Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior [Paperback]

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Chikara Kan, Inc.; First edition
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979676428
• ISBN-13: 978-0979676420
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,120,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bohdi Sanders, Ph. D. is a lifelong student of wisdom literature and the martial arts. He has dedicated his life to educating others, both in the classroom and in the martial arts arena. During his 13 years as a school teacher and coach, he has always strived to teach his students, not only the core subjects, but also the character traits and virtues which he has discovered in his quest to discover the truth behind the ancient wisdom texts from around the world. His studies led him to explore the wisdom behind natural health, naturopathy, herbs, and the power of the mind to heal the body and to make positive changes in one's life. These explorations led to him earning both a doctorate in naturopathy and a doctorate in natural health, while at the same time maintaining his interest in the martial arts and education.

After earning a black belt in Shotokan karate, he began to search for a deeper meaning behind the martial arts. What he found was the quest for the "perfection of character" which Gichin Funakoshi, the father of karate, stated was the ultimate goal of karate. From that point on, he began making connections between the martial arts, the true lifestyle of the warrior, and the wisdom which has been passed down throughout the ages. As owner and operator his own martial arts dojo, he integrated martial arts instruction with wisdom and character training. In the 25 years since he began his journey, he has been both a student and teacher of multiple styles of martial arts, teaching both young children and adults.

Bohdi Sanders is also a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, a Certified Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning, a Certified Reiki Master, and a Certified Master of G-Jo Acupressure. He holds a black belt in Shotokan Karate and has studied various other martial arts over the years. He has worked with young people for over 20 years and is endorsed to teach in four different subject areas and has coached martial arts, soccer, football, and softball.

Dr. Sanders is the author of the highly acclaimed Warrior Wisdom Series which includes Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, Warrior Wisdom: The Heart and Soul of Bushido, and Warrior Wisdom: The Warrior's Path. He is also the author of Fireside Meditations and The Wisdom of the Elders. He has been published in several magazines and has appeared on national radio shows. His writing can also be found online on his web site, TheWisdomWarrior.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars to seek perfection of character, January 3, 2010

By 

Clarence J. Nixon - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior (Paperback)

Back in the early eighties there was a statistic floating around that said out of 50,000 people who began karate training only one earned a black belt. Lured by misconceptions that resulted from movies like "The Karate KId," or "Enter The Dragon," the novelty quickly wore off as the realization set in that you can't, unless you're exceptional, become skilled enough to beat a black belt with an attitude in six months. Even those who "stuck it out" for that long still didn't get the gist of the art and drifted away in the face of the effort and focus required to become a true karateka. Even many who got a black belt did so while pursuing dubious goals.
The physical aspects of karate are, to a point, easy to understand. Unfortunately, for many who become reasonably skilled that is the end all of their training. Winning trophies for kumite and kata at tournaments becomes the ultimate measure of success.
So, just what is it that they are missing? Gichin Funakoshi, generally accepted as the "Father of Modern Karate," set, as the ultimate goal of the art, "the perfection of character." In his book, "Karate-do: My Way of Life," Master Funakoshi wrote that he only had two fights (outside of training) in his life and regretted them both. If you end up in a fight, he wrote, you've failed. In my dojo, and in Shotokan dojos around the world, you will (or should) find, conspicuously posted on one of the walls, the Dojo Kun, a set of five precepts he urged all his students to live by. Karate, for him, was indeed a way of life. They are: to seek perfection of character; to always be faithful; to endeavor to excel; to always respect others; to refrain from violent behavior. Karate, Master Funakoshi taught, is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental. True students take that seriously and "endeavor" to be the best person they can be.
As I said, the physical part is straight forward. You make a commitment and train faithfully. As for the other 90 percent, well, a great deal more is necessary. Introspection is, in its way, much more difficult than doing heian shodan a thousand times, and requires an even more rigorous dedication. The good news is reinventing the wheel is not necessary. Enter Bohdi Sanders and his "Warrior Wisdom" trilogy.
Sensei Sanders has laboriously compiled a treasure trove of wisdom that crosses many centuries, and many cultures. His goal is to share this wisdom with us so that our journey, if we choose to take it, will be illuminated by his years of research and practice. As he says: "Bushido, the way of the warrior, is not meant to be self-serving, it is meant to be of service for a higher purpose."
With that in mind, he takes us on an odyssey that includes visits with some of the most cogent thinkers of this, or any time. One of those, Bayard Taylor, is quoted in Volume 1, and sums up the value of Sensei Sanders's work: "Opportunity is rare and a wise man will never let it go by him." Passing these volumes by would, indeed, be an opportunity lost.
They are not simply a compilation of quotes. Sensei shares his thoughts on each, but, in no way implies that we should fall into lock step behind him. He offers a starting point and, like all good teachers, expects that we'll find our own way. These books aren't sit down reads from cover to cover. They, like karate-do, are a life long endeavor. One page a day, for instance, read and considered, then on to the next. Read, think, repeat. Used properly, you might have to replace them every three or four years unless you're handy with Scotch Tape.
Sensei has made us an offer we can refuse, but we do so at our own personal risk. Buy all three and wear them out, even if you have no intention of ever stepping into a dojo. We all should seek perfection of character and make the world a better place, one person at a time. (Also, watch for Bohdi's latest book, "Life Lessons: Politically Incorrect Wisdom," due out later this month.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior, September 20, 2008

By 

Eric M. (Washington, D.C) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior (Paperback)

This is not your typical book on martial philosophy in that it contains neither ambiguous one-liners of wisdom nor zen riddles. What it does contain is a wealth of deeply pondered wisdom that is relevant to all warriors and aspiring warriors. If you're someone who understands that being a warrior means far more than possessing physical attributes or a state of mind, but that being a warrior is a way of life, then this book is for you.

In this book Bohdi Sanders has collected 167 bits of wisdom pertinent to the warrior lifestyle and expounded upon them with his own thoughts in order to apply them to everyday life in the twenty-first century. His collection of wisdom comes from a variety of different people, ranging from the ones you would expect such as Sun Tzu and Miyamoto Musashi to ones such as George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte.

Warrior Wisdom additionally has a tremendous amount of inspirational value. It is the kind of book that can be read over and over, and if you're at a point where you need motivation in your training, picking up this book and reading a few passages from it just may be the thing that prods you to drive on.

The book is written in a format that allows the reader to read it cover to cover or jump in at any point in the middle without losing any of the value. Dr. Sanders does an excellent job of defining the way of the warrior as living a life of selflessness in which those around benefit from the unwavering character of the warrior - a concept seemingly lost in today's society. The bottom line is that I highly recommend this book as I believe that martial artists and non-martial artists alike can benefit from the wisdom contained in it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warrior Wisdom Review, May 31, 2009

By 

Tommy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior (Paperback)

This is a review of Warrior Wisdom, by Bohdi Sanders. I found this book to be quite more than I expected. Unlike most books with ambigous translations of ancient wisdom each quote is very clearly explained, in clear concise language. What also makes this book unique is the fact that the interpretations of many of the quotes can be applied to daily life, even if the reader is not a martial artist. All in all I woould say that this book is a must have.