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Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and the Practice
This book introduces the world of traditional Japanese martial arts and will provide readers with a deeper understanding of Bushido and Japan. Also known as Kobudo, these traditional martial arts can be seen as a continuation of samurai culture and comprise a number of styles formulated in the samurai era that are still being taught today.
Aiming to develop Bujutsu (martial arts) and Heiho (strategy) to the highest possible degree, the samurai devised a code consisting of over eighteen arts. A samurai should have impeccable manners and be an expert in martial arts, but he should never be a killer. His swords contained his soul, which he cultivated by learning poetry and art, and by practicing Zen meditation.
The author is the world-famous Kobudo grandmaster. He knows all the Kobudo styles, and his teaching of arts such as Iaijutsu and Jujitsu fascinates many students around the world. This is his first book in English, and it offers readers the opportunity to learn the lesser known arts of Kobudo,particularly the way of Nito Ryu-the two-swords method created by the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi, and to understand the spirit behind it.
Lavishly illustrated with around 700 photographs, Samurai Fighting Arts reveals many secret skills of Kobudo. It is divided into five Kobudo and its history; Kumiuchi Hyoho; Nito Ryu - the two-sword method; Iai and Kenpo; and Classical Kenjutsu and its application.
Aiming to develop Bujutsu (martial arts) and Heiho (strategy) to the highest possible degree, the samurai devised a code consisting of over eighteen arts. A samurai should have impeccable manners and be an expert in martial arts, but he should never be a killer. His swords contained his soul, which he cultivated by learning poetry and art, and by practicing Zen meditation.
The author is the world-famous Kobudo grandmaster. He knows all the Kobudo styles, and his teaching of arts such as Iaijutsu and Jujitsu fascinates many students around the world. This is his first book in English, and it offers readers the opportunity to learn the lesser known arts of Kobudo,particularly the way of Nito Ryu-the two-swords method created by the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi, and to understand the spirit behind it.
Lavishly illustrated with around 700 photographs, Samurai Fighting Arts reveals many secret skills of Kobudo. It is divided into five Kobudo and its history; Kumiuchi Hyoho; Nito Ryu - the two-sword method; Iai and Kenpo; and Classical Kenjutsu and its application.
- GenresMartial ArtsNonfiction
230 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2003
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 8, 2022
This book may be very valuable to practitioners of the Enshin Ryū as it's chock full of quality photographs of katas being performed. Additionally, the author provides context and background of the various katas and levels of proficiency required to learn them. I also assume a lot of what's covered in this book will be recognizable to practitioners of the ryū as well as Tanaka's students, so in that sense it is likely excellent reference material.
As an outsider with some knowledge of koryu this is still an interesting read, however it's hard to glean the underlying principles and strategy applied in the kata from just the pictures and what limited description accompanies them. On the other hand, it's interesting to read what the old styles have in common and gain a new perspective by analyzing a different school of sword fighting.
As an outsider with some knowledge of koryu this is still an interesting read, however it's hard to glean the underlying principles and strategy applied in the kata from just the pictures and what limited description accompanies them. On the other hand, it's interesting to read what the old styles have in common and gain a new perspective by analyzing a different school of sword fighting.
Displaying 1 of 1 review