Books
-
Bushido
The Spirit of the Samurai
There are eight virtues of Bushido, the code of the samurai: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-control. These virtues comprise the essence of Japanese cultural beliefs, which are still present today. Inazo Nitobe, one of Japan's most respected scholars, explores the ethical code of the samurai and contextualizes it within Japan's traditions of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism. He then compares and contrasts Eastern values with those present… Read More
Hardcover$18.95+ Add to Bag -
Classical Budo
The Martial Arts and Ways of Japan
Donn Draeger was one of the most famous and well-respected martial artists of the twentieth century, and he was a pioneer in bringing Asian martial arts study to the West. Here, he illuminates the compelling historical, political, and philosophical events that gave rise to the development of the budo arts. The classical budo, or "martial ways" are not combat systems like their forerunner, bujutsu, or "martial arts"; nor are they… Read More
Paperback$19.95+ Add to Bag -
-
The Complete Book of Five Rings
- edited by
- Kenji Tokitsu
The Complete Book of Five Rings is an authoritative version of Musashi’s classic The Book of Five Rings, translated and annotated by a modern martial arts master, Kenji Tokitsu. Tokitsu has spent most of his life researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, and in this book he illuminates this seminal text, along with several other works by Musashi. These include “The Mirror of the Way of Strategy,” which… Read More
Paperback$17.95+ Add to Bag -
Cultivating Ch'i
A Samurai Physician's Teachings on the Way of Health
Samurai are best known for taking life—but here is a samurai doctor’s prescription for how to preserve life, and to make yours a long and healthy one. Unlike other samurai of his time, the samurai Kaibara Ekiken (1630–1714) was concerned less with swordsmanship than with how to maintain and nurture the healthy mind and body upon which martial techniques and philosophy depended. While serving as the chief medical doctor and… Read More
Paperback$16.95+ Add to Bag -
The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts
And Other Tales
This collection of parables written by an eighteenth-century samurai is a classic of martial arts literature. The tales are concerned with themes such as perception of conflict, self-transformation, the cultivation of chi (life energy), and understanding yin and yang. Some of the parables seem light and fanciful, but they offer the reader valuable lessons on the fundamental principles of the martial arts; “The Mysterious Technique of the Cat” is iconic.… Read More
Paperback$17.95+ Add to Bag -
The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts
A Graphic Novel
The Demon’s Sermon on the Martial Arts is a classic collection of martial arts parables, written by Issai Chozanshi, an eighteenth-century samurai. The stories, which feature demons, insects, birds, cats, and numerous other creatures, may seem whimsical, but they contain essential teachings that offer insight into the fundamental principles of the martial arts. This graphic novel version based on Chozanshi’s text brings these tales alive in a captivating and immediately… Read More
Paperback$14.95+ Add to Bag -
The Essence of Budo
A Practitioner's Guide to Understanding the Japanese Martial Ways
The study of budo, or Japanese martial arts for self-cultivation, is a lifelong path toward achieving perfect balance in body, mind, and spirit. Here, Dave Lowry, who has pursued that path for over forty years, addresses the myriad issues, vagaries, and inconsistencies that arise for students of karate-do, judo, kendo, aikido, iaido and other Japanese martial arts—classical and modern—as their training develops, including: What… Read More
Paperback$19.95+ Add to Bag -
The Essence of T'ai Chi
The deepest benefits of T’ai Chi cannot be realized without an understanding of its underlying principles. This book presents these principles through translations of three core classics of T’ai Chi that are often considered the “T’ai Chi Bible,” accompanied by the author’s insightful commentary. Master Liao demonstrates how to increase the body’s inner energy (ch’i) and transform it into power, health, and well-being. By reading the clear and precise explanations… Read More
Paperback$6.99+ Add to Bag -
Essential Anatomy for Healing and Martial Arts
This unique book will familiarize healing practitioners and martial artists with basic concepts of the human body, as defined by both Western and Eastern medical traditions, allowing those engaged in healing and martial arts to develop a more complete, holistic, and scientifically forward-looking understanding of the body. Overviews of philosophical and conceptual underpinnings are followed by detailed drawings and diagrams of the body's internal systems, as seen by both traditions.… Read More
Paperback$29.95+ Add to Bag
