The Essence of Budo-Dave Lowry

[Kokoro777]

I'm a big fan of the writings of Dave Lowry, despite a shaky first introduction to his ideas and writing style. I note he has a new and interestingly titled book out in a couple of months: 'The Essence of Budo: A Practitioner's Guide to Understanding the Japanese Martial Ways'. It covers topics such as

• What students and teachers should expect from each other

• The meaning of rank

• The importance of cardiovascular fitness in the martial arts

• How to correctly and sensitively practice with someone less experienced than yourself

• How to practice as you age

• The responsibilities that come with seniority and increasing skill

• The importance of etiquette and decorum in budo

• How to train with children

So I think it'll be another interesting tome. Are there any other Lowry fans here and is anyone else really looking forward to his new book?

[Aden]

I am a fan but because almost all of those things are art and/or ryu specific I will pass on this one, if he is to cover everything appropriately it would be a massive tome of which only some of the sections would be of interest - I am sure a discursive discussion of different types of rank by him would be an excellent read but how to practice with the less experienced, train with children and cardiovascular fitness are not areas that really relate to my current practice.....

[Kokoro777]

Ah but the thing is I find his writings on arts/ryu that have nothing to do with my discipline just as informative, enlightening and helpful. Reading his stuff on Karate, a martial art that isn't, directs my thoughts about other and my own arts. Its the 'that's not my discipline so its not worth knowing about' attitude is part of what stifles those studying the martial ways. The samurai studied many different paths and indeed Musashi himself said one should be familar with the other 'ways' in order to excel. Reading Lowry has pushed me into areas such as Chado and ikebana and this has help me gain a deeper understanding of Budo and enriched my understanding of things martial and Japanese. So I doubt his chapter on cardiovascular fitness will be anything you expect or indeed his ideas on ranking systems are likely to be unexpected and worth reading.