Martial History Team

  Welcome to the October 2022 book survey, part one. I decided to break this month's survey into three posts. Introduction In October 2022, I (Richard) continued my reading plan. This post describes the first 7 books that I surveyed in October. Subsequent posts will describe the last two batches of 8 and 7 books. Read on to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Katori Shinto-ryu Warrior Tradition, Risuke Otake, 2007 Katori Shinto-ryu Warrior Tradition  is not an easy book to acquire. I bought my copy from Koryu Books in 2020 but I do not know if they still sell it. My copy is a 7 inches by 10 inches black and white paperback with 317 pages. It is based on the earlier three volume work titled The Deity and the Sword  published in 1977-1978. This new edition claims to be retranslated and edited, with 850 new photos. The text offers Japanese and English, usually on facing pages. Iizasa [Shurinosuke] Yasusada, 20th generation headmaster of Tenshin Shoden Katori ...

  My reading theme for April 2021 included additional books on Japan, on topics like Samurai, Zen, and war. These are a few thoughts on the titles that I (Richard) read.  Introduction I try to read 8-10 books with martial arts themes per month. Sometimes I can neatly group them into specific themes. Other times I loosely group them, as happened this month. I read four more books on Samurai, two books on Zen, and two books about sociology and Japanese martial arts. Previous posts of this nature are generally available via the blog's books tag. Secrets of the Samurai by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, 1973 Secrets of the Samurai by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, 1973 Tuttle first published  Secrets of the Samurai by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook in 1973. They are a husband-and-wife duo who practiced aikido together.  The publisher continues to release this book in new formats with different covers, sometimes with an additional introduction. This book reminded m...

  My reading theme for March 2021 included books by Dr. Stephen Turnbull about Samurai and closely related topics in Japanese history. These are a few thoughts on the titles that I (Richard) read.  Introduction Dr. Turnbull is the most prolific author I have encountered while researching reputable martial arts books. He earned his PhD from Leeds University in 1996, with his thesis addressing Japan's Kakure Kirishitan , or "hidden Christian" communities. I first encountered his work in the form of his excellent 2018 book  Ninja: Unmasking the Myth , which I reviewed for Martial Journal .  This post will include two main sections. The first part offers a deeper look at 4 of Dr. Turnbull's books. They are pictured at the top of the post. The second part lists 27 books that I briefly reviewed. I will make a comment on each.  I previewed these titles in a series of social media posts using the hash tag #StephenTurnbull. Each features art samples from the books. You ...

My reading theme for February 2021 was Japanese history texts. These are a few thoughts on the titles I (Richard) read. There are many others, but these are the group I chose to read in February 2021. Introduction Each month I have a theme for my martial arts reading. In January 2021 the theme was Primary Japanese Samurai Philosophy Texts . This month I decided to get a better understanding of Japanese history. I selected a mix of general history texts, military history texts, and first-person accounts. Premodern Japan 2nd Edition and Modern Japan 5th Edition by Mikiso Hane and Louis G. Perez, 2014 and 2012 Premodern Japan 2nd Ed , Mikiso Hane and Louis G. Perez, 2014 Modern Japan 5th Ed , Mikiso Hane and Louis G. Perez, 2012 I present Premodern Japan and Modern Japan together as you could consider them volumes 1 and 2 of a general history of Japan. The authors each earned PhDs. While I could not determine the field for the late Dr. Hane (who passed away in 2003), I read tha...

  Did Kano Jigoro ask to be buried in a white belt? Introduction Today I encountered the following excerpt from a book published in 1992 by an Aikido practitioner named George Leonard, titled Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfilment : “When Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was quite old and close to death, the story goes, he called his students around him and told them he wanted to be buried in his white belt. What a touching story; how humble of the world's highest-ranking judoist in his last days to ask for the emblem of the beginner! But Kano's request, I eventually realized, was less humility than realism. At the moment of death, the ultimate transformation, we are all white belts. And if death makes beginners of us, so does life—again and again. In the master's secret mirror, even at the moment of highest renown and accomplishment, there is an image of the newest student in class, eager for knowledge, willing to play the fool. And for all who walk the pat...