Secrets of the Samurai. Oscar Ratti

       The Military Retainer: The Samurai

       Education and Status of the Buke

       The Samurai Woman

       The Masterless Warrior: The Ronin

       2. The Heimin

       The Farmers

       The Militant Clergy

       Artisans and Merchants

       The Police Forces and the Underworld

       3. The Centers of Martial Instruction

       The Ryu

       The Sensei

       PART II OUTER FACTORS OF BUJUTSU

       Weapons and Techniques

       4. Armed Bujutsu

       The Armor

       Evolution of Japanese Armor

       Elements of Japanese Armor

       The Major Martial Arts

       The Art of Archery

       The Art of Spear Fighting

       The Art of Swordsmanship

       The Art of Military Horsemanship

       The Art of Swimming in Armor

       The Minor Martial Arts

       The Art of the War Fan

       The Art of the Staff

       The Art of the Jitte

       The Collateral Methods of Combat

       The Art of the Chain and Other Weapons

       Ninjutsu

       5. Unarmed Bujutsu

       Specializations, Instruments, and Techniques

       The Art of Wrestling

       The Military Specializations of Unarmed Bujutsu

       The Schools of Jujutsu

       The Schools of Aikijutsu

       The Arts of Striking

       The Art of Kiai

       PART III INNER FACTORS OF BUJUTSU

       The Invisible Range

       6. Control and Power

       The Foundation

       The Concept of the Centre

       The Concept of Intrinsic Energy

       Applications of Haragei

       Haragei in Ancient Specializations of Bujutsu

       Kyujutsu

       Kenjutsu

       Sumo

       Jujutsu

       Kiaijutsu

       Haragei in Modern Derivations of Bujutsu

       Judo

       Karate

       Aikido

       The Martial Synthesis

       7. Strategic Principles

       The Major Strategies

       Principles of Application

       The Bilateral Principle in Particular

       The Attack and the Counterattack

       The Defense

       8. Morality of Bujutsu

       The Way of the Warrior

       The Value of Zen in Bujutsu

       CONCLUSION : The Evolution of Bujutsu

       BIBLIOGRAPHY

      CHARTS

       1. Bujutsu in Feudal Japan

       2. Chronology of Japanese History

       3. Class Structure of Tokugawa Society

       4. The Central Government (bakufii) and Its Major Agencies in Edo

       5. Classification of Daimyo Ranks According to the Audience Room at the Shogun’s Court at Edo

       6. Structure of the Yamanouchi Clan

       7. Structure of the Okudaira Clan

       8. Major Divisions within the Warrior Army in Feudal Japan

       9. Chinese Classics (myokyo)

       10. Program of Instruction in the Nisshinkan Institute

       11. Major Schools of Bujutsu in Feudal Japan

       12. Ranking System in Modern Derivations of Feudal Bujutsu

       13. Methods of Unarmed Combat

       14. Sumo Organization and Ranking System

       15. Judo Program of Instruction (Kodokan style)

       16. Major Outlines of Aikido Program of Instruction

       17. Karate Program of Instruction (Shotokan style)

       18. Action and Reaction in Judo and Aikido

      FOREWORD

      Secrets of the Samurai is the end result of a man and a woman's passionate commitment to the literary and artistic possibilities inherent in the combination and integration of word and image, whatever the subject, and—more particularly—to Oscar Ratti's unique ability to bring life to every page with drawings infused with the vitality and humanity of the individual and of the collective spirit. We are all part of something larger than ourselves, and yet we are all individual entities with almost unimaginable potential for enhancing and contributing in a positive way to the ongoing, turbulent stream of life; to learn—sometimes through very painful experiences—how to expand our horizons and those of others.

      Down through the ages, philosophers, writers, artists, and all reflective individuals, have grappled with the quandary Shakespeare had Hamlet consider: “To Be, or Not To Be, that is the question…” Whether to grasp the nettle of existence firmly and fight the good fight—in