This history of Japanese armed martial arts focuses on traditions of swordmanship and archery from ancient times to the present. The author provides an overview of martial arts in Japanese history and culture, then closely examines the transformation of these fighting skills into sports. He discusses the influence of Western athletic tradition on the armed martial arts as well as the ways the martial arts have remained distinctly Japanese. During the Tokugawa era (1600-1867), swordmanship and archery developed from fighting systems into martial arts, transformed by the powerful social forces of peace, urbanization, literacy, and professionalized instruction in art forms. Hurst investigates the changes that occurred as military skills that were no longer necessary took on new purposes: physical fitness, spiritual composure, character development and sport. He also considers Western misconceptions of Japanese martial arts and argues that, contrary to common views in the West, Zen Buddhism is associated with the martial arts in only a limited way. The author concludes by exploring the modern organization, teaching, ritual and philosophy of archery and swordmanship.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just the Facts, Sir, just the facts,
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This review is from: Armed Martial Arts of Japan: Swordsmanship and Archery (Hardcover)
This is the first book that I have read that presents clear and comprehensive look at Swordsmanship and Archery. This book is more historical in its nature. If you are looking for a MA manual this it is not. Here the author presents scholarly treatment of Swordsmanship and Archery in context to social history of Japan and I admire him for that reason. I have come away with a deeper understanding of the subject and a greater appreciation for how these two martial arts evolved through out the history of Japan. A Great Work.
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Inside This Book
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
4
books
cite this book:
- Secrecy in Japanese Arts: "Secret Transmission" as a Mode of Knowledge by Maki Isaka Morinaga on 4 pages
- Kyudo: The Way of the Bow by Feliks F. Hoff in Back Matter
- The Zen Arts: An Anthropological Study of the Culture of Aesthetic Form in Japan (Royal Asiatic Society Books) by Rupert Cox in Back Matter
- The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori by Mark Ravina in Back Matter
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