Clouds in the West: Lessons from the Martial Arts of Japan
by Dave Lowry
Lyons Press
ISBN 1-59228-590-2
213 pages
$21.95
Thanks to movies and novels such as The Last Samurai and Shogun,
manga and anime, as well as ubiquitous "MacDojos" in almost every
strip mall in North America, no one can escape being exposed to
the martial culture of Japan. However, even as Westerners have
become captivated by budo, the traditional martial arts of Japan,
they've become more sophisticated. Once content with instructional
manuals or tall tales of martial prowess, many readers today are
searching for the deeper concepts of budo. In Clouds in the West,
Dave Lowry continues the fascinating, lifelong philosophical journey
through the essence of traditional Japanese martial arts that he
began years ago in Autumn Lightning and Sword and Brush, and
developed more fully in Moving Toward Stillness. Here Lowry
addresses a variety of topics that demonstrate how varied and
multifaceted are the lessons and insights gained from training,
how the budo are integrated into daily life for the serious
practitioner, and how they resonate, from ancient times to today.