Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture

Much of the western world knows only the surface of a side of the complex depth of what it meant - and means - to be samurai. The feudal duties of the samurai were many, ranging widely and delegated according to one's station. Yet one thing that bound samurai high and low is living life as a warrior, be it in combat during the Warring States' Sengoku period, or as a gardner in the stable Edo period. Training, endless training - such is the soul of being samurai, and this book by Dr. Karl Friday and Shihanke Seki Humitake is a masterful discourse of that soul: the way of the sword.

I found this book a little dry and would have liked a few more antidotal stories to break up the information and make it a better read, but that aside, it is a must have book for the practitioner of Kashima Shin Ryu. Even if you have a passing interest in Japanese martial arts you should read this book to get the perspective of why this lifestyle came to be and how it survives in our modern world. Most of us do not have the time in our busy lives to spend it on research the why this guy did.Thank you for the opportunity to see the way of it, I am grateful for the chance!

Every page of chapters 2-3 gave me the reasons why we we practice as we do, I find Mr. Friday's understanding of the process of practice runs deep and I always find something to bring to my dojo, something to aspire to the next time I step on the mat.

If you are looking for a Martial Arts book this is not it. Now if your looking for a detailed oriented history book on Kashima - Shinryu for research purposes, then this is the book for you. I gave 3 stars for that reason.

Great read, highly recommended!!

I found this to be unique in its approach and richness of detailed understanding of a mature, effective training tradition. For students of other arts there is much to reflect on here.

Well written and comprehensive. The beginning gets a bit tedious with the "lineage" of the ryuha. But the later chapters regarding the training methods and systems of the KSR are very fascinating.

True to it's title, Great read .Wish I had a hardback printing.

Kashima Shinryū is one of the oldest surviving koryū martial arts from the Japanese samurai. This book is a rare study of this specific tradition that has very particularities that differ from the other koryū and branches of kenjutsu (sword arts) like its distinctive heavy Kashima bokuto. The book addresses technique and form (kata) but also philosophy.

So much information in these pages it will require re reading to absorb. Clearly written.

Decisamente un buon libro. Dedicato agli addeti ai lavori e a quelle persone che hanno già una notevole conoscenza della storia e tradizioni giapponesi. Un appunto: il titolo Legacies of the Sword, con caratteri più grandi e in primo piano, rispetto al sottotitolo, The kashima - Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture, tende a indirizzare più verso un trattazione generale che non specifica, quale invece è.

Good clear text and easily readable. This book gives an insight in swordsmanship and Japanese culture. I very much recommend it.

Todo muy bien.