Hoshinjutsu [Paperback]

Rob Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 2009

This book is a summation of Hoshin history, training, philosophy and methodology. It contains a taste of the current meditations, exercises and curriculum developed by Dr. Glenn J. Morris. This book also gives you an inside glimpse of some of the events that transpired before and after Dr. Morris' passing through the eyes of one of his top students, Rob Williams.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Hoshin Budo Ryu (August 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0578035758
• ISBN-13: 978-0578035758
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars straight path, October 12, 2011

By 

Mountain curr "shadow" (UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoshinjutsu (Paperback)

In high school I attended a Kung Fu dojo that was close to my home and had a reputation for creating "tough guys". I only went once. My experience was completely different than I expected. The walls had glorious pictures of the schools owner in his Vietnam war garb. As I entered I was immediately sized up by what appeared to be very serious neanderthal type young men. They were bulging with the body builders physique and the typical ignorant hostility of individuals actively overcompensating. I spent two hours learning various drills and stances. Then I was stood up against a wall and the head of the school, the man from the war garb pictures, came over and slapped me. He said that was strength. He then slapped me again and said that was transfer of energy. I went home disappointed. As I admired the large red hand slap prints on my chest in the mirror I wondered, "where was the spiritual, respectful, cool stuff I had seen in the movies?".

In "Hoshinjutsu The Art of Esoteric Budo" you will find unpretentious straight forward instruction and explanation. I found this book approximately 15 years after my high school Kung Fu experience and it was worth waiting for. In the books preface it states "This book on Hoshinjutsu is intended for anyone, in or out of martial arts, seeking to improve and balance their skills at conquering life's problems, roadblocks and demons." I like this quote especially because throughout the book as the philosophy and methodology is transparently explained, the applications of the information are many. This book is not only combat useful but everyday life useful. The explanation of each of the 5 elements used in this system is so simple yet so deep. One could read this as a beginner with no prior experience or expectation and gain from it. Or, as a seasoned student of life or combat or corporate warfare and find hidden wisdom and insights of a very high value.

My favorite chapters were the ones containing nonchalant, matter of fact descriptions of the esoteric sides of this art. Chapter 4 Hoshin Tao Chi Kung, does an excellent job of explaining chi and chi development and application from a real world perspective. Capter 5 Kundalini Awakening, gives straight forward explanation and detail concerning kundalini and the experiences surrounding it and its awakening. Chapter 7 Empathic Communication, is written very practically again from the perspective of one who lives day to day with what others consider "phenomena".

This book contains the essence of what was blatantly missing from my early experience in the Kung Fu dojo. The "magic" is made less mysterious and more importantly accessible as one reads the pages of this book. It also contains, to my delight, real stories demonstrating effective applications of the abilities and thought processes learned by practicing Hoshinjutsu.

If you are looking for pretentious self aggrandizing harsh ego filled "this is the only way to be the ultimate warrior in the world" type rhetoric you may be disappointed in this book. If on the other hand you are looking for an extremely potent yet humble manual on surviving and thriving in life with grace this is a book worth exploring.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Information, October 15, 2011

By 

Ninshinyama - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoshinjutsu (Paperback)

There are many reasons that I gave this book 5 stars, mainly because this book gives you a straightforward explanation to what Hoshin Budo is.

There is not much more that needs to be said. If you want to read a book that will answer the questions one needs to start and continue their path training in Hoshinjutsu this book is the perfect answer.

Unlike other martial arts books that tend to speak in "code" to make their art sound mysterious this book tells you. You wanna learn about the Healing System in the ryu? BAM! That's in there. Explanations for a beginner and master alike regarding Chi Development and Kundalini? BAM! In there.

If your a martial artist this book is more than worth adding to your collection, regardless of style. The Healing section alone makes this book worth it to anyone practicing martial arts.

I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in training in Hoshin Budo but want to gather more information first. This will answer the questions you need to know, the rest is up to you to start training.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sigh of relief, and another of enjoyment, September 19, 2011

By 

Prokopton (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hoshinjutsu (Paperback)

I shouldn't have worried. If anyone knew people, it was Glenn Morris -- psychologist, martial artist, poet, actor, college professor, shaman, kundalini-enlightened meditator, and one-man conclusive refutation of the idea that 'those who can't, teach'. Surely he would choose the right person to succeed him as head of the martial-art-cum-psychospiritual-enlightenment-program he himself established, Hoshin.

The position isn't an easy one. The Soke has to master many pairs of opposites. He's got to be the deadly fist no-one would want to tangle with, but also the ch'i-filled hands you go to for deep healing. He's got to know how to 'live with the shadow to have more light', as Glenn said, and co-ordinate yin with yang in motion. Then, in his classic volumes on martial arts, which have taken many people to some pretty extraordinary places, Glenn set one more precedent -- the ability to write.

But we can relax. In this, his own first book, with more to come, Rob Williams lays out his stall, and he has the right stuff. If you are a fan of Glenn's books you will be smiling all the way through this one. (In fact the only real problem I had with it was that I'd happily have read one three times as long. ^_^)

Although this is more than a summary of the Hoshinjutsu training, it's certainly that in spades. It's at the introductory level, but perhaps even the seasoned will still get some new items of info from the descriptions. Williams was the guy who did all the work to lay out the high dan ranks properly, updated the techniques to work against stuff coming out of other arts, and established the entire Hoshin healing curriculum himself, at Glenn's request. He's well worth listening to on any of these subjects, even if he isn't going into huge detail, because he has the same trick Glenn had of giving just the right tidbit to spark an insight.

All the basic Go Dai-level physical techniques are described, along with their internal components. The healing chapter is comprehensive, obviously close to the author's heart, with immediately usable info on herbs, hydrotherapy, yoga, acupuncture and a dozen other things -- although Williams seems to think our civilisation has lacked imagery-healing for centuries, and could perhaps talk to Susan Carlson about hypnosis sometime! There's a good outline of the Ch'i Kung too, including some a useful clearing technique for the Ren/Du channels, and several other things that were new to me.

The book also provides a glimpse of Hoshin history and development, and of Williams' relationship with Glenn. From the by now semi-mythical early stages at Hillsdale college to the last moments of Glenn's life, Williams kept his eyes, ears and heart open. This art is all about subtlety of feeling. Williams writes clearly on 'empathic communication', building on what Glenn did and confirming a lot of 'how it happens' for those who have been building ch'i in these directions. Working with emotions as resources is the heart of this approach. Psychologically it's incredibly clever, because Glenn's Humanistic Psychology savvy puts all of it a cut above the average energy approach. We get some rather advanced applications of this with respect to non-physical emotional communication here.

Williams is also clear: no Ch'i, no inner development, no Hoshin. Some will wonder why in heavens that would need saying. But strangely, even this art is starting to experience the loss of its 'ura' or inner, ch'i techniques in some dojos, turning it into another physical-only form. Yes, even though the 'secrets' aren't secret!

Williams stomps that approach into jelly. And I don't think such an anaemic way will establish itself very deeply with him at the helm of the Hoshin Budo Ryu. You'll find plenty of shamanic stories about Glenn in this book, but just as many of Williams himself, and some of a very personal nature which must have required courage to write about. Wizards are still human.

Naturally he also combs out the ryu-succession tangles which threatened to obscure the dignity of Glenn's death, and provides more than enough evidence to back up his case, if you still happen to need that. And you get an affectionate, illuminating portrait of 'Doc', with some moving stuff about his spider totem and the time he essayed the role of Boo Radley onstage.

The 5-star rating I'm giving here is not merely for the book, it's for what stands behind the book, and what is going on in the Ryu. When one considers what Glenn did, it's almost unreal, especially now we know it's definitely going to continue. A whole shamanic lineage, with real kundalini enlightenment and deadly martial arts, in many ways built from scratch. And it works. It's the whole pack of cards: no-sports fighting techniques with built-in tests of courage at each training stage, plus *real* spiritual work with a rich ch'i kung and healing heritage, that really can make actualised, aware, strong, subtle human beings. No secrets, no bull. That kind of thing doesn't happen every day. There are going to be lots of people wanting to play with this.