The Twelve Rules of the Sword

I bought this for someone else. It's a short read though and I managed to sneak a read for myself before gifting it off. It's a really fascinating book as a historical piece because it shows images of the original documents and discusses the context and translation. I thought it looked like a cool gift idea but I'm also into Japanese martial arts history and so this book really grabbed my attention as I read it. I've never heard of the book before seeing it on Amazon. I rate books with price in mind as well but the lack of content here is understandable as it is focused on a historical document, so $12 seems okay for what you're getting. It's entertaining if you're curious about historical documents of Japan, but I think most people would be disinterested in the content. I'll probably buy a copy for myself later on. The advice given in the book is more technical than philosophical, so it's not like other popular samurai books, but some of the advice can be applied to situational thinking. I really liked the book personally, as I was in Bujinkan at one time and did some kenjutsu. It's a great gift for anyone into Japanese swordsmanship or history.

Don't expect much specifics on technique and you won't be disappointed.This book is several interpretations of a work from the 19th century, "The 12 Rules of the Sword", along with some spells or meditations, and a work claiming to be a transcription of a 17th century text. Note that all of this postdates Musashi's "Book of Five Rings".The 12 rules are more memory aids than instruction. They discuss concepts without much detail, but "Horizontal, Vertical, Above, & Below" and "Interval Between You and Your Opponent" do give some practical principles of physical action. "The Color of Things" is about being in the moment. and reminding the student that combat is not the moment for reflection or to seek meaning with a drawn sword in your hand.Overall, it was interesting, but not one that merits the multiple readings the way the "Book of Five Rings" does.E.M. Van Court

It took a little work to understand the philosophy expressed, being an occidental sword master in the film industry, but my respect for Japanese swords and the Samurai who believed they were part of their soul, made the exploration very worthwhile.

With all the fake marital arts out there, it is refreshing to have translations by real masters. Don't get me wrong, Musashi is great, but he is not the only sword master that ever lived. There are others... and some of them are quite frankly, better... Ito Ittosai was one of them. If you are a student of Budo... real budo... then this is a must have, because the old masters are where it is at. Yes, they talk about mindset more than physical training... but 99% of real combat is mental. Athletic ability counts for very little in real life. Welcome to the world of real violence. It sucks. And you will probably die. I have almost all of Eric Shahan's translations, and they are worth every penny.

I read this book five out of five because I thought it was awesome it has cool sword techniques and Concepts. If you like Samurai stuff and swordsmanship this is a good read

Eric shahan is making so much amazing material available to the english speaking world. This book will join my collection of treasures he has produced in recent years. The principles contained in this book are so deep I feel it will take me years to begin to grasp them.

Exactly what I wanted.

I liked it. I like marshal arts.

An interesting book for sure. Some useful tips for modern martial artists too. I owned the hagakure many years ago and I like this one, not as much but is still a good addition. If you like this kind of book, you won't be disappointed. It's short, but the lessons are interesting.

a very informative book and full of good information

The original work itself is an interesting example of Edo literature, exhibiting neo-confucian influence and the expected focus of Chinese references. The introduction is fine for the novice reader perhaps, but the text is in need of better annotation and referencing. The translation is not always accurate, with errors throughout. It does capture the general meaning.

Interesting thoughts from a time when centimeters and split seconds meant the difference between life and death.Valuable to practitioners of the way of the sword as wel as everyday life, business,...For those who also study Japanese language and kanji, it's nice the original texts are included.

Debido a su contenido ni debe gustarte ni debe repelerte. Es así como es y nada más. Un documento que muestra una de las tradiciones del Japón, relacionada con el arte del manejo de la espada y su interrelación con el budismo y la espiritualidad oriental.