13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elightening..., January 14, 2002
I must first say that i am not by any means an avid reader. Normally it would take me a month to get through a hundred pages. This book was the exception. I was completely absorbed by the contents of this book. Things that have been said to me over my 12 years of Aikido experience were finally made clear. I felt I had truly learned something after finishing this book and I plan on using that knowledge to teach my students more about what it is we are trying to accomplish in the dojo and in life.
Thanks John for such a wonderful book. Truly enlightening.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book But I Wanted More..., October 17, 2008
This review is from: Budo Secrets: Teachings of the Martial Arts Masters (Paperback)
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time was a little disappointed with it because of the amount of information it contain. There are many gems which can be found in this small book, but I found it to be a little light, meaning that it is only 109 pages long and of those pages, there are many blank pages, empty space, and pictures. So the information that it does contain has merit, but I found myself wishing that it contained more.
Stevens' states that the Budo texts are meant to be cryptic and that they aren't for "idiots." This is a way of saying that you do have to spend some time thinking about some of the tales, principles, and philosophies which are found in this book. Some are obvious and some are in fact a bit cryptic. Overall, I found this book enjoyable and did find it useful for those seeking the warrior lifestyle. My only problem with it was the amount of information that it contained.
Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Stuff, June 2, 2009
This review is from: Budo Secrets: Teachings of the Martial Arts Masters (Paperback)
John Stevens has given us some great books over the years. While my favorite is The Sword of No Sword by Tesshu and I have also enjoyed some of his Ueshiba books, Budo Secrets is really a nice book. Too often these collections include an excerpt from some larger work. Not really the case here.
One of my favorites comes from the Bukyo Shigen Goden Ryu and describes the true rununciate master:
1) Experience cold, heat, and rain by scaling high mountains and crossing deep valleys.
2) Rest in open fields, and sleep in the mountians.
3) Never store money or food,and never wear warm clothes.
4) Travel everywhere to engage in contests.
5) Reside in graveyards, haunted houses, or among wild beasts.
6) Associate with dangerous criminals.
7) Live off the land among peasants.
That was one hard-core crew (ryu) that rolled like that. Try spending a summer living outdoors away from people training. See what it does to you.
This is really a must have book that requires multiple reads and deep meditation. It's brought me a lot of pleasure. Enjoy!
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