Customer Reviews

Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and the Practice

5 star:		(8)
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A lot of books on martial science include pictures and photographs for they are needed to illustrate stances, moves, and techniques. Too often the photographs are of poor quality and they do not clearly represent the move. But the care to produce quality photos in this book is unmatched. There are approximately 1200 photographs in SAMURAI FIGHTING ARTS and each one lucidly shows what the author intended to depict. The process of selecting just-the-right photo reveals the expertise and wisdom of the author.

Mr. Fumon Tanaka has done a wonderful job at presenting the beauty, grace, honor, and power of a traditional Japanese art.

Fumon Tanaka sensei's mastery of kobudo, iaijutsu, and jujitsu is well articulated in this excellent work. The writing is much clearer than many Asian master's first works in English. The layout is extraordinarily well done with outstanding photos and illustrations that really augment the text. Content includes budo (martial arts) history, jujutsu, kenjutsu, and samurai tradition. The nito-ken (two-sword) techniques included herein are not widely taught and rarely described in other texts. Basic, intermediate, and advanced Honmon Enshin Ryu applications are well laid out, with many okuden (secret) mastry level techniques portrayed. The focus is primarily on sword to sword applications though there is also a small section on sword vs. yari (spear), naginata (halberd), bo (staff), and shuriken (throwing star) as well. There is also a bit of muto dori (no sword) techniques covered as well.

The author really knows his stuff and communicates it effectively. Tanaka sensei has been studying martial arts since 1956, achieving an 8th dan black belt in kobudo, 7th dan in jujutsu and kyoshi iai suemonogiri kenpo, 5th dan in Bojutsu, and 4th dan in kendo among other accomplishments. While you cannot learn any martial art solely from a book, this work is an excellent place to learn about these systems or augment your dojo training. Highly recommended!

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

This book is a unique blend of the physical and mental skills of the samurai. While most books are one or the other, this one is both. This book also contains the history and culture of feudal Japan.
This book is about sword-fighting, two sword-fighting, defending yourself from an opponent with a sword when you have no weapon, and defending yourself with a sword from an opponent with a yari, naginata, bo, or shuriken.
This book was very helpful to me in the ways of the samurai, both in spirit and in practice. I recommend it to anyone interested in swordsmanship, and I write this review in hopes that the author will write more books concerning the martial arts of Japan.

Worth every dollar I've spent. Detailed chapters on all aspects of samurai fighting arts; such as Kobuto, Jujutsu, Kenjutsu, and classical and modern Budo. This book also contains information on the sword against other weapons, such as the Yari, bo staff and Naginata. Includes information on Japanese medieval historical eras. This book is also includes detailed illustration for all chapters. Best Samurai book out on the market, a must own for all sword enthusiasts.

There have been a great number of books about the Japanese Sword arts; however, this fantastic book should be at the top of the list of must have books in your own personal library. Even if you are into another martial art, but also has an interest in Kenjutsu (Sword Art), this is the book you should read. The author is a Kobudo master and presents the topic in an organized manner, explaining the relationship between Jujitsu, Kenjutsu and Kobudo. The six detailed chapters are informative and very organized. There are numerous clear photographs with explanations on each of the techniques presented.

In conclusion, this short review cannot do this book justice. If you want to learn the true meaning of a real martial art, you must have this book.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Samurai Aerobics Official Manual).

This is my best book about samurai swordsmanship so far. I've bought a lot of books and dvd's over the years about the subject but this one is outstanding. It's not an A to Z practice book of a Ryu but it gives a very good historic view, not to mention the making of the katana thru many techniques described and very well made pictures to them. So it's just the BEST on the subject so far.

This truly is one of the greatest books I have ever read. This book has not only taught me about arts that I do not have to much formal training in but it has also expanded my knowledge on the arts that I am trained in. I am a Nidan(second degree black belt) and as a martial artist I recomend this book to any other martial artist especially those who study Japanese or Okinawan arts. I also recomend this book to anyone even remotely inteerested in matial arts or ancient warfare. This book just makes me more eager to go to Japan to study martial arts. Read this book, study it, and aborb it.

This book have everything you need to know about samurai. many techniques pictures..specially if you're learning koden enshin ryu. katana making detailed pics. i will treasure this book and make it heritage for my son and grandson.