Library's review
from cover
'This is an ingenious and compelling presentation of the medieval Japanese samurai spirit and its survival in modern America.'-George Leonard, author of the Ultimate Athlete and The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei.
Dave Lowry juxtaposes his singular experience as an
This is the story of a life balanced between two cultures, of a boy who adapted every aspect of his life to the the tradition-bound way of the sword, and who in the end became an expert swordsman. The result is a fascinating, singular autobiography. Lowry captures the sense of wonder and mystery that makes martial arts compelling to so many practitioners.
Dave Lowry is an accomplished martial artist, calligrapher, and author. His articles on martial arts have appeared in numerous publications n the United States, Britain, and Japan. His other books include Sword and Brush, Persimmon Wind, and Moving Toward Stillness.
A wonderful readible accounting of the history of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu.
Contents
Foreword (by Daniel Furuya)
Preface
1 Meeting with the Past
2 The Sixteen Spears of Nagano
3 Matters of Concentration
4 A Death Among Peach Blossoms
5 Autumn and Other Things Japanese
6 The Swordsmen in the Shadows
7 A Ritual of Style, A Function of Grace
8 The Shogun's Master
9 Iai, Cutting at Raindrops
10 The Swordsman and the Priest
11 Lessons in the Warrior's Way
12 Things Out of Season
Afterword: Two Rivers into the Same Sea
Glossary
Illustrations
'This is an ingenious and compelling presentation of the medieval Japanese samurai spirit and its survival in modern America.'-George Leonard, author of the Ultimate Athlete and The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei.
Dave Lowry juxtaposes his singular experience as an
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adept student of kenjutsu (the art of swordsmanship) under a Japanese teacher in St. Louis with a riveting account of the samurai tradition in Japan. Intertwining tales of the masters with reflections on his own apprenticeship in the samurai's arts, he reveals in their time-honored methods a way of life with profound relevance to modern times.This is the story of a life balanced between two cultures, of a boy who adapted every aspect of his life to the the tradition-bound way of the sword, and who in the end became an expert swordsman. The result is a fascinating, singular autobiography. Lowry captures the sense of wonder and mystery that makes martial arts compelling to so many practitioners.
Dave Lowry is an accomplished martial artist, calligrapher, and author. His articles on martial arts have appeared in numerous publications n the United States, Britain, and Japan. His other books include Sword and Brush, Persimmon Wind, and Moving Toward Stillness.
A wonderful readible accounting of the history of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu.
Contents
Foreword (by Daniel Furuya)
Preface
1 Meeting with the Past
2 The Sixteen Spears of Nagano
3 Matters of Concentration
4 A Death Among Peach Blossoms
5 Autumn and Other Things Japanese
6 The Swordsmen in the Shadows
7 A Ritual of Style, A Function of Grace
8 The Shogun's Master
9 Iai, Cutting at Raindrops
10 The Swordsman and the Priest
11 Lessons in the Warrior's Way
12 Things Out of Season
Afterword: Two Rivers into the Same Sea
Glossary
Illustrations
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Genres
ISBN
1570621152 / 9781570621154
Publication
Shambhala Boston & London