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Kendo
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Complete Kendo
One of the great things about the martial arts is that they're so complex you can never really say (or read) enough about them. So . . ..given that I practice kendo with my son Owen, and that rising in rank means that you've got to give some serious thought to how you'll train other people, I wrote this book. My wife Kitty did the drawings. My brother Matt took the pictures.
There have been a few good books published recently on kendo, and I'm glad to see it. I wanted my book to make a contribution to this trend. Pay no attention to the "Complete" title-the publishers insisted even though everyone knows that there is no such thing as a complete book on a martial art. I take some good natured ribbing about it, but I also hear from kendo students all over the country who tell me that the book helps them understand more about their art. And that, of course, is the point.
Here's what the publisher says about the book:
The book is a thorough introduction to the Japanese martial way of the sword and is a guided tour of the principles and philosophy upon which the art is founded. The author covers everything from the care and handling of the uniform to the methods of cultivating the meditative state of mushin (no mind), all in an easy conversational dialogue that is a great pleasure to read.
Structured to echo the organization of the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, Complete Kendo is a modern version of the swordsman's primer by a martial artist skilled not only in the art of kendo but, like Musashi, in many traditional Japanese arts, and with a superb understanding of the martial tradition and culture of Japan. The author uses lessons learned from a long career of teaching martial arts and academic subjects to impart clearly and concisely the fundamental tools of kendo and the martial way.
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