Customer Reviews

The Zen Way to Martial Arts: A Japanese Master Reveals the Secrets of the Samurai

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Hi, my name is Grant Griffith you can email me at grifbox@hotmail.com,
This book by Taisen Deshimaru gives the reader a framework to begin zen meditation and ultimately produce spontaneous 'non-thinking' actions in the martial arts. True to the title, the book shows the link between zen and the martial arts. This is done with an interesting mix of interviews, short stories and anecdotes.

If you want to grasp the true essence of Zen and martial arts (traditional martial arts where the emphasis is on life and death and not the juvenile sport that it has become), then this book is an excellent start.

This book serves as great reminder to those of us in the martial arts who sometimes allow our ego to interfere with our life's mission. Thoughtfully written and communicated. Even those not in the arts would benefit from this book.

A true master, the zen monk Deshimaru in approximately 100 pages is capable elaborating on the differences between the practice of martial sport and martial art. That these ideas can take a full lifetime to explore make this a classical book on the subject.

A truly masterful achievement, as this book has synthesized for me what has taken great lengths to learn from multiple sources and has also introduced many abstract concepts into terms that a non-Zen practicing Budoka can understand. Unlike many other books approaching this subject, you need not become a "Japanophile" or create a super-ego to relate.

This book is naturally compatible with genuine materials on the martial mindset from Tukuan Soho, Miyamoto Musashi and Morihei Ueshiba, true masters who also wrote short but deeply meaningful books on the subject of martial practice. So this book becomes an organic extension of these other masterpieces: The book of 5 rings (Musashi Miyamoto), The Unfettered Mind (Tukuan Soho) and The Art of Peace (Ueshiba). All highly recommended.

The martial mindset has nothing to do with sports-minded competition. Modern "martial arts" are most of the time a form of sanctioned violence taught to self-appointed vigilante's. When such idiots confront a situation where emotional breakdowns occur due to overwhelming odds or unfamiliar setups, the results are enlightenment the hard way!

The distinction evident from this book is the understanding that when the practice of martial art encompasses a realistic acceptance of life or death with a conditioned acceptance of death through the practice of zen, true courage becomes possible.

Other concepts elaborated are the elusive subject of ki and the practical method of practicing zen as it relates to breathing. In this respect, the master Deshimaru ties the tradition of zen to the Buddhist and Hindu practice of Vipassana meditation as it relates to enlightenment. However, whereas the typical descriptions focus on the metaphysical, this book spares you the mystical nonesense and through a simple experiment of following clear directions, the concepts become very real for the reader.

This book is an excellent accompanying text to any internal martial arts practice as it does not condone a passive acceptance of ideas or practices, but rather encourages the reader to ascend to a higher calling through worthy reflection, genuine rigorous practice and acceptance of inherent truths about the nature of leadership, combat, life, death and worldliness. The material has great reverance for tradition in terms of principle, not ritual. A must have for the modern budoka seeking a mature approach to Martial Arts.

This book gives the reader some nice mind-training and why the mind, body and spirit has to work together to reach perfection within the martial arts and the way of Zen.

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This book by Taisen Deshimaru gives the reader a framework to begin zen meditation and ultimately produce spontaneous 'non-thinking' actions in the martial arts. True to the title, the book shows the link between zen and the martial arts. This is done with an interesting mix of interviews, short stories and anecdotes.

If you practice martial arts, but do not train your mind, this book will show you where to start. If you do train your mind this book will help...

This is the THE BOOK for anyone interested in Zen. Period.

I can't stop reading this book. It has been in my personal effects for going on 20 years...rarely more than a few feet from where I sleep. I AM NOT KIDDING.

This is the real deal.

I've read a bunch of books on Zen, and similar philosophical/new agey kind of stuff (you know, Deepak Chopra, et al.) I've read Suzuki (both), I've read Watts, and most of the rest. Most of that stuff is very verbose, or poorly translated, or written by a poor user of English, or otherwise cludgy and difficult to read. Not this book. This book is like a May walk through a garden with butterflies and chirping birds and a light breeze on your face.

Not only is it a "walk in the park" but it is immensely deep too. How the author accomplished that is beyond me...but it is undeniable proof that he is a true master and that whatever he is doing works. See what I mean?

Now, I don't know much about Martial Arts, per se, and this book doesn't teach you diddly about any specific one. In fact, the title is misleading I believe...or maybe not misleading, but I honestly think that it is keeping a great number of readers away from it, which is unfortunate.

So what I'm saying is: don't buy this to learn Karate. Buy this to live life. To do anything.

Every human being on Earth should read this book.

Zen is life itself...every breath, every step, and yes.....each one could be your last. Samurai, or not, we all face the same existence.

I consider this book my personal bible.

This is a great book, especially for those who wish to live the life of warriorship. There is much, much more to the martial arts than what is taught in the majority of today's politically correct, sports focused dojos. This book delves into the deeper philosophy behind the martial arts. As the author states, "you must live intensely, wholeheartedly, without reserve - as if you might die in the next instant."

I found this book bursting with wisdom that is helpful to those who are on the path of Bushido. Don't just read it, but read it, meditate on it, and apply it. It is a great book and a good use of your time.

Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

`The Zen Way to the Martial Arts' explores some of the links between the practise of Zen and various martial arts from the perspective of a Japanese Zen master. There are numerous similarities in the philosophies and much can be gleaned and applied from either sphere to the improvement of the other. This has some calligraphy dotted throughout the text, as well as some photos of the author. My particular favourite parts of the book were the mondo sections which consist of a conversational question and answer format between the author and some students. These sections were easy to read and grasp and the personality of the author shines through. I heave read other books that have tried to link martial arts and spiritual practises but this is the only one that has succeeded and comes across as credible and authentic. The writing style (surprisingly for a translation) is clear and lucid and the points raised give plenty of food for thought. There is something for all to appreciate in these pages, whether you are a Zen practitioner, martial artist or interested in some of the spiritual ideas of the east and this is worth adding to your bookshelf at some point.

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