"In this text the author explains how his unique style was developed, and in doing so, reveals the important workings and goals of the internal world of martial arts."—Journal of Asian Martial Arts

While technical prowess and physical power are essential characteristics of a martial artist, true mastery of the art comes by cultivating one's inner strength. Here, Kenji Tokitsu—an authority on Japanese and Chinese combat arts and a respected karate teacher—shows how cultivating ki (life force) and understanding the principles of budo (the martial path of self-development) can make training in martial arts more meaningful, effective, and personally and spiritually rewarding.

Tokitsu emphasizes the mental aspects of martial arts practice including:

• The importance of ki development
• Seme, or capturing your opponent's mind
• Understanding ma, the spatial relationship in combat

Studying these concepts, he explains, gives martial artists the tools to train for a lifetime and at the very highest level. Tokitsu also gives a historical and cultural survey of budo, and explains how the Western view of budo training is different than the Japanese—a perspective rarely available to Western martial artists.