Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think

by Forrest E. Morgan

A step-by-step approach to applying the Japanese warrior's mind set to martial training and daily life.

Genres: Martial Arts, Philosophy, Nonfiction, War, Japan, Psychology, Sports

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Forrest E. Morgan, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST), Carnegie Mellon University. Morgan served 27 years in the U.S. Air Force then worked 16 years at the RAND Corporation doing strategy and doctrine research for national defense clients. He has authored and coauthored numerous books and research papers. While doing research in military applications of artificial intelligence at RAND, he was inspired to write his second novel, The Synthetic Woman.

Morgan practiced Asian martial arts for 30 years and taught them much of that time. His 1992 book, Living the Martial Way, sold over 125,000 copies and has been described as a classic in martial arts philosophy. His first novel, Waking the Snow
Leopard, is available in soft cover, Kindle, and audiobook.

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book. The first time was probably about ten years ago, and back then, I thought it was awesome. This time around, I have considerably more mixed feelings.

Living the Martial Way is "is a concise manual for training in warrior-ship". The goal, according to the author, is to provide an outline whereby someone seeking to follow the true warrior's path can learn how to do that. Morgan breaks his book into three sections: the first, The Way of Training, discusses the actual physical training, from how to choose a style and school, to how to adjust your training to meet your goals. The second chapter, the Way of Honor, gets into a variety of philosophical discussion about codes of behavior. The last section, the Way of Living, is a sort of catch-all section that includes fitness, the relationship between martial arts training and religion, and the subject of "mastery" in the martial arts.

So what's good about this book? Honestly, a lot of things. The first section is probably the most valuable; Morgan provides a solid outline for a practitioner to decide what kind of martial art they should be studying, or how to adjust their practice if they are already training. Morgan's ideas about strategy and tactics are extremely useful, and anyone who wants to be even vaguely successful in the martial arts would do well to understand them. Some of the "mystical" ideas I found a bit hard to swallow, though Morgan apparently has become a greater skeptic as he's gotten older (http://www.ikigaiway.com/2009/intervi...).

The section on honor is...interesting. How valuable it is will probably depend on how much the reader has thought about these sorts of issues previously, and how much they sync up with Morgan's attitudes. More on that in a minute.

The final section, as I said, is a bit of a hodgepodge. I actually didn't re-read the Fitness section, since Morgan himself admits that the information contained therein is hopelessly out-of-date. The religion and mysticism section didn't have much for me, but it might be a good starting point for a new martial arts student. If nothing else, Morgan warns prospective martial artists about the dangers of martial cults, something that should be repeated loud and often.

So, there's a lot of really useful, interesting ideas here. What's the issue?

The issue, for me, is Morgan's voice, tone, and the way he chooses to phrase, well, everything. I am, at this point in my life, skeptical of the idea that practicing a martial art is in any way concurrent with being a warrior. I am certainly skeptical of the idea that warriors are the sort of magical elite that Morgan holds them up as being. Understand that I have the utmost admiration for those people who actually willingly suit up to go into combat in service of their country, and I even understand the idea that one can be a warrior in a philosophical sense without being an actual serviceman or woman. I am, however, quite skeptical of the idea that spending your time outside of your office job devoted to the study of a combative system that hasn't been relevant to modern warfare for half a century somehow makes you into a warrior.

Morgan's information is good, but it's buried under a constant self-aggrandizing tone that manages to come across not as the humble warrior he exhorts his reader to be, but as a pompous ass who thinks he largely superior to everyone around him. While that tone is not constant, it pops up more frequently than I like, and enough that I found it setting my teeth on edge more than a few times.

Do I still believe this book is worth reading? If you're a practicing martial artist, probably. While the writing sets my teeth on edge at times, it does contain some ideas that are certainly worth considering. The entire first section alone makes the book worthwhile. The rest of it, I would approach with a bit of skepticism.

If you are not a practicing martial artist, but are considering it, I'm not sure this is the place I'd want you to start. While there are ideas I'd want you to consider here about goals and directions, I think that there are better, more reasonably written books out there that might serve you better. Rory Miller's Meditations on Violence will give you a better reference point, without all of the "you must become a samurai warrior!!1!" stuff.

If you aren't a practicing martial artist, and aren't considering, I have no idea why you would even be considering this book.

[Koshin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like bitter coffee. At first you may not like the taste but it definitely wakes you up. This book is about living as a warrior in modern times. The book explains how to think and act like a warrior in modern times. Some of the reviews I have read point to the authors views as elitist by proclaiming that warriors are a step above everyone else or that most martial artists are mere hobbyists playing combat sports instead of training like warriors. Some have taken exception to the authors portrayal of eastern religions such as Buddhism, Shinto and Taoism. The book was written in the early 90s and the information on diet and nutrition as it relates to exercise may be a little dated given the advances that have been made in recent years. I think that some of the visceral reaction may be due to some peoples defensiveness over the authors main points.

Many martial artists don't take the warrior approach to their practice. Reading this book made me realize the deficiencies in my own practice and made me take a renewed interest in my training. After reading this book, I tried to use some of what I read in class and found an immediate improvement. He explains every facet of Warriorship - How to think, live and act like a warrior. He has a great chapter that explains the often used but little understood concept of Honor as it applies to Warriorship.

Not everything will apply to you but there is a lot you can take from this book whether you study martial arts or not that you can incorporate into your daily life.

[Lance Schonberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the face of things, this seems like it should be a good read, and right up my alley, considering the more intellectual aspects of the martial arts and the consideration of life and the art as a whole.

The author divides things into three sections: The Way of Training, The Way of Honor, and The Way of Living.

For the first section, The Way of Training, the author seems to favour a harsh, difficult training regimen occupying every waking moment that isn’t spent in your day job. Looking beyond this, we see the author talking about concepts, and if he uses harsher training examples and anecdotes to illustrate those concepts, this is how he’s trained.

But where I really start to run into problems with the book is chapter 5, “The Warrior’s Spell Book”. At first blush, it looks like I’m supposed to believe that the author has mystical powers. This is one of the things prevalent in popularized martial arts that irritates me. “Sensei Bob’s ki is so strong, he forced the storm in another direction so it wouldn’t disturb our outdoor training.” (It’s also here that Mr. Morgan spends pages talking about “living spirits” and “life force” so much that you think you might be part of a group training montage in a Star Wars movie. I got through this section by substituting “mind” for “spirit” in almost every instance, but it was difficult.)

But by “start to run into problems”, I more mean I recognize that I’ve been having problems all the way along so far. It’s around this time that I come to the decision that the author’s writing doesn’t present him as the ever-humble warrior he professes himself to be throughout the text. He comes across as an arrogant jerk, more or less saying that his way is the only way in modern society to be a warrior.

He’s occasionally even secretive. For each concept or principle he’s discussed, “…another lies in shadow, one which I won’t tell you about.” Secrecy is apparently a time honoured tradition in martial arts, and what was good enough for the ancient masters of centuries ago should be good enough for you. I’d respectfully disagree. In current society, that type of attitude is not going to win you friends, much less students (and that’s what he seems to want us to be reading the book, his students). It’s one thing to help your students along on the path to figuring things out themselves. It’s another entirely to tell them you aren’t going to tell them something really important, so go figure it out yourself and don’t ask me about it.

He’s also dismissive of almost anything that isn’t the classic style of harsh and difficult training he’s used to, showing frequent disdain for anything modern, as well as anything that isn’t directly connected to his particular favoured style(s). As a primarily Goju practitioner, one example that stands out for me is a dismissal of the Tensho and Sanchin kata as merely breathing exercises. For me, this throwaway statement casts a lot of the rest of Morgan’s “wisdom” into doubt. If he can’t be bothered to at least attempt to understand something before dismissing or denigrating it, how can his reader be expected to take his words as anything more than an uninformed opinion?

In The Way of Honour, on the surface of things the author takes a very medieval Japanese perspective on honour, but the middle chapter gives a lie to that, or at least seems to. “Honor in Action” takes the author’s preferred virtues – truthfulness, courtesy, restraint, loyalty, and service – and draws them out into what he sees as the components of honour in modern western society. While one could argue that there are other virtues to be added, Morgan makes a good case for these five. The next chapter, on revenge and suicide, makes for interesting reading.

The last section, The Way of Living, is a bit of a catch all for things the author didn’t want to shoehorn into the first two: Fitness, Religion and Mysticism, Dignity, and Mastery. Each of these, the reader will need to decide how to take on their own. One particular note is that the Fitness chapter is of dubious value when it comes to specifics, written a couple of decades in the past. The chapter labelled Religion and Mysticism is a toe-in-the-water kind of introduction to major eastern philosophies. Dignity is probably an over simplification of the concepts presented in the chapter, but it’s a good summary

And the final chapter, on the meaning of Mastery, is probably my favourite in the book. In a no-nonsense tone, with a personal experience or two, Morgan attempts to show us how mastery has often gotten tangled up with ego and self-importance in our society. This is an important lesson, and probably a good thing for anyone to learn regarding any art, activity, or skill.

Overall rating: 2 Stars. There is a lot of good stuff in the book, but the author’s methodology and personality (on paper, at least, and especially in the first section) make it hard for me to call it recommended reading. Some of what’s here is very good, and some of it is very relevant, but for anyone thinking of reading this, I’d probably suggest saving it for a time in your personal training when you’ve built your own path as a martial artist and have something to measure the author’s words against. The back half of the book reads far better for a wider martial audience than the front, though it’s still hit and miss depending on the subject area being covered.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good nuggets of info, but the ego and us (warriors) vs them (non-warriors) mentality did not sit well.

[Miroku Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Asian martial arts are grounded in a rich heritage of blood and honor, and they have a great deal to offer serious students in today’s dangerous world. Unfortunately, in most modern schools that heritage has been lost. It seems that the modern world and the marketing that drives it revolves around sports competition. As a result, students in today’s schools are only getting the surface features of a deeply rooted tradition, and even older styles of the traditional arts are gradually losing their historical perspective.”



From the Foreward by Dennis Palumbo





Though I have some minor criticisms that I will mention in the notes I include here, this is truly an invaluable book. The richness of the knowledge that Morgan conveys as well as the systematic, practical as well as philosophical, expression of how to live the warrior way is something that I deeply respect, honor, and have striven for in my own life and martial practice over the last three decades. Morgan has a deep knowledge of the “Asian” martial arts (one of my criticisms—but it is still one of the best modern books on martial arts I have ever read)—which, as expressed in the book really are the Japanese, and to lesser extent Korean and Chinese.





“You must be deadly serious in training. When I say that, I do not mean that you should be reasonably diligent or moderately in earnest. I mean that your opponent must always be present in your mind, whether you sit or stand or walk or raise your arms.”

Gichin Funakoshi’s First Rule for the Study of Karate-Do



Quoted in Chapter 1 of Forrest Morgan’s “Living the Martial Way”



“Start today by thinking of yourself as a warrior. Stop being a dentist or an accountant who does karate as a hobby and become a warrior who practices both his profession and karate to hone his spirit. You’ll discover that both your professional competence and your karate will improve.

But the true mastery in The Martial Way involves more than a mere prowess and expertise. The master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight. These goals are far more elusive than those regarding technical expertise. Elusive they may be, but you can begin the long road towards character development by learning to recognize and pursue internal versus external objectives.” (27)



“I hope martial artists are more interested in the root of martial arts and not the different decorative branches, flowers, or leaves. It is futile to argue as to which leaf, which design of branches, or which attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoming.”
Bruce Lee, “Tao of Jeet Kune Do” (23)



I have to disagree with Morgan’s assertion that “So once you reach the black belt level in your core art (never, before then), you need to critically examine the holes and weaknesses in it and find other disciplines to fill in those gaps.” (47) This is absurd on numerous levels. It requires a blind obedience and faith that is very much unmerited. In the context of the chapter, Morgan is explaining how most martial arts styles have a limited “doctrinal” focus that conditions them to fight at a certain range (Tae Kwon Do—using kicks, Judo—grappling, etc.), and that one needs to have a core style and then build upon it to create an integrated style of one’s own, as he, very insightfully, asserts that all martial arts systems are created, and that one really needs to be a well-rounded and effective warrior, not just an adherent of a received style of martial arts. I agree with this strongly, and I agree in training in a core style very assiduously—with years of training and discipline. Tae Kwon Do was my first martial arts style, and I spent years training at the very least two hours a day independently of classes in basic drills, etc.—it was a deep commitment and one should never enter a martial art without this commitment. I have trained in many different martial arts styles since—and consider Muay Thai to actually be more of my core style now, with Eskrima, a style in which I have a black belt, to be a truly combat oriented extension and further development of my original core training—however different Eskrima may be from Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Kenpo, Karate, etc. What I strongly disagree with is the idea that you should not critically think about a martial arts style before earning a black belt. Instead, I would assert that it is essential to do so—not to be contrarian or disrespectful, but to actually learn and be able to apply techniques or principles from the martial art in reality. There is much excess in most modern commercialized martial arts, and anyone who asserts otherwise has not been to many dojos or contemporary tournaments (and it is a lapse in critical thinking on his part to assert so, in my opinion, and a bit ironic as he writes very eloquently earlier in the book about the obsession with externals in the martial arts world now at tournaments, etc.—in sharp contrast to the rondori of Kano and the kumite of Funakoshi).



“If someone asked me what a human being ought to devote the maximum of his time to, I would answer, ‘Training.’ Train more than you sleep.”

”Karate” Master Masutatsu Oyama (19)



“The warrior trains daily. Physical conditioning, technical proficiency, tactical fluency, spiritual strength, emotional control—these are the substances of his goals and the weapons of his arsenal. Every day he devotes some amount of time to honing and polishing at least one of them. Some days he pushes himself to the limits of his capability in one or more to test his progress

Friends, acquaintances, even family often think warriors aare obsessed or compulsive, but that isn’t true. Obsessive and compulsive behavior are, by definition, traits of individuals who are unable to control themselves. The warrior is just the opposite; he is the model of control. The warrior doesn’t seek pain, fear, fatigue, and the other unpleasant byproducts of constant training because he likes them. But he knows they are obstacles between him and his objectives. His goal is to overcome them, and he knows that to defeat an enemy, he must attack. It isn’t that the warrior is driven. He is the driver.

Do you train daily, or does your training consist of going to class two or three evenings a week? You say that’s the only time your class meets? Well, who says you have to be in class to train? Warriors hone their skills constantly, and if you’ve achieved the warrior mind-set, you’re looking for ways to fit some sort of training in every day.” (Morgan 54)



Dr. Alan Hasegawa:

Paradoxically, in many respects, the need for shugyo is even greater in an affluent society. The poet Berryman noted that ‘…the trouble with this country is that a man can live his entire life without knowing whether or not he is a coward.’ He saw a society of complacency an ennui, which was a result of a life of shallow distractions and luxuries. In an affluent society, it is necessary to purposely seek out the challenges which were once a part of the daily life of the warrior. This drive to test the limits of one’s own potential is universal.”

Quoted on pages 59-60



Shugyo is defined by Morgan as “ascetic training”, but he describes his own experience anecdotally as training past the normal physical/psychological breaking point and having the drive—digging deep enough to go beyond it.






A notable defect, as would be expected with the title “ancient Asian martial arts” is that the cultural orientation of the text is geared primarily toward Japanese, and secondarily Chinese and Korean mainstream martial arts to the exclusion of other regions of Asia. I mention this only because, when discussing religion, Morgan lists only four religions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism. There is no mention of Islam, which has been a religion in China for nearly 1400 years—and there are very important Kung Fu styles that have been transmitted and preserved intact only among the Muslim peoples of China.

An excellent, excellent book overall. I wish there were more like it.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good advice for the martial artist but he can be a bit over the top at times. Most useful chapter for me: Train Like Warriors Train.

[Thomas Dineen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to add much to the praise that this superb book has already garnered, except to say that it's one of the most elegantly written and deeply felt texts in a field not always known for the verbal skill or cultural awareness of its authors.

Forrest Morgan concentrates not so much on fighting tactics or specific combat matters, but rather on how practitioners should conceive of martial arts study as a vital aspect of their daily lives. The author's gravity and austere integrity are bracing, particularly in a field populated by sham practitioners.

Morgan brilliantly debunks many martial arts myths, explains how to choose the best discipline for one's purposes, and lays out a program to develop a warrior mindset in a culture that often overlooks the value of the martial virtues.

This finely crafted, probing work should be the first book read by anyone thinking about taking up martial arts. It will also be an essential addition to the libraries of seasoned practitioners.

[Bhakta Kishor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very interesting view into the way that the warrior mindset incorporates into your martial art training and transcends into your everyday life. The book is divided into three sections. The way of training covers mind-set, strategy, tactics, and training. The way of honour covers the foundations of honour, honour in action, and perversions of honour. The way of living covers fitness, religion and mysticism as well as warrior traits.

The book is written for any martial artist no matter what their chosen art is. Due to the author’s training being mainly in Korean and Japanese arts (Tae Kwon Do & Jujitsu), most of the philosophies he discusses are heavily influenced by those cultures. Some of the diet and fitness components are a bit out dated and science has since discovered that some of the principles of diet and exercise he discusses are no longer accepted as valid.

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[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

An OUTSTANDING book which helps Westerners integrate the way of the warrior into a pedestrian, set-the-bar-lower-please society.

[Chris Conolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mixed feelings about this book. Some of it is really good information, but the author’s tone made it difficult to read at times. Some parts of the book seemed very long-winded and incoherent.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I had the same reaction to this book as everyone else: it was groundbreaking when it first came out. Looking back 20 years later, it’s still very good but we have perhaps a more critical view. Forrest Morgan addresses the problem: how can we live a warrior lifestyle in a non-warrior society? To answer that question we need to get beyond the strictly physical aspects of being a warrior and approach it via mental (or maybe spiritual).

Honor and integrity are what separates warriors from thugs. I think what made this book “click” back then is kind of what makes Jordan Peterson click today. I’m not personally a fan of Peterson, but I do understand why people find him compelling. He isn’t a Marxist and he urges you to take charge of your life. Good for him. Morgan does the same thing, but without the Jungian baggage.

His take on religion is balanced. Some martial arts are more closely aligned with religions than others. You just have to be discerning.

If we could boil this to a few quotes or main ideas, Morgan highlights the role of strategy in a warrior’s mindset. That’s where this book is probably unique and what caught me off-guard when I first read it.

“Strategy is the essence of warriorship. It lives in the heart of everything the warrior studies, practices, and does with his life.

There are individuals who step beyond the mere technical mastery of artificial systems to touch the essence of personal warfare, the very soul of The Martial Way. But you can’t achieve this kind of mastery studying one system alone. Remember, all systems are artificial. The only goal truly worthy of a serious warrior’s efforts is mastering The Martial Way itself.”


There are some areas of the book I think are dated. While Morgan was correct that we don’t need as much protein as the average bodybuilder intakes, we need more than he gives us credit for. Further, most people won’t get “bulky” by working out. Proof? Check out the guy at the gym who has been lifting for the past 3 years and still weighs 150lbs. Bruce Lee did standard weight training, 3x10 and while he had one of the greatest physiques of all time, he wasn’t “bulky.”

With that said, he does have a point about training effectively. While I do chin ups regularly, I never go to exhaustion and I don’t need to do bicep curls. I do kettlebell squats instead of regular squats. While deadlift is king of exercises, I’m too injury prone and kettlebell swings is probably a better exercise.

[JC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Reference, Explaining Much

Very informative from start to end. Along with Lovret’s “The Way and the Power” (on classic Japanese tactics), Justice’s “Modern Ninjutsu: A Definitive Guide…” (on how feudal tactics and modern military methods can be applied in modern settings), Sawyer’s translation of the “Military Classics of Ancient China,” and the classics by Sun Tzu and Musashi, you’ll definitely learn the traditional concepts, strategies and tactics. Written by a retired military colonel, he does a good job of keeping it simple enough for laymen to understand. A great reference for pretty much any martial artist.

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is devoted to a consideration of how one should generally approach training for martial arts, but also how one should approach life in general. Morgan focuses quite a bit on the development of a warrior mind-set while reconsidering the 'sport' of martial arts back to its origins as training for life and death interactions.

He focuses quite a bit on the seriousness of training, and the responsibilities of a warrior-oriented individual to behave honorably in a variety of contexts. In considering honor, he also addresses courage and revenge as well as suicide, both in modern contexts as well as how these qualities were seen in feudal Japan.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I've been looking for for some time. It won't teach you any martial arts, but it will teach you what you need to know to get the most out of any martial art you choose: mindset, philosophy, etc. It could also be applied to any number of non-martial traditions. It will probably be easier to understand if you are either in the military, a veteran, or have taken a martial art before, but anyone can get something out of this one.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was part on my Karate studies reading list and it was a good one. If you're studying Martial Arts and want to get into the psyche of what living the martial way is all about, this book is for you. The biggest thing that I took away from it was that Martial Arts can be a complete way of life for you. The codes for living are inspirational and founded in 1,00's of years of study. If you search for a philosophy to guide your life, the MA are a great one to adopt.

[Enrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creo que este libro es una buena introducción para quien quiera empezar a entrenar artes marciales y no sepa con cuál empezar. Parte de lo más simple, pero a la vez de lo que más se olvida: hacerse las preguntas correctas para ver qué arte marcial se ajusta mejor a las características físicas y psicológicas particulares de cada individuo. Y sólo hay una forma de encontrar las respuestas: que cada uno ponga el esfuerzo necesario para dar respuestas, SUS respuestas, a dichas preguntas.

Quizás sea esto, sobre todo, lo que tiene este libro de especial.

[Matt Round · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading for the Warrior.

Loved this book, wish I read it earlier in life. Got some great passages from it that I'll re read again and again especially the last few pages that sort of give a summary of the main points. Thanks Forrest.

[Tom Menke · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written guidebook for those looking to live a better and more meaningful life. Must read for all those wanting to achieve at higher levels.

[Lightwhisper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it would be more profound and meaningful, but it was just a man telling how this is much better and the you can to things outsider competition. Wasn't really insightful.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a while that I've read that really hits me and is useful for every day life. My only complaint is that the nutrition science section is based on somatotypes, which is not great.

[Sara Perrott · Rating 2 out of 5]

not thrilled

I was required to read this book for my dojo. I had a difficult time getting through it. So much repetition and the chapter on fitness just seemed out of place.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. A bit more on the martial arts philosophy side which I enjoyed.

[Edward Rand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one I keep close to hand. Indispensable handbook for a modern warrior.

[Dave]

Why read: This book was recommended by Hanshi Montalvo at the Nov 2023 Black Belt Grading.

[Lucas Holm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome book. Very extensive in its detailing of various general martial art fundamental points, and interesting discussion separating the warrior from the competitor, which I won’t give too much away on but it’s really interesting.

I’d rate this 3.5/5 but I can’t give this half points

[Bassaidai88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a fairly comprehensive work covering everything from nutrition, training and etiquette presented in a very easy reading style, I was left with the feeling that unless you are practicing full contact martial arts, then you are simply 'playing' at a hobby or something to pass the time. At times the text appears to contradict itself. On the one hand, the author discusses the philosophical side of the martial arts and states: "The master warrior is a man of character, a man of wisdom and insight." (page 27) This is obtained by "learning to recognize and pursue internal versus external objectives." (page 27) On the other hand, the author states that "the problem with modern budo systems, with their emphasis on sport play or spiritual development, is that they've lost touch with the reality of combat." (page 62) So how do you become a master warrior of wisdom and insight without diving deeply into the spiritual side? The author discusses Mushin (pages 124-127) and teaches kata as a vehicle to achieve Mushin but one is left wondering if the author has experienced Mushin or not. There appears to be an impediment to embracing some of the Eastern philosophies as the author directs the reader to "Reconcile your martial arts training with your religious convictions by studying methods of warfare, not worship." (page 259) Despite the author's awareness of the teachings of Funakoshi, Lee, Oyama and Musashi, it appears that the author has only taken "what you can use and discarded the rest." (page 231) Sadly, in my opinion, the author has exited the train before it has reached its final destination.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be on the shelf of every martial artist. Strike that, it should be on the bedside table of every martial artist so it's easily accessible. Forrest E. Morgan puts his years of martial training, experience in the military, and considerable erudition to good use in what can only be described as a modern classic.

His book covers many areas associated with martial arts; physical training, general fitness, the nature of martial arts, the value of sparring vs. patterns, honor and obligation, strategy and tactics (yes, they are different), philosophy, etc. He handles all of these areas (and more) handily with readable explanations as well as examples from his own experiences to help further illustrate the concepts.

Morgan's treatment of subjects such as shugyo, kokoro, kokyu chikara, kime, mushin, and zanshin are all excellent. He both de-mystifies the topics and explains why they do, in fact, work. His treatment of dignity, physical grace, and Shibumi in chapter 11 should be required reading to anyone who even considers practicing a martial art. Would that more modern martial artists had even an inkling of what Shibumi is!

If there can be any criticism of Morgan I would say that his deliniation between "Do" and "Jutsu" hews too closely to that set forth by Donn Draeger. Draeger's work is foundational but he tends to draw too hard a line between "ways" and "arts." Additionally, other more recent authors have tended to push his distinctions even further in that they apply them to arts to which these terms simply don't do justice (they also tend to overlook the fact that even before "Do" was being widely used as a desciptive many so-called "Jutsu" arts were being practiced, at least partially, for self-improvement). This is a minor quibble, however, and doesn't really detract seriously from his work.

[Sylvan Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Mr Morgan's honesty and boldness in challenging the status quo of modern martial arts. It takes a brave person to question how the 'Master' status' within martial arts are attained and if indeed the 'Master' status' are relevant after all technical stages have been achieved, but Mr Morgan explains his findings very well with sound reasoning and a good link back to the martial way of living. The book provides some very good concepts on how to improve your physical and psychological martial arts as well as your general every day living.

One quote that stuck out for me personally was, 'Isn't it interesting how when certain members of our society reach high station, they seem to think it's perfectly all right to treat people in lessers positions rudely?', the martial way gives some great guidelines on coping with such behaviour.

In the area of preventing conflict through understanding the true essence (right time to use) of loyalty, courtesy, truthfulness and restraint, I thought the 'Foundations of Honor' section would be a great complimentary read to 'The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba John Stevens (Translator)'.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read for dedicated students of any martial art. It is, in my opinion, more accessible than similar texts of Asian origin.

There were a few things I disagreed with, for example he said cross training is fine but that you should NEVER start another art without the intention of pursuing it to the end. Personally I don't find anything wrong with giving a year of your time and money to learn from someone if they are willing to teach you.

There were also times when he gave examples of how he is a warrior. These were obviously there to illustrate his point but they came off as a little self indulgent.

That being said, there is certainly a lot great ideas and concepts in this book. It explains Eastern philosophies and concepts in an easy to understand manner.

If you're looking for a book that'll teach you how to fight, then this isn't it. It teaches you how to cultivate warrior ideals and principles to supplement your own training.