidental and Oriental cultures and tells a parallel story of historic Japan where the sensei's ancestors made the art of the sword (kenjutsu) popular.
Although the reading was slow at times, it ...more
More insights from Dave about budo philosophy.
A chronicle of David Lowry's study of kenjutsu under a Japanese master, this book is one of the best stories that I have read.
It grants the reader simultaneous insight into the true nature of the martial arts (not flashy sport, but an art that allows the artist to hone mind, body, and spirit) and into culture of Japanese martial arts.
It grants the reader simultaneous insight into the true nature of the martial arts (not flashy sport, but an art that allows the artist to hone mind, body, and spirit) and into culture of Japanese martial arts.
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