MBR: The Martial Arts Shelf
Midwest Book Review
The Demon's Sermon On The Marital Arts
Issai Chozanshi, author
William Scott Wilson, translator
Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
4770030185, $19.95 www.kodanshaamerica.com
Written by 18th-century Japanese samurai Issai Chozanshi and
translated into English by William Scott Wilson, also known for his
translations of "Hagakure" and "The Book of Five Rings", The Demon's
Sermon On The Marital Arts is a uniquely insightful and philosophical
contemplation. Presented in the format of an imagined discourse
between a tengu (a mythological birdman) and an anonymous swordsman,
The Demon's Sermon On The Martial Arts is much broader in scope than a
simple list of strategies and maneuvers taught by assorted Japanese
disciplines, extending into wisdom gleaned from Taoism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, and Shinto. The result is a guide for martial artists to
perfecting the mind, rising above hesitation, indecision, or
distractions, and harnessing the flow of the dynamic energy of ch'i to
empower transformation. An indispensable classic of traditional
Japanese culture and martial arts philosophy.
The Way Of Sanchin Kata
Kris Wilder
YMAA Publications
4354 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA 02131
1594390843, $24.95 www.ymaa.com 1-800-669-8892
In "The Way Of Sanchin Kata: The Application Of Power", Kris Wilder
draws upon his more than 30 years of experience in the martial arts
(during which time he earned black belt ranks in Tae Kwon Do 2nd
Degree, Kodokan Judo 1st Degree, and Goju-Ryu Karate 4th Degree) to
present a comprehensive, nicely illustrated, step-by-step manual of
instruction for students of Sanchin Kata style karate. Of special
distinction separating "The Way Of Sanchin Kata" from other martial
arts self-instruction manuals is the inclusion of tests embedded in
each chapter so the student of Sanchin Kata can determine how well
they have been able to master every concept and application presented.
An instructor at the West Seattle Karate Academy, Wilder is able to
make his instructions and commentaries particularly accessible to the
novice, and of great value in honing the skills of the more
experienced student. No personal or dojo martial arts reference
collection would be complete without the inclusion of "The Way Of
Sanchin Kata". Also very highly recommended to Martial Arts reference
collections is Kris Wilder's earlier manual from YMAA Publications,
"The Way Of Kata".
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to
promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We
accept no funds from authors or publishers in order to avoid possible
conflict of interest issues. Full permission is given to post any of
these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups,
listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or
to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a
credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines
"California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch",
"MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch".
All of these publications are archived and available for free on the
Midwest Book Review website at http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them
to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to
Fruga...@aol.com (Be sure to include the book title, author,
publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 10-digit
ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com