Regular marked price: $15.95Discount Price: $10.85
Cost Savings: $5.10 (32%)Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.8
EAN num: 9781583940662
ISBN number: 1583940669
Label: Frog Books
Manufacturer: Frog Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 200
Printing Date: 2003-02
Publishing house: Frog Books
Release Date: February 20, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 253352
Studio: Frog Books
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
From the 'chop-sockey' kung-fu epics on the big screen to practices like tae kwon do at local community centers, the martial arts have become a major phenomenon in Western culture. In On the Warrior's Path, author Daniele Bolelli examines the central figure in this trend: the warrior. Bolelli, himself a martial artist, looks at every facet of the warrior lifestyle, from the unbreakable tenacity of the Japanese swordsman to the contemplative practices of the mysterious warrior monks of China. Drawing from both classical and popular sources of warrior culture, Bolelli shows what it takes to inhabit this singular role, along the way making surprising connections between martial arts and psychedelic culture, basketball, American Indian society, surfing, Star Wars, and more.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Finally, in Bolelli we have someone who understands the lovers of martial arts and sees a greater purpose beyond the fight. This is a warm, insightful book by a man who is clearly a human and a poet as well as a warrior.
However, his poeticism does have its downfall. About 1/3 of the paragraphs in this book I skimmed over because he does tend to lose control in his writing style, wasting many pages with florid prose and tripping over the beauty of his own words.
Also, his historical understanding of certain figures like Musashi and the ninja are just as sorely misinformed as the media- and movie-slaves he speaks out against. Of course, this is a minor detail as Bolelli's work is not intended as a historical or factual guide. I only mention it here so that you might keep an eye out and not take his word as law.
And maybe his translation into English is the source of my discomfort, but he's got a strange sense of humour that I have to forgive in order to get to the meat of his ideas.
The most valuable part of the book that sticks out is his idea of the mythical triad of the classic hero's story: the warrior, the dragon, and the princess. All the philosophy in this book you can find in greater detail elsewhere; all the connections to modern-day practice you can find within yourself. But this one particular essay synthesizes the idea of harmony--between conflict, the overcoming that conflict, and what comes afterwards--in an accessible way that I haven't seen before. For that essay alone this book is worth buying.
Rated by buyers 
-
On the Warrior's Path is an interesting introduction into the philosophy of martial arts. There are several worthy sections of this book, like the description of a handful of martial art archetypes - (I am a ninja, while my wife is a samurai.) However, the message is disjointed and without a cohesive direction. To be sure, the Warrior's Path is a meandering one. It seemed to me that the author was reluctant to commit to an opinion on much of anything. He would rather acknowledge all points of view and waffle on his own opinion. Often there is a hint of opinion, but it is fleeting. And, as in so many martial arts books, the ego of the author rears its ugly head. (Why do advanced practitioners often forget the lesson of humility?)
The book does offer some food for thought, if you are willing to wade through the sometimes verbose ramblings.
Rated by buyers 
-
Many times after reading a book you aren't going to absorb very much at all, however. I can honestly say that there were a few very important things that I was able to learn as well as absorb from this book, that I actually carry with me to this day. I highly recommend it and it's at an excellent price as well.
Rated by buyers -
This book is awesome. It introduced me to the philosophy of Taoism and it also discusses all the topics with eloquence and insightfulness. It is one of the books that can be read multiple times and be a different story each time.
Rated by buyers -
This book is very well written. Having studied martial arts for many years, I was looking for a text that discussed the topic from an inner perspective. This book was just what I was looking for. Bolelli's writing style is very engaging and the topics he covers are wide ranging. The last three chapters of the book were written 10 years after the original content, and it does show. I will agree with others here that their content seems a bit awkward in comparison to the remainder of the book. However, it's still a very good insight into the mind of a warrior, and the personal goals one can achieve with a solid connection between the mind and body. Highly recommended.
Find other books like this one:
