Dimensions
139 x 213 x 9mm
A karate master explains the central role of ki or "life energy" in the Asian martial traditions.
Students of the martial arts know that while technical prowess and physical power are essential characteristics in a fighter, true mastery of a martial art comes by cultivating one's inner strength.
In this book, Kenji Tokitsu - an authority on Japanese and Chinese combat arts and a respected karate teacher - shows how cultivating ki (or life force) and understanding the principles of budo (the martial path of self-development) can make training in martial arts more meaningful, effective, and personally rewarding.
Tokitsu emphasises the more mental aspects of martial arts practice including cultivating ki; seme, or capturing your opponent's mind; and understanding ma, the spatial relationship in combat. These practices allow martial artists to make techniques more effective, and give them the tools to train for a lifetime and at the very highest level.
Tokitsu gives a historical and cultural survey of budo, and explains how and in what ways the Western view of budo training is different than the Japanese - a perspective rarely given to Western martial artists. Although Tokitsu is best known as a karate master, he directs his explanation of budo principles and the importance of ki development to all practitioners of Japanese martial arts, including kendo, judo, and aikido.
The book offers dedicated martial artists the possibility of finding a deeper, more spiritual dimension in the practice of a physical discipline.
