Читать книгу Traditions. Essays on the Japanese Martial Arts and Ways онлайн

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Some of these essays deal in broad terms with the traditions of the budo; others are concerned specifically with the Way of karate. I hope that those martial artists whose Way is not that of karate and who instead practice aikido, kendo, judo, or some other budo, will read these anyway for two reasons. One, I believe that karate, more so than the other budo, has suffered badly at the hands of Hollywood and others intent upon presenting it as a brutal form of violence, a machismo-flavored soupcon of egotism and boorishness. Karate is much, much more than most Westerners (and regrettably I include most Western karateka in that group) understand it to be. It is partially my intention here to present some of its philosophy and ethos.

Secondly, I think it is important for martial artists to realize that all the budo are, at their core, alike. They are, to think of it in a different way, various climbing routes up the same mountain. Several excellent (and some perfectly lousy) books have been written detailing the climbing routes of aikido or the Way of the sword or some of the other Japanese budo. But the Western reader interested in karate’s particular path to the summit has had little to go on. Perhaps these essays will provide some insights for him and for other martial artists. In any case, it is my intention that this modest collection will reveal at least a few glimpses of the traditions that make up all of the Japanese budo.