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Koryu, literally 'old flow from the past,' refers to Japanese
martial traditions that predate the sweeping cultural changes that
followed the Meiji Restoration of 1868. They generally have a very
different character and tone from modern martial arts, such as
kendo, judo or aikido which followed. More than the study of
antique weapons, self-defense or a form of athletics, these martial
traditions are a cultural legacy and a window to another time and
place. In the first edition of Old School, Ellis Amdur, a renowned
martial arts researcher, and himself an instructor in two different
surviving koryu, gave readers a rare glimpse into feudal Japanese
warrior arts, both as they were in the past and as they live on
today. Nearly a decade later, he returns to the subject in this
new, greatly expanded edition, bringing readers inside the dojos of
a number ancient schools, providing details analysis of the
evolution and morphology of uniquely Japanese weaponry, addressing
the myth and reality of Japan's naginata-wielding warrior women,
and discussing the modern relevance of the blood oaths, magical
ritual and mysticism that often permeate the koryu. Finally, he
looks at the challenge of preservation and transmission, especially
as more and more practitioners of the koryu exist outside of Japan
itself. Writing with a combination of the initiate's passion for
his subject, and the scientist's rigorous search for the truth,
Amdur asks critically: do the ancient traditions still meet the
objectives of their founders? Are they successfully passing their
ancient legacy down to the next generation? Over a third larger
than the first edition and filled with new artwork and photography,
Old School: Japanese Martial Traditions Expanded Edition will be an
invaluable addition to the library of old readers and new alike.
125 b&w illustrations, photographs and drawings.
Ellis Amdur's writing on martial arts has been groundbreaking. In
Dueling with O-sensei, he challenged practitioners that the moral
dimension of martial arts is expressed in acts of integrity, not
spiritual platitudes and the deification of fantasized
warrior-sages. In Old School, he applied both academic rigor and
keen observation towards some of the classical martial arts of
Japan, leavening his writing with vivid descriptions of many of the
actual practitioners of these wonderful traditions. His first
edition of Hidden in Plain Sight was a discussion of esoteric
training methods once common, but now all but lost within Japanese
martial arts. These methodologies encompassed mental imagery,
breath-work, and a variety of physical techniques, offering the
potential to develop skills and power sometimes viewed as nearly
superhuman. Usually believed to be the provenance of Chinese
martial arts, Amdur asserted that elements of such training still
remain within a few martial traditions: literally, 'hidden in plain
sight.' Two-thirds larger, this second edition is so much more.
Amdur digs deep into the past, showing the complexity of human
strength, its adaptation to varying lifestyles, and the nature of
physical culture pursued for martial ends. Amdur goes into detail
concerning varieties of esoteric power training within martial
arts, culminating in a specific methodology known as 'six
connections' or 'internal strength.' With this discussion as a
baseline, he then discusses the transfer of esoteric power training
from China to various Japanese jujutsu systems as well as Japanese
swordsman-ship emanating from the Kurama traditions. Finally, he
delves into the innovative martial tradition of Daito-ryu and its
most important offshoot, aikido, showing how the mercurial,
complicated figures of Takeda Sokaku and Morihei Ueshiba were less
the embodiment of something new, than a re-imagining of their past.
202 b&w illus.
If you are a long-time martial artist, you have likely been either
the recipient, the victim - or both - of the "wise old master"
phenomenon, whereby budo students reverentially enfold their
teachers as martial, moral and mystical juggernauts sans reproach,
in which case, this book will make you clench your fists and laugh
out loud, often while reading the same sentence. Iconoclastic,
rebellious, yet fiercely holding to some of the most traditional
values of Japanese martial culture, Amdur brought something new to
martial arts writing - a startling honesty about the flaws, not
only within martial arts culture, but also within its
practitioners, often using himself as an exemplar of the latter.
Originally published in 2000, and now fully revised, with eight new
chapters, new artwork and photography, Dueling with O Sensei,
Revised and Expanded Edition will be an invaluable addition to the
library of old readers and new alike.
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