The Deity and the Sword, Volume I-III

The Deity and the Sword, Volume I-III - Otake Risuke

**Volume I:** pages: 165 ISBN: 0870403788 **Volume II:** pages: 149 ISBN: 0870404059 **Volume III**: pages: 149 ISBN: 0870404067 ==The book in English and Japanese.== The origin of Japanese gungaku heiho, that is, classical martial strategy, is traceable back at least as far as the Nara period (AD 645-794). The development of Japanese martial strategy was much influenced by Buddhism, the latter which was founded in India and brought to Japan by way of China, and also by Shinto, the indigenous Japanese religion. Japanese martial strategy also incorporates many ideas from Chinese philosophy, in particular the concepts of Yin and Yang, and those pertaining to the art of incantation and spells. The highly synthetic nature of Japanese martial strategy enabled the Japanese to produce an excellent tactical standard for use in the art of war. In this book I introduce the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu. This organization is the source from which most classical Japanese martial ryu (martial traditions) have evolved; and, consequently, from these ryu many kinds of bujutsu (martial arts) have appeared. The techniques have, since the time of their codification almost six hundred years ago, been kept secret. The fact that the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu has been able to continue in its pure form to the present day is the reason why it has become an important Japanese cultural asset. According to Otake sensei, today's budo has lost its original flavor and has become simply a recreative pastime for the general public.