Reviews Written By: A2TE5NEGEQQM1Sprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan | |
 | "A great addition to any library" | 2007-08-23 |
| Having read Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, I looked forward to reading this book and adding it to my library. While Aikido was the newer of the two books, it was my first exposure to these authors. I had grown fond of their academic, though dry at times, writing style as well as their tendency to research their topic in great detail. I was hoping this book would live up to that standard, and I was not let down. In Secrets of the Samurai Ratti and Westbrook explore in great depth the historical roots and many practices of the samurai culture of feudal Japan. To lend some context or background for the focus of this book they include an introduction that contains a brief time line of the era, as well as some meaning to the words bujutsu (the group of methods employed by the military). The book then quickly moves into the structure of the Japanese military itself. The authors go into great detail on the ranking system of the military, as well as it's relation to the government of the period. However it is not a book strictly about the rise of the samurai. Instead, the authors include a vast amount of detail about many topics surrounding the warrior class. Details such as the clothing that would be common for each rank or class, the armor the samurai would have adorned and the weapons they had employed. They do not limit their exploration to just the samurai themselves, choosing to also cover more obscure topics of the samurai culture, topics such as subcultures that existed within and around the samurai: ninja, Buddhist monks, and the women of the samurai for example. The use of simple sketches and drawings help to fill in the picture and are a nice inclusion. While they choose to cover many topics, there should be no concern that the material is watered down. Instead, the main focus of the book is given great depth. The authors go into exhaustive detail about the many military tactics the samurai had used. Exploring fighting techniques does not limit itself to weaponry and armed combat. Instead a hearty portion of the book is devoted to many styles of martial arts. Great detail is given in techniques of unarmed combat, as well as the history of many styles and schools that the samurai would have been exposed to. Certainly they give an in depth look into the religious beliefs and spirituality of the samurai, as well as any influence Zen Buddhism may have had on these warriors. Having studied martial arts and eastern philosophy a bit myself I truly appreciated the coverage afforded the martial arts, and spirituality. Westbrook and Ratti have clearly put a great deal of research into this comprehensive and indispensable text. Some have claimed that their sources lack any ancient Japanese texts, and while most of their sources are English, they do cull information from various Japanese sources. Surely this is not the end all of information regarding the samurai, but it is certainly a good place to start. While it may be a bit dry in reading due to its extremely academic nature, it comes as no surprise and the book never claims to be a page turner. It is however a wonderful asset to anyone interested in martial arts, feudal Japan, and the rise of the militant ethos of the samurai, and may allow at least a fair amount of insight into an old and very foreign culture. This book makes a great addition to a martial artist's library, and is a great value. | ||
 | Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan | |
| "A great addition to any library" | 2007-08-23 |
| Having read Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, I looked forward to reading this book and adding it to my library. While Aikido was the newer of the two books, it was my first exposure to these authors. I had grown fond of their academic, though dry at times, writing style as well as their tendency to research their topic in great detail. I was hoping this book would live up to that standard, and I was not let down. In Secrets of the Samurai Ratti and Westbrook explore in great depth the historical roots and many practices of the samurai culture of feudal Japan. To lend some context or background for the focus of this book they include an introduction that contains a brief time line of the era, as well as some meaning to the words bujutsu (the group of methods employed by the military). The book then quickly moves into the structure of the Japanese military itself. The authors go into great detail on the ranking system of the military, as well as it's relation to the government of the period. However it is not a book strictly about the rise of the samurai. Instead, the authors include a vast amount of detail about many topics surrounding the warrior class. Details such as the clothing that would be common for each rank or class, the armor the samurai would have adorned and the weapons they had employed. They do not limit their exploration to just the samurai themselves, choosing to also cover more obscure topics of the samurai culture, topics such as subcultures that existed within and around the samurai: ninja, Buddhist monks, and the women of the samurai for example. The use of simple sketches and drawings help to fill in the picture and are a nice inclusion. While they choose to cover many topics, there should be no concern that the material is watered down. Instead, the main focus of the book is given great depth. The authors go into exhaustive detail about the many military tactics the samurai had used. Exploring fighting techniques does not limit itself to weaponry and armed combat. Instead a hearty portion of the book is devoted to many styles of martial arts. Great detail is given in techniques of unarmed combat, as well as the history of many styles and schools that the samurai would have been exposed to. Certainly they give an in depth look into the religious beliefs and spirituality of the samurai, as well as any influence Zen Buddhism may have had on these warriors. Having studied martial arts and eastern philosophy a bit myself I truly appreciated the coverage afforded the martial arts, and spirituality. Westbrook and Ratti have clearly put a great deal of research into this comprehensive and indispensable text. Some have claimed that their sources lack any ancient Japanese texts, and while most of their sources are English, they do cull information from various Japanese sources. Surely this is not the end all of information regarding the samurai, but it is certainly a good place to start. While it may be a bit dry in reading due to its extremely academic nature, it comes as no surprise and the book never claims to be a page turner. It is however a wonderful asset to anyone interested in martial arts, feudal Japan, and the rise of the militant ethos of the samurai, and may allow at least a fair amount of insight into an old and very foreign culture. This book makes a great addition to a martial artist's library, and is a great value. | ||
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