2/19/2021 0 Comments BUDO PERSPECTIVESBudo perspectives: Volume 1. Edited by alexander Bennett. AucklaNd, New ZealAnd: Kendo World Publications, Ltd, 2005.This collection of essays born from the 2003 international symposium “The Direction of Japanese Budō in the 21st Century: Past, Present, and Future,” meets a momentous need of expanding the studies of Japanese martial arts into critical scholarship. Divided into four sections, the essays tease out philosophical, cultural, educational and pedagogical, and international theses that both examine historical significance as well as evaluate the contemporary factors intertwining Budō and modern society demonstrating that in a world where men and women no longer walk the streets of the globe with swords, Budō holds a place of importance in modern, global society. The presenters come to these studies as both scholars and martial artist giving their works both rigorous scholarship as well as keen insights as practitioners of various arts.
The most widely discussed arts include judo, kendo, karate, and aikido because of both the historical gravity of the leaders of these arts but also the wide-spread practice of these arts on a global scale. Perhaps not as widely practiced, kyudo also receives significant attention because of the near-death, rebirth, then early introduction to an international audience of the art and its since intertwining with Zen. Rich with thorough scholarship, this collection of papers opens the door for further detailed analysis of Japanese martial arts in the English language.
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2/19/2021 0 Comments In the dojoLowry, Dave. In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts. Boston: Weatherhill, 2006.Titled as a guide to ritual and etiquette, this work also includes elements of history and anecdotes from the life of the author. It serves as a reasonable, general overview of goings on in a dojo. Divided into 13 chapters, Lowry covers topics ranging from the arrangement of the dojo and the elements of the shrine; the roles, behaviors, and responsibilities of visitors, students, and teachers; actions in daily practice and yearly events; and uniforms and equipment. In his efforts to be broad and far reaching, the chapters themselves provide readers a cursory glance into these topics from a variety of angles, from the eyes of students of a traditional art like those of many koryu to a more modern art like Judo or Aikido.
. Largely, Lowry draws from his own experiences as dramatically narrated anecdotes cover the pages quite frequently. On the occasions Lowry references other sources, such as historical records from organizations such as the Kodokan, he disappointingly does not include citations, footnotes, or a bibliography. This shortcoming limits the usefulness of this work beyond a cursory overview from only the author’s perspective. . For readers who have spent a length of time in a Japanese budo, Lowry’s In the Dojo will largely confirm what they already learned with a few opportunities for contemplation. This work serves best as an introductory work for students new to training in Japanese martial arts. The wide ranging topics he addresses will provide signposts to help neophytes navigate the myriad of strange, new, and sometimes uncomfortable experiences of starting any budo. Perhaps most important, especially for this audience, in one form or another Lowry repeatedly notes that his experience may differ and when questions arise, students should always defer to their sensei. |
REVIEWSBudo Book Review strives to provide thoughtful, in-depth reviews of works of interest to martial artists from a variety of backgroubds. Archives
July 2021
CategoriesAll Alexander Bennett Andrea Falk Antony Cummins Ashigaru Brian Gibson Budo Bushido Children's Literature China Chinese Martial Arts Dave Lowry Dojo Etiquette Folk Tales Hagakure History History Press Kashima Shin Ryu Kathryn Sparling Kendo World Literature Li Tianji Li Yukon Mishima Yukio Philosophy Samurai Taiqi Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu Tsukahara Bokuden Volume 1 Number 1 August 2019 Volume 2 Number 1 March 2021 Weatherhill William Scott Wilson Women Wo Shu Yamamoto Tsunetomo Yoshie Minami |