The Zen in the Martial Arts

[Manny]

I've just finished the book The Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams and let me teel you this book is awesome, it seems to me it was written so many years ago but is so actual that really amazed me.

The book has many passages or anecdotes of the autor with people like Briuce Lee, Ed Parker, Boo So Han, etc so colurful that really caught me.

In this book I saw myself in a couple of times and also I learned two or three concpets that I am going to aply to my life and the MA.

I Higly recomend this book to any of you.

Manny

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

I had this book in my hand at B&N yesterday; but, chose Gotrex and Felix: The Third Omnibus, instead.

I may have to go back.

 

[Xue Sheng]

It is a great book, I have read it twice, and now that you posted this I may go read it a 3rd time.

 

[Manny]

It is a great book, I have read it twice, and now that you posted this I may go read it a 3rd time.

The IKKA Mexico president gave a copy on pdf of this book, this is one of the best presents I have had in some time.

Manny

 

[granfire]

I read it then gave it to my mom, I always recommend it, even to non-martial artists,I think it is that good!

 

[Blindside]

It has been a long time since I read it, and I remember it as being a good book, but as I recall the take home message was "practice more."

Good message.

 

[IcemanSK]

It was given to me by a non-MA friend a few years ago. He first read it 20 years ago & gives out copies to friends all the time.

Good stuff!

 

[Aikicomp]

Indeed, a very good book. Read it more than twice.

Michael

 

[granfire]

It has been a long time since I read it, and I remember it as being a good book, but as I recall the take home message was "practice more."

Good message.

LOL, yeah, make your own line longer....

 

[Hawke]

Interesting read.

I may have to go back and read it again.

Meow

 

[Shuto]

If you liked this, book you should consider reading Zen Guitar. Even if you do not play an instrument, I think you will find many of the ideas applicable to Martial Arts and even life in general.

 

[Miles]

This is a very good book. I particularly liked the short story of the guy who broke his hand so he visualized a miniature work crew showing up nightly and fixing it over time. I also liked the Bong Soo Han story where he got a letter from his family in Korea but set it aside so that he could devote his entire attention to the conversation he was having with the author Hyams.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

This little book is packed full of wisdom and ideas anybody can apply. Our gym-team found it inspirational and I often use ideas and concepts from this book when teaching and leading sessions. This book is the gift that keeps on giving and I am 100% grateful to the author for writing it

All martial artists would be benefit from reading Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams

 

[Earl Weiss]

You might enjoy "Living the Martial Way" and "Shotokan Secrets" "Dirty White Pajamas" is another good one.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

Not read Shotokan's Secrets as yet. Did read Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger when it came out - is this the one you are referring to? I read Living the Martial way by Forrest E. Morgan sometime in the 1990s and have just started reading it again this year - it is always good to review an old text and see how much you have changed over time.

 

[Gyakuto]

This little book is packed full of wisdom and ideas anybody can apply. Our gym-team found it inspirational and I often use ideas and concepts from this book when teaching and leading sessions. This book is the gift that keeps on giving and I am 100% grateful to the author for writing it

All martial artists would be benefit from reading Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams

I love this little book and was one of the first I read as a Karate kid taking my first interest in subjects around martial culture. It’s always in my toilet and within easy reach.

But it’s often criticised for characterising Zen in a misleading manner, defining Zen terms incorrectly (Mushin and Bruce Lee for example) and the conversations Hyams seems to have had with various ‘masters’ were fictitious and literary devices to get his mostly erroneous understandings across. Thus don't think you can understand Zen in the martial arts by reading this book.

But for me, it’s comforting and lovely folk wisdom in the same vein as the ‘philosophy’ within the 70s ‘Kung Fu‘ TV series.

 

[Taiji Rebel]

It is 100% agreement here.

There is a lot about the book which is not accurate in relation to zen - I am sure the title was used in the same manner as Robert M. Pirsig did with his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

It is still common to see books using Zen as a marketing ploy somewhere in the title nowadays.

So, this is a great book if you are happy to read a small book of simple and inspiring tales featuring the martial arts.

But if you are really wishing to learn more about zen and its true relation to the martial arts then you will need to look elsewhere.

 

[Gyakuto]

It is 100% agreement here.

There is a lot about the book which is not accurate in relation to zen - I am sure the title was used in the same manner as Robert M. Pirsig did with his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

It is still common to see books using Zen as a marketing ploy somewhere in the title nowadays.

So, this is a great book if you are happy to read a small book of simple and inspiring tales featuring the martial arts.

But if you are really wishing to learn more about zen and its true relation to the martial arts then you will need to look elsewhere.

I like the story about one of Hyams’s teacher putting an eagerly anticipated letter to one side and finishing his meeting with him. Subsequently I always delay the opening of parcels etc to ‘conquer my haste’.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Not read Shotokan's Secrets as yet. Did read Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger when it came out - is this the one you are referring to? I read Living the Martial way by Forrest E. Morgan sometime in the 1990s and have just started reading it again this year - it is always good to review an old text and see how much you have changed over time.

That too was a very good book

 

[Earl Weiss]

Not read Shotokan's Secrets as yet. Did read Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger when it came out - is this the one you are referring to?

Yes.