Dave Lowry

Moving Toward Stillness

Dave Lowry

Moving Toward Stillness: Lessons in Daily Life from the Martial Ways of Japan is a distillation of the most important lessons learned from a lifetime devoted to martial arts training. Drawing from his highly regarded magazine columns in Black Belt magazine, author Dave Lowry sets out lessons that not only guide us to a deeper understanding of the social values and moral imperatives that are the ancient heart of budo, but speak to us also of the universal nature of those values and of how they remain relevant to us, in the modern West. Among the 45 chapters of this martial arts philosophy book you'll find lessons addressing everything from such well-known martial concepts as «one encounter, one chance» to the art of being alone, from strategy for the modern-day battlefield to the luxury of anger, from subduing the self and bending like the bamboo to maintaining an unwavering calm in the face of death.Essays include:The Way of the MasterExcess BaggageSwimming 'Round the StoneSimple ThingsEven if I DieNot Knowing, But Doingand many more

Traditions

Dave Lowry

The goals of the budo—the martial arts and Ways of Japan—lie in refining the body and spirit. The techniques, methods, and rituals of the budo can provide invaluable lessons for today's martial artists—and serve as guides to a well-lived life.In Traditions, Davy Lowry discusses unique aspects of the budo ranging from hacho, or deliberate asymmetry, to uke-waza, the art of «receiving» an attack. The spirit of ryomi, the process of self-evaluation and improvement, is illustrated through the story of Kaofujita, a master swordsman who never stopped practicing the first movement he learned. You'll also learn the importance of yuyo, the distance where an attacker must focus his strike, from the story of Jubei, whose mastery of yuyo saved him in a life-and-death encounter, and the significance of shikaku—, the dead zone, on maintaining balance in combat and in life.With its focus on traditional martial arts, and fascinating stories that illustrate key martial arts principles and philosophy,Traditions will be required reading for serious martial artists.