Product Description
“Be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong both mentally and physically.” —KEIKO FUKUDA, JUDO MASTER The Warrior’s Path is a collection of distilled wisdom from the world’s most revered living Japanese martial arts masters. James Sidney pays tribute to and records the words of a scattered generation, now in their 80s or 90s. They came to their art at a turning point in martial arts: as the Second World War came to an end, they were able to globalize their techniques and philosophy. As they confront their own mortality, The Warrior’s Path captures their poignant reflections on the development of their art and the underlying concepts that have guided them throughout their lives. Stories of intense hardship and discrimination are balanced with tales of the thrills of technical mastery and the joy of passing on knowledge. Having travelled to Japan, the U.S., the U.K. and Europe to interview these masters, James Sidney introduces us to legends of martial arts, including Keiko Fukuda, the highest ranking woman judoka in the world; Mitsusuke Harada, the founder of the Karatedo Shotokai organization; Hidetaka Nishiyama, who organized the first international karate competition; Hanae Sawada, the first president of the Tokyo Naginata Federation and many more. Sidney allows the masters to speak in their own voices, sometimes using a translator, and provides the context that allows us into their lives. The Warrior’s Path brings together stories of masters in several different martial arts, including judo, kendo, karate-do and atarashii naginata, a martial art practised mainly by women. Sidney pays tribute to the ephemeral elegance of these living masters with beautiful photographs that capture the fluidity of the martial arts. The Warrior’s Path conveys the serenity achieved through discipline, and reminds us of the importance of beauty, balance and simplicity.
