Miyamoto Musashi By Tokitsu K. (Book)

Undefeated swordsman, master of battlefield strategy, martial arts icon - Miyamoto Musashi, who lived in Japan in the 1600s, is the most famous samurai of all time. His masterwork, the Book of Five Rings (Gorin no sho) , is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Over the centuries, Musashi's reputation has grown to mythic proportions, but, in fact, much about Musashi and his life remains a mystery. Here, Kenji Tokitsu, a modern martial arts master and scholar, turns a critical eye on Musashi's life and writings, separating fact from fiction, and providing a view of the man and his ideas that is accessible and relevant to today's readers and martial arts students. Tokitsu provides a vivid and meticulously researched biography and a fresh translation of the Book of Five Rings , along with four other texts on strategy, all with extensive commentary. He is a thoughtful and informed guide, putting the historical and philosophical aspects of the text into context. He also covers: The main periods in the history of Japanese swordsmanship Musahi's childhood and his first duel The founding of Musashi's School of Two Swords Musashi's influence on contemporary practice The evolution of budo, or martial arts practice for self-cultivation Musashi was also a respected artist, and this book contains color reproductions of his own calligraphies and paintings, with commentary by the well-known art historian Stephen Addiss. Kenji Tokitsu was born in Japan and began studying martial arts when he was a child. He has taught karate in Paris since 1971. In 1984, he founded the Shaolin-mon school, where he teaches a synthesis of the original combat arts of Japan and China. In 2001, he established the Tokitsu-ryu Academy to teach and promote his method. Tokitsu also holds doctorates in sociology and in Japanese language and civilization. INTRODUCTION A Legendary Figure • The Main Periods in the History of Japanese Schools of Swordsmanship • Chronology of Musashi's Life PART 1 : THE LIFE OF MIYAMOTO MUSASHI INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE OF MUSASHI 1. CHILDHOOD AND TRAINING The Birth of Musashi • Musashi's Childhood and His First Duel • The Founding of the School of Two Swords • The Two Sources of Musashi's Art • The Schools of Two Swords 2. MUSASHI'S DUELS Duels and Wars from Age Fifteen to Twenty • Studying the Arts of Other Schools through Duels • The Duel against Sasaki Kojiro • Musashi at the Battle of Osaka 3. DEEPENING THE WAY Maturity • Musashi's Last Years • Composition of the Gorin no sho and Musashi's Death PART 2 : MUSASHI'S WRITINGS 4. "WRITINGS ON THE FIVE ELEMENTS" (GORIN NO SHO) The Scroll of Earth • The Scroll of Water • The Scroll of Fire • The Scroll of Wind • The Scroll of Heaven 5. THE TEXTS PRECEDING THE GORIN NO SHO "The Mirror of the Way of Strategy" (Hyodokyo) • "Thirty-five Instructions on Strategy" (Hyoho sanju go kajo) • "Forty-two Instructions on Strategy" (Hyoho shiju ni kajo) • "The Way to Be Followed Alone" (Dokkodo) 6. NOTES OF MUSASHI'S DISCIPLES ON THE PRACTICE OF HIS SCHOOL Notes on Mind, Energy, and the Body in Strategy (Hyoho shin ki tai oboe gaki) • Attitude toward Training • The School of the Fighters of the Two Heavens (Senki niten ryu) • The State of Mind of Those Devoted to the School of Musashi (Musashi ryu shugyo kokoroe no koto) PART 3 : MIYAMOTO MUSASHI AND THE MARTIAL ARTS 7. THE SCHOOL OF MUSASHI (HYOHO NITEN ICHI RYU) Branches of the School • The School of Musashi Today 8. THE TRANSMISSION OF MUSASHI'S ART The Role of Musashi's Writings in the Transmission of His Art • The Transmission of Musashi's Art through Practice 9. MUSASHI TODAY: THE PRACTICE OF A CONTEMPORARY ADEPT The Labyrinth Created by the Way of Holding the Sword • The Nen ryu and Its Lineage 10. WEAPONS AND ETHICS IN SWORDSMANSHIP TRAINING The Status of Warriors • Technique and the Status of the Body • Integration of the Religious Element into the Art of the Sword • The Formation of Katas 11. BUDO The Meiji Turning Point and the Modern Notion of Budo • The Evolution of Budo in the Twentieth Century 12. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVERSARIES The Complexity of Combat in Budo • The Significance of the Quest for Kizeme • Confrontation and Harmony 13. ONE LIFE, ONE ART Appendix 1 The Translation of the Gorin no sho 337 Appendix 2 Sen--Taking the Initiative 348 Appendix 3 External Influences on the Japanese Art of the Sword 355 Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

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ISBN	9780834805675
More	150 x 227 mm, 526 pp, 14 photos (color)

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