num_pages: 192
description: This is a translation of an important classic on Zen swordfighting. Yagyu Munenori was so widely renowned that he was appointed official sword instructor to two Tokugawa shoguns. (The position was always coveted by Miyamoto Musashi, but he never succeeded in gaining the post). Yagyu's style isknown as the Shinkage-ryu style, for centuries the official style of the Tokugawa dynasty. His spiritual mentor was Zen priest Takuan. Here, Yagyu's Buddhist spirituality is clearly reflected in his central idea of the "life-giving sword" - the notion of controlling an opponent by the spiritualreadiness to fight, rather than during the fight. His mastery of restraint and diplomacy made him a trusted political and military advisor to the shoguns. This book is a look into a master swordsman's thoughts on nonattachment and even non-violence.
language: English
title: The Life-Giving Sword: The Secret Teachings From the House of the Shogun
titlecomplete: The Life-Giving Sword: The Secret Teachings From the House of the Shogun (The Way of the Warrior Series)
genres: History, Classics, Japan, Eastern Philosophy, Philosophy, Zen, Japanese Literature, War, Martial Arts, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 825
publisher: Kodansha USA