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Karl F. Friday
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Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture Paperback – July 1, 1997

by Karl F. Friday (Author), Seki Humitake (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 47
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Western scholars and educators are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original-and, ostensibly, primary-role as warrior and masters of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, literature, or philosopher. Yet, any attempt to comprehend fully the samurai without considering his military abilities and training (bugei) is futile. With verve and wit, Karl Friday combines the results of nearly two decades of fieldwork and archival research to examine samurai martial culture from a broad perspective: as a historical phenomenon, as a worldview, and as a system of physical, spiritual, and moral education.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    227 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Hawaii Press
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.53 x 9.04 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0824818792
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0824818791
  8. Lexile measure
    1510L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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This study is refreshingly free of jargon and inscrutable or pretentious philosophizing. Instead, Friday presents this history of the samurai in cool, clear terms that will appeal to more than a select band of academics.... An excellent book. ― Daily Yomiuri

About the Author

Karl Friday is associate professor of Japanese history at the University of Georgia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Hawaii Press (July 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0824818792
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0824818791
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1510L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.53 x 9.04 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 47

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Karl F. Friday

Karl F. Friday

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
47 global ratings
An Excellent Discourse on the Soul of Samurai Warriorship
5 Stars
An Excellent Discourse on the Soul of Samurai Warriorship
Much of the western world knows only the surface of a side of the complex depth of what it meant - and means - to be samurai. The feudal duties of the samurai were many, ranging widely and delegated according to one's station. Yet one thing that bound samurai high and low is living life as a warrior, be it in combat during the Warring States' Sengoku period, or as a gardner in the stable Edo period. Training, endless training - such is the soul of being samurai, and this book by Dr. Karl Friday and Shihanke Seki Humitake is a masterful discourse of that soul: the way of the sword.
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Top reviews from the United States

Æren Wa'ter
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Discourse on the Soul of Samurai Warriorship
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Much of the western world knows only the surface of a side of the complex depth of what it meant - and means - to be samurai. The feudal duties of the samurai were many, ranging widely and delegated according to one's station. Yet one thing that bound samurai high and low is living life as a warrior, be it in combat during the Warring States' Sengoku period, or as a gardner in the stable Edo period. Training, endless training - such is the soul of being samurai, and this book by Dr. Karl Friday and Shihanke Seki Humitake is a masterful discourse of that soul: the way of the sword.
Customer image
Æren Wa'ter
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Discourse on the Soul of Samurai Warriorship
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023
Much of the western world knows only the surface of a side of the complex depth of what it meant - and means - to be samurai. The feudal duties of the samurai were many, ranging widely and delegated according to one's station. Yet one thing that bound samurai high and low is living life as a warrior, be it in combat during the Warring States' Sengoku period, or as a gardner in the stable Edo period. Training, endless training - such is the soul of being samurai, and this book by Dr. Karl Friday and Shihanke Seki Humitake is a masterful discourse of that soul: the way of the sword.
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John D. O'rourke
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for KSR practitioners
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2009
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I found this book a little dry and would have liked a few more antidotal stories to break up the information and make it a better read, but that aside, it is a must have book for the practitioner of Kashima Shin Ryu. Even if you have a passing interest in Japanese martial arts you should read this book to get the perspective of why this lifestyle came to be and how it survives in our modern world. Most of us do not have the time in our busy lives to spend it on research the why this guy did.

Thank you for the opportunity to see the way of it, I am grateful for the chance!
2 people found this helpful
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Kelly Purdue
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any practitioner of Martial Arts
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2013
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Every page of chapters 2-3 gave me the reasons why we we practice as we do, I find Mr. Friday's understanding of the process of practice runs deep and I always find something to bring to my dojo, something to aspire to the next time I step on the mat.
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azamraXPD
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique MA classic!
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2013
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I found this to be unique in its approach and richness of detailed understanding of a mature, effective training tradition. For students of other arts there is much to reflect on here.
One person found this helpful
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anthony tamasi
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2017
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Great read, highly recommended!!
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drd2aiki
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. A must read for anyone interested in Japanese koryu or Kashima Shin-ryu
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2013
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Well written and comprehensive. The beginning gets a bit tedious with the "lineage" of the ryuha. But the later chapters regarding the training methods and systems of the KSR are very fascinating.
One person found this helpful
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John
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read. Wish I had a hardback printing
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2016
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True to it's title, Great read .
Wish I had a hardback printing.
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M. Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars A great blend of history and martial arts
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2004
Legacies of the Sword can be a bit of a dry read. But, I blame that more on society than the book. It covers the history of koryu and Japanese sword arts in detail fitting a college textbook. As such, it's a very heavy read, unlike most intellectual "cheeseburgers" that make the best-sellers list. However, the slow, careful academic style used by Dr. Friday is the only way the history part of the book can be approached successfully. So, when reading this book, you have to take your time with it to enjoy it.

Many other reviewers find fault with how Dr. Friday approaches the martial arts side of the book. I think this is only because of how it contradicts the historical side. However, I think that contradiction is only on the surface. Both aspects of the book are dealt with in the same careful fashion. Dr. Friday writes what he knows and has researched, laying the facts out in the same manner. The problem is that the facts about Kashima Shin Ryu are much different than the historical facts. Theories of pressure points and meridians are still used in martial arts today, so Dr. Friday must write them as he knows them. The same with the application of power. From his training with Seki, I'm sure he has experienced how a master has trained to gain great power in a short time from a small motion while a beginner requires a longer time and a larger motion. The principle of motion and stillness are one also starts as fact. Baseball batters often move their bat in small circles above their head. It's easier to make an already moving object move faster than to make a still one move (of course, as a physicist, I must add that that is relative and depends, etc. etc., but it is true in the sense that he is describing). Seki, Dr. Friday's instructor, embraces this pronciple, but moves so minutely that only he can sense it. True or untrue, this is what Dr. Friday had learned during his study of Kashima Shin Ryu, so he must write it down. If you don't believe it, that's fine, but at least he has written it for you to consider. Also, most people who had come in contact with Kunii Zen'ya, Seki Fumitake's predecessor, have the same awe for him. From what I've heard, he was one of the last of the Old Blood, one of the last true samurai, and quite the character.

On a personal note, I study Kashima Shin Ryu, and had the pleasure of training with Dr. Friday, a shihan (model and instructor) of the style for a weekend. On Sunday night at dinner, he told stories of his experiences training with Seki. Some of them were a bit crazy, like Seki trying to hunt bears with a short sword in British Columbia, as well as the story of defeating a bear with a kiai. Stories like this may be a bit false, but they're legend and always hold a bit of truth.
8 people found this helpful
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Hikari
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential to anyone learning Kashima Shinryū
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2020
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Kashima Shinryū is one of the oldest surviving koryū martial arts from the Japanese samurai. This book is a rare study of this specific tradition that has very particularities that differ from the other koryū and branches of kenjutsu (sword arts) like its distinctive heavy Kashima bokuto. The book addresses technique and form (kata) but also philosophy.
One person found this helpful
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Rafael
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente!
Reviewed in Spain on November 7, 2019
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Todo muy bien.
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Martijn Hordijk
5.0 out of 5 stars Martijn
Reviewed in Germany on December 26, 2015
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Good clear text and easily readable. This book gives an insight in swordsmanship and Japanese culture. I very much recommend it.
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Sebastiano
4.0 out of 5 stars Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture : un buon libro
Reviewed in Italy on September 14, 2014
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Decisamente un buon libro. Dedicato agli addeti ai lavori e a quelle persone che hanno già una notevole conoscenza della storia e tradizioni giapponesi. Un appunto: il titolo Legacies of the Sword, con caratteri più grandi e in primo piano, rispetto al sottotitolo, The kashima - Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture, tende a indirizzare più verso un trattazione generale che non specifica, quale invece è.
2 people found this helpful
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J White
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2016
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So much information in these pages it will require re reading to absorb. Clearly written.
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