BOOK REVIEWS

Here are some of the book reviews that have appeared in the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts and in The Iaido Newsletter. Please don't reprint these without the permission of the authors. You may notice a small icon from Amazon.com near some books. This link will allow you to order the book directly from this site. Each time you order by this particular link the Sei Do Kai gets a small kickback. As with all our money-grubbing schemes, this kickback goes toward our efforts to improve the study of the Japanese Sword Arts in North America in general, and our own skills in particular. I know we've always got our hand out, but hey, if you're going to buy the book anyway, and Amazon has it at a good price, why not cut us in? Remember, buy the specific books through the specific link beside the book or we don't get ours. Here's the Amazon home page, take a look but don't buy there, buy here, buy buy buy..... oops sorry. Err Ahh actually I provide the links so you can see a photo of the cover and some more information on the book, yeah, that's it.

Iaido: a handbook (JJSA #85, 9/10, Oct 1997)

Kendo: Its philosophy, history and means to personal growth (JJSA #83 9/8, Aug 1997)

Kendo, The definitive guide (JJSA #82 9/7, July 1997)

Gorin no Sho: Book of Five Rings (JJSA #82 9/7, July 1997)

Koryu Bujutsu: Classical warrior traditions of Japan (JJSA #82 9/7, July 1997)

Legacies of the Sword (JJSA #85 9/10, Oct 1997)

Lives of Master Swordsmen (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Arts of Strength, Arts of Serenity (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Dictionary of the Martial Arts (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Zen and Japanese Culture (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Zen Combat (revised edition) (JJSA #79 9/4, Apr 1997)

Book on Contemporary Japanese Swordsmiths (JJSA #87 9/12 Dec 1997)

Cold Steel: technique of close combat (JJSA #77 9/1, Jan 1997)

The Complete Book of Knife Fighting (JJSA #77 9/1, Jan 1997)

Dead or Alive: The choice is yours (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Kill or Get Killed (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

Knife Fighting: A practical course (JJSA #79 9/4, Apr 1997)

The Secret History of the Sword (JJSA #86, 9/11 Nov 1997)

The Shambhala Guide to Aikido (JJSA #75 8/11, Nov 1997)

Shao-lin Chuan - The rhythm & power of Tan-Tui (JJSA #85, 9/10 Oct 1997)

Slash and Thrust (JJSA #77 9/1, Jan 1997)

The Way of a Warrior (JJSA #80 9/5, May 1997)

What We're Listening To

Kokoro spirit of the heart by Fay Goodman 1998.

Goodman Multimedia Ltd.
PO box 6545, Birmingham
B26 2AY, UK
email: goodmanmultimedia@eclipse.co.uk

This is the latest CD by Fay Goodman, the official soundtrack of the martial arts documentary: Mind, Body and Spirit. Click on the link above to hear the real audio version of the first track "Kokoro-Spirit of the Heart (live performance)" It will play on the real audio player or on the windows mediaplayer.

I met Fay in England several years ago at an iaido seminar, it's a long story involving me standing on the centre island of a four lane road waiting for Fay to come along, see me and pick me up. Now just why you would drop the colonial off in the middle of the road on the way from "god knows where" to "how do I know" so he can give directions to a car that is theoretically following, some 15 minutes later it turns out, is beyond my understanding. As I said, it's a long story and it all turned out well eventually.

It also turned out that Fay is a multitalented artist, a 6 dan in Iaido (and European Iaido champion), an 8th dan in Shinto Ryu (a modern art involving karate, aikido and jujutsu), an author of at least 2 books I own, a mother, a seminar promoter, and a rock and roller since she was 16. It's the last part we're discussing here.

Kokoro-Spirit of the Heart is new age instrumental which reminds me a lot of Kitaro with it's slowly building rhythms and eastern influences. There are 7 tracks here for a total of 71 minutes. All the instruments are played by Fay and Paul Ferrer who engineered and co-arranged the album. Is it good? Listen for yourself to the first track, I think so, and it passes my "set it up to loop randomly and listen to it all day long while you're working" test. I didn't punch the eject button in irritation, and I can't say that about many albums.

Now I'm waiting to hear what's up with this multimedia documentary.

Kim Taylor March 1999.

What We're Reading Now

An Introduction to Zen Training (Sanzen Nyumon)

by Omori Sogen, Trans Dogen Hosokawa and Roy Yoshimoto. 1996 Kegan Paul Int. London and N.Y. ISBN 0-7103-0534-6. Hardcover, 290 pgs.

A book on the relationship of Zen and Sword by the founder of Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Hawaii.

Herding the Ox: The martial arts as moral metaphor

by John J. Donohue 1998 Turtle Press Wethersfield, CT. ISBN 1-880336-18-9. Paperback 141 pages.

Donohue uses the ten oxherding pictures to discuss spiritual and ethical issues in the martial arts.

Renaissance Swordsmanship: The illustrated use of rapiers and cut and thrust swords

by John Clements 1997 Paladin Press Boulder CO. ISBN 0-87364-919-2. Paperback 143 pgs.

This book is generating considerable argument in its field, it is a recreation of western sword techniques from 1500-1700.

Books We Should Have Reviewed Long Ago and Hope to Soon

Classical Bujutsu: (Martial Arts and Ways of Japan Vol 1)

By Donn F. Draeger 1996 Weatherhill. ISBN 0-83480-2333.

Classical Budo: (Martial Arts & Ways of Japan Vol 2)

By Donn F. Draeger 1996 Weatherhill. ISBN 0-83480-2341

Modern Bujutsu & Budo: (Martial Arts and Ways of Japan Vol 3)

By Donn F. Draeger 1996 Weatherhill. ISBN 0-83480-3518

Page last updated March 10, 1999 by Kim Taylor