The Essence of Budo

The Study of Budo, or Japanese martial arts for self-cultivation, is a lifelong path toward achieving perfect balance in body, mind, and spirit. Here, Dave Lowry, who has pursued that path for over forty years, addresses the myriad issues, vagaries, and inconsistencies that arise for students of karate-do, judo, kendo, aikido, iaido, and other Japanese martial arts---classical and modern---as their training develops Lowry also gives practical advice on improving structural integrity in posture and movement; focusing under stress; stances and preparatory actions before engaging with an opponent, and telling a good teacher from a bad one. Both beginning and advanced students of Japanese martial arts will appreciate Lowry's take on the real issues and experiences that they encounter in practice.