"The techniques are really a vessel for carrying all the things that are budo..." Most books about martial arts (budo) focus on techniques, although some tell the history, and a few wax philosophical. It is rare indeed to discover a book that so fluently combines all this within the broader context of culture and lifestyle, and does so in such a humble, engaging, and accessible way. "Budo Bum Anthology" is a book that answers not so much "how" or "what" as it does "why?" Why call budo teachers "sensei"? Why do we bow? Why kata? Why keep training? Peter Boylan, aka the Budo Bum, has achieved high rank in several martial arts -- judo, iaido, jodo, and more--spending decades immersed within budo, straddling the worlds and cultures of Japan and America, and translating between them. In these essays, the reader is invited to walk alongside a quiet man who thinks deeply about the worlds in which budo was created and is practiced, and who brings the meaning of "all the things that are budo" into our daily lives. CONTENTS Introduction Getting Started Do you have to study in Japan to understand budo? Etiquette: Form and sincerity in budo Sensei, Kyoshi, Hanshi, and Shihan: budo titles and how (not) to use them Different ranks in martial arts? Zanshin Budo Do versus Jutsu ( ) What kata isn't Trust in the dojo Training Training, motivation, and counting training time in decades instead of years The most effective martial art The dojo as the world: learning to deal with violence and power Budo and responsibility Investing in failure The spirit of learning Training hard and training well are not the same thing When it comes to training, fast is slow and slow is fast Getting out of the comfort zone There are no advanced techniques Essentials The most essential principles in budo: Structure The most essential principles in budo: Spacing The most essential principles in budo: Timing Philosophy The only things I teach are how to walk and how to breathe Budo expectations and realities: understanding the limits of what we study Will budo training make me a better person? Budo as a "professional skill" and professionalism in budo Budo training and budo philosophy How to adapt an art form to fit you Is kata too rigid and mechanical?

A fascinating introduction to Zen principles and learning.

This landmark work provides a wide-ranging scholarly consideration of the traditional Asian martial arts. Most of the contributors to the volume are practitioners of the martial arts, and all are keenly aware that these traditions now exist in a transnational context. The book's cutting-edge research includes ethnography and approaches from film, literature, performance, and theater studies. Three central aspects emerge from this book: martial arts as embodied fantasy, as a culturally embedded form of self-cultivation, and as a continuous process of identity formation. Contributors explore several popular and highbrow cultural considerations, including the career of Bruce Lee, Chinese wuxia films, and Don DeLillo's novel Running Dog. Ethnographies explored describe how the social body trains in martial arts and how martial arts are constructed in transnational training. Ultimately, this academic study of martial arts offers a focal point for new understandings of cultural and social beliefs and of practice and agency.

The story describes the journey of one man through 30 years of martial arts training. From the first karate class with a newly arrived Japanese instructor in 1971, he goes on to study with eminent martial artist of today. Among them are, Toyotaro Miyazaki, the nationally rated competitor of the 60’s and 70’s described by Chuck Norris as one of his toughest opponents, and Ken Ogawa one of the toughest fighters to come out of Morio Higaonna’s Yoyogi dojo. The other instructors are Kiyoshi Yamazaki, trainer and choreographer for Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Conan movies and Joko Ninomiya, All Japan Kyokushin Champion and creator of the Sabaki Challenge tournament. Memorable moments depict meetings at the AAU Nationals with notables as Billy Blanks, Mr. Tae Bo, and Chuck Merriman. As a young student in the traditional Shotokan system, this narrative chronicles the transition to the eclectic modern training methods. This evolution the result of hard-earned lessons in real life encounters while working as a Miami Police Officer on the mid-night shift.

Aikido: is an illustrated guide for students of aikido; with explanations of four aikido kata and in depth technical discussions of principles which form the underlying physical and strategic concepts that form the core of aikido techniques.

The Way of the Living Sword is the final installment in D.E. Tarver's popular Warrior Series. It stands beside The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi as one of the greatest writings of the warrior mind. In The Way of the Living Sword, Munenori gives an in-depth explanation of the connection between physical martial arts and the mental process of Zen. While Munenori and Musashi were both avid students of Zen, Munenori was more fascinated by the academic aspects of the philosophy. Munenori stretches the consciousness of even the most enlightened martial artist. Martial arts devotees will experience many flashes of revelation as Tarver explores the various aspects of Munenori's approach. Read and grow!

Ellis Amdur's writing on martial arts has been groundbreaking. In Dueling with O-sensei, he challenged practitioners that the moral dimension of martial arts is expressed in acts of integrity, not spiritual platitudes and the deification of fantasized warrior-sages. In Old School, he applied both academic rigor and keen observation towards some of the classical martial arts of Japan, leavening his writing with vivid descriptions of many of the actual practitioners of these wonderful traditions. His first edition of Hidden in Plain Sight was a discussion of esoteric training methods once common, but now all but lost within Japanese martial arts. These methodologies encompassed mental imagery, breath-work, and a variety of physical techniques, offering the potential to develop skills and power sometimes viewed as nearly superhuman. Usually believed to be the provenance of Chinese martial arts, Amdur asserted that elements of such training still remain within a few martial traditions: literally, 'hidden in plain sight.' Two-thirds larger, this second edition is so much more. Amdur digs deep into the past, showing the complexity of human strength, its adaptation to varying lifestyles, and the nature of physical culture pursued for martial ends. Amdur goes into detail concerning varieties of esoteric power training within martial arts, culminating in a specific methodology known as 'six connections' or 'internal strength.' With this discussion as a baseline, he then discusses the transfer of esoteric power training from China to various Japanese jujutsu systems as well as Japanese swordsman-ship emanating from the Kurama traditions. Finally, he delves into the innovative martial tradition of Daito-ryu and its most important offshoot, aikido, showing how the mercurial, complicated figures of Takeda Sokaku and Morihei Ueshiba were less the embodiment of something new, than a re-imagining of their past.

Different styles of martial arts offer contradictory information, philosophies and techniques for the body in combat. As a lifelong student and teacher of multiple styles of martial arts, Steven Pearlman has sought to distill from these disciplines not a fusion of techniques, but rather a compilation of fundamental principles that can guide the individual martial artist to the ideal action. Through his exploration of a set of basic principles that range from the physical to the spiritual, Pearlman arrives at a system open to all martial artists.