Five Top Budo Books
Remember books?
Kinda like a Facebook post just longer and made of paper? Something people used to read for hours?
The current era we live in has made content and information more accessible for everyone to enjoy. The digital revolution has transformed the way we acquire, manage and share knowledge, and this includes Budo practice, too. However, the significance of martial arts literature is still as important as ever.
Martial arts is made of physical practice and commitment but historically, the written transmission of its knowledge was undoubtedly vital for the preservation of any method of Budo. Books have worked in the past and present as tools to transmit technique and strategy (The Book of Five Rings) or to inspire and challenge the status quo (The Tao of Jeet Kune Do). Budo literature captures, at times, the human side of its forefathers and thus becomes not just inspiring but aspiring, too.
The internet has brought an incredible amount of information at our will, opening new great ways of learning and exchanging ideas. However, the constant reduction of attention span, the absurd phenomenon of cyber-trolling and the over-simplification of topics makes us reach out to the bookshelf to feel the comfort and inspiration of some of our favourite martial arts books.
Purposely, we are omitting some of the major classics as we focus on some our personal favourites.
Angry White Pyjamas
The first time I heard about this book was in the locker room of the Yoshinkan hombu dojo in Tokyo. “After I read this book, I decided to join the program,” said a Canadian math teacher, who left everything behind to travel to Japan for the first time just to join the infamous Senshusei program. Pretty dogmatic statement for a science man, I thought, with my interest curiously piqued.
The premise of the book follows “scrawny oxford poet”, Robert Twigger, his adventures in Tokyo, his encounter with the Yoshinkan style of Aikido, and his decision of enrolling in a 1-year special course know as the Senshusei program – a hardcore, no-nonsense training regime, originally designed by Kyoichi Inoue Sensei , which was used to train the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Anti-riot unit.
The most attractive part of the book is the behind the scenes view of a traditional Japanese dojo. It is replete with all the learnings and knowledge, but interestingly, it sheds light on the many flaws of a rigid and sometimes feudal system. The book unveils the almost militaristic methods of teaching and learning Senshusei: a system hard for the Japanese, and even harder for foreigners, especially for someone like the author who had no martial arts experience.
What’s special about this book?
Personally, the experience of reading this book was special to me as most of the people in the book were still teaching or training at the Hombu dojo when I arrived there. But, even if you don’t train Yoshinkan-style Aikido, Angry White Pyjamas still gives you the point of view of an outsider, a person new to Japanese culture and to martial arts like many of us were at one point. And after being inside this world for a while, some of our practices, beliefs, and points of view become normal inside the dojo. However, for most of the people outside, it is unnecessary, extreme and just plain weird.
Mind over muscle
Most people know Kano Jigoro Shihan as the founder of Judo. However, his contributions as an educator, his work for the Olympic Movement and his enormous legacy in the entire martial arts world are sometimes forgotten. To put it simply, we may not have the “do” in Judo without the work of Kano Shihan.
Mind Over Muscle is not a technical book but a compilation of Judo’s essential teachings. It truly is an amazing selection of Kano Jigoro Shihan’s writings and lectures spanning 51 years. Kano Shihan shares his practical and ideal elements towards the philosophic lessons of Judo, and how the world could benefit from its practice.
When he was young, Kano Shihan studied different schools of jujutsu but came to a realisation that although deadly and practical on the battleground, something else was missing from all the ancient fighting techniques; something that could be combined and maximised to benefit the modern world.
His goal was to give his students a practical method of practice and a sense of justice, fairness and modesty. At the same time, he wanted to encourage them to use their practice and experience of Judo to contribute to society. The founder of Judo had an incredible love for humanity and for learning and teaching – always stressing the importance of physical education as the core of any education system.
His dream was for a positive and equalitarian society based on Jita-Kyoei – the mutual prosperity for oneself and others regardless of nationality, race or gender. Testament to this, Kano opened his doors to women in 1893 after recognising the benefits that sport brings in cultivating one's body, mind and skills. In 1926, a women's division was formally launched at his Kodokan Training Institute.
Kano believed that positive social change could be achieved by imbuing large numbers of people with different precepts, the most famous being Seiryoku-Zenyo, or the use of energy to maximum efficiency, as well as encouraging them to be socially active.
What’s special about this book?
Prof. Kano lived in a transformational era of Japan’s history during a modernisation phase after the Meiji Restoration. Interestingly though, his ideas and goals are still relevant today. In fact, we could all do with some advice and guidance in an increasingly sedentary society obsessed with individualism.
The ultimate goal of Judo, or any Budo for that matter, is not to become invincible or the strongest, but rather walking the path towards self-perfection: cultivating one’s body, mind and skills for a greater cause.
Aikido Shugyo
Shugyo is a Japanese term defining an ascetic training involving rigorous physical practice combined with the removal of distractions (and comforts) of everyday life. Aikido Shugyo is a personal account of Yoshinkan Aikido founder Shioda Gozo Shihan through his journey and personal Shugyo.
In his book, Shioda Shihan shares different stories about his time training with Ueshiba Morihei sensei in the early 1930s, the Osensei technical mastery, as well as many of his personal anecdotes as a live-in student.
As with many founders of modern Budo schools, Shioda sensei was marked by Japan’s involvement in the Second World War – the suffering and destruction shaping his personality and his martial philosophy.
Shioda sensei was a tough man. His view of Budo and fighting in general was very simple and down to earth. In Aikido Shugyo, he tries to answer many of the doubts regarding Aikido and its usefulness in real life confrontation. He also shares his personal experiences, including numerous dojo yaburi visits and fascinatingly, “research” fights against members of the yakuza.
The founder of the Yoshinkan style of Aikido is usually referred in Japan as the “god of fighting arts” in part due to his technical mastery, but also because of his unique and charming personality: promoting Aikido on tv shows, as well as comics and anime. As other styles of Aikido turned closer to spiritual practices, Shioda sensei kept grounded and focused on physical and mental practice as the core of his art.
In the book, Shioda Shihan comes across as a positive and curious human being. He was always looking for ways to improve his art and was open to learning and sharing his knowledge with anyone willing to learn. He mentions many famous martial artists from different styles that influenced his Shugyo, including his reaction and thoughts on heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who visited his dojo.
Personally, and interestingly, I never saw my original copy of the book after lending it to the same Canadian guy who introduced me to Angry White Pyjamas.
What’s special about this book?
At times, the cult to the personality to the founders of martial arts, gets in the way of fully understanding the men behind the styles. Shioda Gozo’s book opens a candid but deep window into the heart and mind of an open-minded man and a hardcore researcher of martial arts.
If Shioda’s Shugyo is a marathon, most of us are just starting to tie our shoelaces. Shugyo is a personal and sometimes spiritual journey that transforms a merely physical activity into a way of life.
Living the Martial Way:
A Manual for the Way of Modern Warrior Should Think
This one is a personal favourite. I first read it in my early twenties. Basically, this book is like the written version of the first 20 minutes of a basics class at the dojo. Living the Martial Way is the perfect book for novices stepping into the world of martial arts for the first time, which is full of mysterious concepts, weird looking practices and even weirder stances. It is also pretty useful and inspiring for someone with more experience who’s looking to brush up the basics.
Retired U.S. Air Force official Forrest Morgan covers almost every fundamental, and his book is very much like a “Martial Arts for Dummies”. It covers the basics like helping to decide what kind of martial art beginners should be studying, how to improve their current style, and a great definition on the difference between strategy and tactics.
And this is where the magic of this book lie: definitions. During the years of martial arts practice, many different concepts are thrown too often and too freely. How many after-training conversations are flooded with words like honour, mastery, warriorship or energy without anyone asking or even understanding what they represent or mean to the current society. A lot of people blindly admire the ancient warrior practices without really understanding it. Which is kind of like a renaissance fair… intriguing and appealing, but without proper understanding, lacks relevance and meaning. Thus, Forrest Morgan takes the time to analyse and surmise the most common concepts in martial arts and explains how they could be applied in a contemporary setting: in the dojo and beyond it.
“Martial arts is a way of living” is another common cliché in Budo but in Living the Martial Way, the author, tries to explain what it means to live as a warrior in modern times and not just as a weekend hobby. He puts it in context and gives a holistic interpretation of modern-day life by applying the more intellectual aspects of martial arts, as well as the consideration of life and the art as a whole.
When I read this book for the first time, it made me realise the many things that were lacking in my own practice. And more than once, it fuelled renewed interest in my training. I still have my very first copy, which shows how much this book has impacted me.
The book may sound outdated when it comes to topics like physical workout or diet (which are both based on fads these days), but the core message is emphatically there: power, speed, stamina, agility, and coordination. The essential components of a realistic and serious training regime.
What’s special about this book?
In Budo, the more you learn the more questions you have. It is a never-ending, self-development journey that demands self-reflection, reinforcement of practices and renewed motivation as you move forward. Like I said before, this book is similar to those endless sessions of horse stance, suburi or any kihon waza… you may ask why you are doing them again, but when pointing out your mistakes, the truth hits your harder than an ippon. Reading about the basics and questioning your practice will help you stay motivated and enjoy training even more.
Moving Zen:
One Man’s Journey to the Heart of Karate
The 60s was special era for the entire world. It was probably one of the most tumultuous and revolutionary decades in world history, and Japan wasn’t an exception. As the country was recovering from World War II, it started becoming more open minded and began to accept trade with Western countries. A spirit of modernisation inspired all aspects of life from fashion to technology, but it conversely also gave rise to a rediscovery of the past, which spurred both Japanese and Westerners to learn more about traditional arts and culture. And this is precisely why a 22-year old welsh adventurer, C. W Nicol, embarked on a journey to explore an unknown country, it’s culture and in particular, the art of Karate do.
C.W. Nicole moved to Japan in 1962 with the only objective of learning martial arts. After spending some years training, he moved to Canada for work, where he continued training and teaching Karate, besides also sharing his experiences and anecdotes with students and friends – people that encouraged him to compile all the stories in a book for the world to know.
The era in which all this takes place is known in Japan as the Showa Jidai; a period that started in December 1926 and ended in January 1989. It is one of the most loved eras in Japanese contemporary history as the country became prosperous and modern. An era of ingenuity that still elicits nostalgia. All these things were captured through the eyes of a foreigner as C.W. Nicole: traditions, costumes, the sights and sounds of a rapidly transforming Tokyo, the wrestle of old vs new.
He shares his experiences practicing at the Shotokan hombu dojo, the place where he basically discovered Karate in its raw state; hardcore and violent but also polite and full of etiquette, where even the way you take off your shoes demonstrates your commitment to the art. It is here, with the practice of Kata, that C.W. Nicole discovers that these forms are in fact, moving Zen. Not fighting, not kicking or punching, but Kata as the soul of Karate do, a way to achieve spiritual maturity.
C.W Nicol is sort of a celebrity in Japan with recurrent segments in the NHK, with content mostly about nature and sustainability. Today, it’s difficult to image that this 72-year old cute looking grandpa is the embodiment of an old school badass: In 1958, C.W Nicol visited the Arctic Circle to research Eider Duck for McGill University. There, he took up Canadian citizenship on the spot. Looking for more adventure, he moved to Tokyo where besides martial arts, he studied the Japanese language at Nihon University. He then spent two years in Ethiopia setting up the new Semien Mountains National Park for the Ethiopian Government. He now holds Japanese citizenship, owns a plot of forest land in Japan and in 1980 he won the Japan Broadcasting Writer's Award for a television drama written in Japanese!
What’s special about this book?
As you read Moving Zen, comparisons to the present-day Tokyo are inseparable. As Tokyo prepares for the Olympic Games 2020 in a very typical Japanese manner, you currently see “modernity” everywhere as the past is bulldozed and the remaining remnants of the Showa era disappear. Also, another disappearing sight presented in the book, would be the hardcore traditional dojo life from the mid-century. Both, Angry White Pyjamas and Moving Zen open a window into the Budo practice in Japan, but the main difference would be the point of view of the writer – an outsider that judged and kept himself as a spectator and in the case of C.W Nicol, someone who made the path of Karate, his way of life.
What are your favorite Budo books?
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