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.
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