"This extensively illustrated catalogue is published in conjunction with the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai, including the finest examples of swords - the spirit of the samurai - as well as sword mountings and fittings, armor and helmets, saddles, textiles, and paintings. The works in the catalogue, drawn from public and private collections in Japan, include 34 officially designated National Treasures and 64 Important Cultural Properties, the largest number ever to be shown together at one time. Dating from the 5th to the early 20th century, these majestic objects offer a complete picture of samurai culture and its unique blend of the martial and the refined." "Many of the greatest Japanese swordsmiths are represented in this volume, from early masters such as Yasuie (12th century) and Tomomitsu (14th century) to the Edo-period smiths Nagasone Kotetsu and Kiyomaro. The blades by these and other masters, cherished as much for their beauty as for their cutting efficiency, were equipped with elaborate hilts and scabbards prized for their exquisite craftsmanship and fine materials such as silk, rayskin, gold, lacquer, and certain alloys unique to Japan. Japanese armor is also fully surveyed, from the rarest iron armor of the Kofun period (5th century) to the inventive ceremonial helmets made toward the end of the age of the samurai." --Book Jacket.

Introduces the 18 traditional Japanese martial arts and provides readers with a deeper understanding of the styles formulated in the samurai era - both those that are little known and those still being taught today.

This extraordinary publication presents, for the first time, the samurai armor collection of the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum in Dallas. The Barbier-Mueller has selectively amassed these pieces of armor over the past twenty-five years, ultimately forming one of the largest and most important collections of its kind in the world. It is composed of nearly three hundred objects, several of which are considered masterpieces, including suits of armor, helmets, masks, horse armor, and weaponry. The objects date from the 12th to the 19th century, with a particularly strong focus on Edo-period armor. Offering an exciting look into the world of the samurai warrior, the book begins with an introduction by Morihiro Ogawa. Essays by prominent scholars in the field highlight topics such as the phenomenon of the warrior in Japan, the development of the samurai helmet, castle architecture, women in samurai culture, and Japanese horse armor. The book's final section consists of an extensive catalogue of objects, concentrating on 120 significant works in the collection. Lavishly illustrated in full color, each object is accompanied by an entry written by a scholar of Japanese armor.

Limited Time Promotional Offer The Book of Five Rings In "The Book of Five Rings," Miyamoto Musashi takes the reader into a world filled to the brim with devotion, self-respect, discipline, honesty and purity of thought. Written originally for warriors and samurai in a completely different time and culture, Musashi's book provides a remarkable source of inspiration for self-development today. His teachings are concise and to the point. He uses phrases like "you must understand this" and "you must practice diligently" and explains only general, but unquestionable and fundamental, concepts of the Way of the Warrior. While some of his guidelines are are not directly applicable in our time and age, those about striving to achieve improvement on the inside as well as the outside couldn't be more on target. Taken literally this book is about how to become an efficient, albeit enlightened, killer. It's value comes from reading between the lines... lines which speak volumes. About Miyamoto Musashi: Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), was a Japanese swordsman and ronin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. The founder of a style of swordsmanship, he also wrote The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. Miyamoto Musashi is widely considered a Kensei and one of the greatest warriors of all time.

In today's times, with it's plethora of quick-fix self help books, which for the most part seem to excel in non-directive, mundane advice, it is a pleasure to read a book that reaches back through the centuries to offer sound advice on how to live your life. It is this particular aspect that places it above Sun Tzu's 'Art of War' and Musashi's 'Book of Five Rings', all fine books, but more designed for group or individual warfare tactics. This masterpiece of the former samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo is a treatise written 300 years ago, preserved for generations in northern Kyushu by warrior chiefs as moral and practical instruction for themselves and their samurai retainers. Closely guarded as secret teachings and shown only to a chosen few, the manuscript became generally available only in the postsamurai Meiji era (1868 onwards). The Hagakure offers a fascinating insight into Japanese "warrior-ness". This was a culture in which death was embraced rather than feared. Yamamoto tells his readers how to foster courage, how to serve selflessly, how to become a skilled master of your own destiny, and how to infuse life with beauty while acknowledging its transience. Yamamoto's penetrating insights and profound aphorisms reflect important moral principles that still apply to us today. This illustrated edition of the ancient classic will enlighten anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and world literature.

Become a Better Martial Artist by Applying Lessons from the World's Greatest Military Strategists from Sun Tzu to Von Clausewitz Lessons in the Art of War investigates the theories and philosophies of the most prominent military thinkers in Asia and Europe and examines the combat roots of a variety of fighting styles from traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean martial arts to the fighting arts of the ancient Greeks and modern Israelis. It also demonstrates how the martial arts, whether Asian or Western in origin, were historically about brutal fighting, often to the death, and how ancient attitudes and beliefs can be adapted for success in today's MMA steel cage, judo or karate tournament as they were in ancient armies. Including an introduction to Asian and Western military thought, chapters include: The Nature and Conduct of Combat What is Combat? Preparing for Battle Elements of Tactics and Strategy Imposing Your Will Destroying the Enemy Force Strength of the Defensive Position Failure Moral Quality of Courage Securing Victory