The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts: A Graphic Novel Paperback – March 12, 2013

I have recently read and reviewed numerous graphic novels, many of them based upon legendary martial art philosophies such as the famous Miyamoto Musashi's "The Book of Five Rings" and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." This one ("The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts: A Graphic Novel) is based upon the classic stories and legends written by Issai Chozanshi, who was a Samurai in the eighteenth-century. He was also a student and teacher of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto and Confucianism. This text is based on the translation by William Scott Wilson, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and beautifully illustrated by Michiru Morikawa.He stressed many of the well-known philosophical concepts many serious life-time martial artists are familiar with, if they have trained under true martial art masters. As someone who has been fortunate to have studied numerous martial arts (Judo, Jujitsu, Karate-Do, Kobudo, Kenjutsu, Kendo and other arts)under some fantastic teachers, I really enjoyed reading this excellent volume. This text is organized into 5 parts.Part 1 explains the parable about "Transformation of the Sparrow and the Butterfly and Meeting the Gods of Poverty in a Dream. Part 2 covers the story about "The greatest Joys of the Cicada and its cast-off shell and "The Owl's understanding." Part 3 deals with the sermon of "The centipede Questions the Snake." Part 4 is my favorite sermon because it deals with "The Toad's Way of the Gods" and "The Mysterious Technique of the Cat." The final part is the shortest and provides insight into the lessons learned by the traveling Samurai as he becomes enlightened. "I have been to the mountains, met with demons, and now I can carry on... Man is a moving being."In conclusion, if you are a serious student of the martial arts you may already be familiar with Issai Chozanshi's writings; nevertheless, this graphic novel version should also be in your personal library of Martial Arts philosophy. A wonderful and enjoyable book to read.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: The Samurai Heart: An old warrior's poetic tribute)

I have been searching for a graphic novel that touched on more philosophical and in depth subjects for years and I have finally found it with The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts. Everything about this book is above and beyond anything I have found in terms of graphic novels. The artwork is beautiful, even though it is black and white which I generally do not like, the story has a wonderful flow which actually has a deeper meaning talked about it the afterword, and the subjects contain deeper philosophical questions and teachings that almost require them to be read again and again. I think what puts it over the top however is the whimsical and unexpected characters that bring the story to life. Have you ever encountered an enlightened cicada that taught you the secret of happiness? Exactly. This will definitely be part of my permeant collection and I plan on buying everything that has been released from William Scott Wilson, Sean Michael Wilson, and Michiru Morikawa. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they are working on more gems like this!

I originally read The Demon's Sermon years ago in the original full text translation. I have been training martial arts my entire life, and studying the associated philosophies and spiritual belief systems intrinsic to the cultures of each art. I have to say that by far this is one of my favorite books. The beautiful art and ease of reading this graphic novel version allows for it to be accessible to many more people. Since buying my first copy I have had to buy a subsequent 7 or 8 because I keep giving it away to other people. It really is that good. Some of the concepts in it may be difficult for some people to grasp, but if you sit with it long enough, they are phenomenal insights on the nature of life, let alone martial arts.

I enjoyed this and found a lot of interesting insights into martial arts and the culture of the time. Essentially, it is Aesop's Fairy Tales for the Far East combined with martial insights.

Love it great read a must for martial artist

Ancient Japanese psychobabble from a time when boys with swords weren't allowed to chop each other to bits anymore. Cool adaptation; I like the graphic novel presentation, really nice art! Zen wisdom sits uneasily with me, sometimes, though... My feelings are mixed. Have a good one, bud.

C'est un livre qui suscite beaucoup de réflexions. Il gagnera à être relu. Ce n'est pas un livre qui porte vraiment sur les techniques du sabre, mais sur l'état d'esprit d'un pratiquant d'arts martiaux.

This graphic novel is based on the philosophical teachings of Issai Chozanshi, an 18-century samurai, on the meaning of life. This book does a beautiful job with its images to narrate the stories.