36 Secret Strategies of the Martial Arts

It would seem likely that the great strategists and martial artists of both China and Japan would have been quite familiar with this work. Its durability and easy memorization indicate that it was likely on the school curriculum for young samurai, and eventually filtered its way down to an acquaintance by the more educated common people, as well. When reading through these strategies, great men like Hideyoshi and Ieyasu (warrior rulers of Japan), Yagyu and Musashi (renowned swordsmen) come quickly to mind. The lessons such men would have learned from The 36 Strategies would have served them a lifetime in very diverse situations. Moriya has provided an excellent format for this work. The strategies have been divided into six general headings or parts, and he has given a short explanation at the beginning of each of these divisions. He then presents the Chinese phrases for the strategy and its commentary, translating and explaining both. Next he provides his own commentary, which is in simple and direct language. Finally, he provides examples for each of the strategies as it was put into practice. These examples range from episodes of battles in ancient China to the Napoleonic wars to WWII to the Suez conflict in 1956. This book should have a broad appeal. Certainly those interested in the history, culture, psychology and the martial arts of the Far East will find it a fascinating key to these subjects, but it should also have a strong appeal to those who find themselves in conflict with others, whether professionally (attorneys and businessmen) or just in living in the everyday world. The book would definitely make a ready addition to KI's series on the martial arts and related subjects. I recommend it with enthusiasm.Moriya, Hiroshi is the author of '36 Secret Strategies of the Martial Arts', published 2008 under ISBN 9784770030641 and ISBN 4770030649.