Samurai Zen (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Butsz is the Japanese word for the Buddha..." (more)
Key Phrases: meditative art, kneeling posture, breath cycles, Code of the Bushido, Siddhartha Gautama, Spiritual Warrior (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The success of the Samurai rests not only on martial arts skills, but also on the spiritual enlightenment of Zen Buddhism. This martial arts book shows how techniques such as the Iado and Kyudo lead to enlightenment and Satori - the burst of clarity that is the ultimate goal of Samurai Zen.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books; illustrated edition edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578631041
• ISBN-13: 978-1578631049
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #705,118 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Book, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

Samurai Zen is a great example of Scott Shaw's positive spiritual teachings. Not only is it a great textbook for the refinement of the Iaido or Martial Art student (at all levels), but it presents a vast source of usable knowledge and masterable techniques for the individual who is interested in meditation and the development of Ki, as well.

When I came to the United States, from Japan, to attended the University of California, I was lucky enough to study the Martial Arts from Scott Shaw. That was almost twenty years ago. At that time, I was already a Black Belt in Kara-te Do and Kendo. So, I was seeking a teacher who integrated the self defense aspects of the Martial Arts with the spiritual understandings which I had come to embrace in my native county. Master Shaw was a great choice.

Whereas, Professor Shaw's Mastery of the Korean Martial Arts, such as Hapkido and Kumdo, (the Korean Art of the Sword), are highly documented, perhaps fewer people know that he went to the source of these arts, Aikijutsu and Iaido, in Japan, and also became a highly ranked, Certified Instructor, of these Martial Arts systems, as well.

I highly recommened this book. It reveals the Zen Buddhist aspects of the Martial Arts in a very direct and simplistic manner. Thus, it can be understood by anyone.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars -- Really Something Unique!, August 30, 1999

By A Customer

I found this book in, of all places, Tower Records on the Sunset Strip. I had read some of Scott Shaw's articles in magazines like Black Belt before, but the minute I picked up this book I realized it really captured something unique.

As a practicing Buddhist for twenty years and a Martial Artists for almost that long, I think Samurai Zen really conveys Zen Buddhism in a exceptional manner.

After I purchased this book, I checked out Scott's name at Amazon.com and found another of his books, Zen O'Clock. Again, a really viable approach to modern Zen is presented in that book as well -- recommended.

Five Stars all the way. Keep up the good work Scott.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book. Read Between the Lines, November 30, 2003

By	Casey (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

I have read over the Amazon.com reviews on Samurai Zen and I believe that they are all enlightening and present a unique perspective from the point of view of each reviewer. Though these reviews each present an interesting appraisal of the book, there is a serious problem with the review placed here on November 11, 2003. This review must be addressed as it presents untrue and incorrect facts about Master Scott Shaw and his book Samurai Zen. Not only does the reviewer make a completely false statement, which he has no basis for, about the training background of Master Shaw, but he also states incorrect facts about the book. These falsehoods must be addressed.

First of all, certainlly Dr. Scott Shaw is best known for his involvement and long list of published works on the Korean martial arts. This being stated, he lives much of every year in Japan, and has done so for the past twenty-five years. Not only did he train in the Japanese arts, from the late 1970's forward, but he has long held training seminars in Japan and the West on, not only the Korean martial arts, but the Japanese martial arts, as well. Furthermore, as anyone who has studied the historic evolution of the modern Korean martial arts understands, these arts were born from the Japanese arts. Thus, the two can never be seperated.

I find that it is often the case that a martial artist is so locked into their particular system of training that they believe that it is the only true style. From this, some of these practitioners falsely attack others who present a different approach to the martial arts. This is obviously the case with this particular reviewer. He clearly states that he has only studied Iaido for four years. That is no comparsion to the four decades of training possessed by Master Shaw. Furthermore, as anyone who has studied the sword arts understands, there are numerous Ryu or schools that teach varying methods of sword play. So, to say one person is wrong by the style of technique they demonstrate, clearly illustrates a complete lack of understanding, as there exists a plethora of schools on the sword arts: Japanese, Korean, and otherwise.

In closing, to read this book as soley a book on Iaido is completely missing the point. Only a very small porition of this book is focused on the physical techniques of the martial arts, This book is about the subtle realms of the martial arts and how they can cause the practitioner to raise themselves to the higher mind. In other words, to understand this book, you must step beyond the obvious realms of physical techniques and read it as a manual for meditation, the way, I am sure, Dr. Shaw had hoped it would be received.