Autumn Lightning: The Education of an American Samurai

This book alternates between autobiographical stories from the high school years of the author, when he was introduced to Japanese swordsmanship in the Yagyu Shinkage school, and stories from the first few teachers of that school at the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate.

It's an elementary and idealized picture of that world. This is a world that I am not at all familiar with... well, I watch Zatoichi videos... is that idealized enough? - but for an introductory book, this is quite excellent. This gives me a good starting point... well, we'll see. If I read some of those old diaries, or the Tale of the Genji, etc. - will any of this connect? Or is this so idealized that it is completely out of touch?

I have played a bit of Go... that show more game makes a brief appearance here. The description here is ok, accurate in the few details it gives. Again, hyper-idealized, but still, a reasonable starting point if one wanted to head in that direction. The ideal version generally works as good motivation for all the blood sweat and tears involved in actually learning any of these disciplines! show less

from cover

'This is an ingenious and compelling presentation of the medieval Japanese samurai spirit and its survival in modern America.'-George Leonard, author of the Ultimate Athlete and The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei.

Dave Lowry juxtaposes his singular experience as an adept student of kenjutsu (the art of swordsmanship) under a Japanese teacher in St. Louis with a riveting account of the samurai tradition in Japan. Intertwining tales of the masters with reflections on his own apprenticeship in the samurai's arts, he reveals in their time-honored methods a way of life with profound relevance to modern times.

This is the story of a life balanced between two cultures, of a boy who adapted every aspect of his life show more to the the tradition-bound way of the sword, and who in the end became an expert swordsman. The result is a fascinating, singular autobiography. Lowry captures the sense of wonder and mystery that makes martial arts compelling to so many practitioners.

Dave Lowry is an accomplished martial artist, calligrapher, and author. His articles on martial arts have appeared in numerous publications n the United States, Britain, and Japan. His other books include Sword and Brush, Persimmon Wind, and Moving Toward Stillness.

A wonderful readible accounting of the history of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu.

Contents

Foreword (by Daniel Furuya)
Preface
1 Meeting with the Past
2 The Sixteen Spears of Nagano
3 Matters of Concentration
4 A Death Among Peach Blossoms
5 Autumn and Other Things Japanese
6 The Swordsmen in the Shadows
7 A Ritual of Style, A Function of Grace
8 The Shogun's Master
9 Iai, Cutting at Raindrops
10 The Swordsman and the Priest
11 Lessons in the Warrior's Way
12 Things Out of Season
Afterword: Two Rivers into the Same Sea
Glossary
Illustrations show less