Based on the experiences of an Englishman who served as an instructor at Japan's leading military colleges, this volume provides a rare insider's view of the making of the Japanese warrior. Starting with an introduction to Japanese military history, Norman reviews the education of the nation's military and naval officers during the late 19th century.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: A Unique peek of the past Comment: Interesting read ! Its almost as if one is reading off F.J. Norman's private journal. Customer Rating: Summary: Fascinating Historical Perspective Comment: This book is a reprint of a 1905 book by British Army officer F. J. Norman. It provides a fascinating historical and includes 32 rare photographs and illustrations. Modern works provide a lot more in-depth historical information about these martial arts as well as comprehensive "how to" perform kendo, sumo, and jujutsu, etc. but this is one of the very first Western books about the subjects. Contents include Japanese military history, education of Japanese military and naval officers, kenjutsu (fencing), sumo and jujutsu (wrestling). A mere 96 pages it's a quick and easy read. Neat stuff; fascinating historical perspective.
Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction