The “Pre-Reading” Review
Duality can be an amazing thing. Two things that seem completely independent from each other often have complementing features, commonalities even, that help elevate each other to new standards.
Brightness and darkness, quiet moments and loud ones, cooked chicken that is both sweet and sour (I may or may not have been hungry while writing this review).
Understand one and you have a better grasp of the other.
That is an excellent concept found especially prominent in the realm of martial arts and Asian culture. Heck, nearly everybody nowadays is at least casually familiar with the idea of Yin and Yang (called In and Yo in Japanese arts)—and that is also a concept prominent in the premise of the book I am reviewing.
With a background in both martial arts and calligraphy, the book’s author, Dave Lowry, takes a look into the many words and concepts typically found in traditional Japanese Martial Arts. Sword and Brush breaks down the etymology, culture, and history backing the Japanese characters.
Dave Lowry is an established writer and columnist who has published quite a few books and also articles for Black Belt magazine. His name is what originally drew my interest to this book as I had read another book from him—In the Dojo: A Guide to the Rituals and Etiquette of the Japanese Martial Arts—and was already familiar with the amount of history and knowledge he shares.
Always eager for another book to add to my martial arts library, I quickly ordered myself a copy.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What about a pictogram though? Or a logogram? These are the questions somebody “nerdy” about martial arts (AKA all of us who are reading this review) may be wondering.
All of these pretty Japanese words look and sound cool but how much can we truly improve our martial art skills by studying them?
Well, wonder no more!
Here is what I found between the pages!
Sword and Brush: The Actual Review
Filled with only 136 pages, the book is like a mighty bullet, a small yet powerful piece.
With an introduction that sets the stage well for the succeeding chapters, the book starts off by covering the mentality of what makes an art, the history of both the blade and the calligraphic art, the evolution of the poetic mentality in Japan, and the cultural backdrop of feudal Japan.
Following the introduction, the book dives into forty-two Japanese concepts, each chapters consisting of only one to three pages.
What started off as a concern for me quickly grew into one of my favorite aspects about the book; the size.
Looking at the size of the Sword and Brush, I was at first concerned that each subject would not be properly touched on, that there would be more questions raised than answers and ideas shared. My fear of glossed-over details was soon dismissed as I began my read, however.
Despite the short length of the book, you can tell that each concept was well researched and given an appropriate amount of the spotlight.
Even the most complex concepts, the ones which easily could have had a whole book dedicated to them, felt as if they were an appropriate size. No chapter feels rushed. What helps is the fact that each chapter cuts right to the heart of the matter, wasting no words to give you a crash course into the creation and purpose of the character.
However, that’s not to say you should expect a full and absolute description on every concept within these pages. Viewing this instead as an additional read for further insight into the martial arts and the culture behind them would be a more appropriate way of looking at it.
Every chapter is headlined by the Kanji character(s) for the martial art concept, illustrated in both the sōsho style (the artistic and quick drawn “cursive” writing style) and kaisho style (the modern style of writing that is standard nowadays).
Following the calligraphic art, the book delves into the philosophical, cultural, and historical roots of each martial art concept. Despite the book’s usage of Japanese terminology and intention to relate primarily to Japanese arts, a good martial artist will be able to easily find the relation of each lesson to other arts.
The book often goes beyond the literal translation, delving much deeper instead into the picture the character is trying to impart on your mind. Sometimes the chapter will simply be a descriptive read on the radicals comprising the characters. Sometimes it is something more, however, such as a parable about a master teaching a senior student how to help his younger classmate gain more benefit from his training.
The bite-sized chapters make for an excellent morning meditative read, a five-minute session that will give you something to ponder for the remainder of the day.
Dave Lowry has the distinctly eloquent manner of writing that is representative of a well-read man. I can vividly imagine speaking to a classy and knowledgable gentleman as I read this book. This can be either a positive or a negative thing, depending on the reader’s preferences. Some prefer an easy read and some prefer a book that requires more consciousness while reading.
The wording is precisely chosen and almost poetic due to how purposefully it is crafted. In part due to this, I would consider this the type of book that grows with you the more times you read it.
A single day spent reading it will give knowledge. A second day reading it will give further knowledge. A third day spent with the book tucked away while your mind processes everything will give something more, a wisdom you can keep.
Overall
The book is something of a modern classic. The type of book I would recommend for every martial artist, whether their style originates in Japan, China, or somewhere else entirely.
Short enough for a quick read yet deep enough to ponder all day, it is a powerful thing to keep on your bookshelf.
The concepts of a warrior are nearly universal across the world. Coupled with the concepts of an art, you find a path towards mastery.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are interested in walking that path!
If you are interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here.
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Nice review. I’ll have to add this to my Amazon wish list