Dueling with O-sensei: Grappling With the Myth of the Warrior Sage Book by Ellis Amdur (1st Edition)

If you are a long-time martial artist, you have likely been either the recipient, the victim - or both - of the 'wise old master' phenomenon, whereby budo students reverentially enfold their teachers as martial, moral and mystical juggernauts sans reproach, in which case, this book will make you clench your fists and laugh out loud, often while reading the same sentence. Iconoclastic, rebellious, yet fiercely holding to some of the most traditional values of Japanese martial culture, Amdur brought something new to martial arts writing - a startling honesty about the flaws, not only within martial arts culture, but also within its practitioners, often using himself as an exemplar of the latter.

219 pages