Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat [Hardcover]

If you are an experienced martial artist - and by that I do not mean you "do kickboxing once a week", nor do I mean you " are really into MMA "....... I mean a dedicated, lifetime, commited martial artist who has an honourable code of life and behaviour, then this is a must have interpretation of the Bubishi.
I have read it twice in the 4 weeks since I received it - once fairly quickly, then again slowly and thoroughly.
For experienced martial artists, it will confirm things you know, or don't realise you know.
For less experienced practitioners, you will learn things which will stay with you for life.
For all, it is I believe an invaluable guide to martial arts and their development, particularly with reference to the movement into Japan, but more than that it purports to illustrate the basic techniques which are amongst the earliest recorded, and which form the basis of most oriental martial arts techniques today.
Get it, read it, refer to it, enjoy it and use it to stimulate your quest for knowledge of your art. Thank you Patrick McCarthy.
Jon

Very informative. A must for the serious martial art practitioner. This book was recommended to me by my Teacher who has trained in japan. Very glad I bought the book. Has given me a more understanding of the Art.

This is a book that I feel has the proper construction to explain beyond the mythical stories/ tales/ fables, that we have all heard throughout our lives, over many, many years on how Martial Arts as a style of combat / Defence came to the attention of the Western World....let alone it's own world. The book " Bubishi " seems totally non - prejudice toward any other of the Martial Arts we know and love to this day. Fool if you think it is, you need to read it again so.... It is simply the " Water " that fills our cup to make Tea or Coffee or whatever we want to drink even if it is simply the Water by itself...!! and you don't have to drink it if you don't want to.....
How little we knew and how little we Westerners and some young Easterners today, appreciate as to the possible origins of where the Art of Martial Self Defence actually began. We mostly just want to look cool in the process of combat and wear our multi coloured belts in awe of one another... yes a token of certain achievement in one's style / art.... but..... No.....Not a token of superiority / dominance over one's adversary / sparring partner. An unreal and dangerous scenario if ever there was one.
We are only now beginning to open up to the in depth differences between our Western World Cultural, and their Eastern World Cultural beliefs, not withstanding that the North and South may be construed as the Yin and Yang of a heated discussion between East and West...and maybe the " Bubishi ' is the mid point between the four points of the compass....no not the centre of the Earth....possibly the centre of a type of thought...the creation of the game of Chess perhaps...!!

This is the most mind opening Book I have ever and could ever read in all my 30 years of interest in the subject. It has me thinking as logically as I could ever dream of. Plenty of fact, a little narration via unquestionable personal memories, practically no fiction other than that of myths and legends and any fiction that is possible, we are given a non - influential option to believe what we want to. Possibly Patrick McCarthy's Hanshi's " finest hour ", although how any Author to this day finds the patience to re-write and re-write the same topic or book over a Ten year period until he gets it right, I'll leave to the next Generation to try and figure out. And that's the difference between most of us and people like Patrick McCarthy Hanshi. Stamina, among many other traits I'm sure. Mind you, I did feel like I was almost qualifying as a Doctor when I got over half way through the book. The quantity of information in such a detailed mini - map of the Anatomy with drawings included, is " second to none ". A must have for all Med. Students....Perhaps a thought though, doesn't it make sense to try something many times over until you get it right for yourself and then realise the technique in your own style. Individuality, evolving from our Ancestors research, in a kind of way. Clearly winning my mind because of the logistics behind the teachings. Strike back only in Defence Mode if you need to in order to survive the moment, if you are capable of superior Defense skills, then use them, defeat the offensive with defensive and if possible outwit the enemy without causing harm. Learn how to repair / heal through using Chinese Medicine, the damage to on one's self or to the assailant in the process, if inflicted at all. Understand what it is you are actually doing in the first place. The motto being simply " do unto others as you would have them do unto you ", you don't crack a guy's skull open if he has only punched you in the arm, so to speak, but Defend yourself and those who can't physically defend themselves around you at all times. This ancient B.C.( Before Confucious and before Christ ) train of thought was taken by other religions over the Christianity years and used as a Motto / Punchline, then molded into their own domains and slowly separated from originality...kind of like the Martial Arts today.... quite simply, these Arts are there for everyone and no one Art rules them all. Each art will cater for whoever wishes it to be so. Each different style for each different personality. Whatever suits you. A regular meeting of, perhaps, once a year...all Martial Arts styles grouped in one place, able to share the experiences with open minds among one another and acceptance that one's style may and may not be as old as another, but the one thing that combines us all is the Art of Self Defence/ Survival with a Martial understanding using some Combatitive techniques as a means to achieve an even balance in the end...may possibly be the Beggining of what the Bubishi is trying to tell us..!!
Let books like this be the " beginning of the merging " of the arts....The Bubishi was unsigned....maybe for a reason...!!

This review is inspired by the will and determination of all True Martial Artists like Patrick McCarthy Hanshi and the many people who feel the same but wish to remain silent

Dave
Student of Koryu Uchinadi