looking for good book

[seskoad]

Guys, I am looking the book about philosohpy of karate. I am doing goju ryu (goju kai organization). I found the book karate do kyohan by gogen yamaguchi hanshi. But it's very expensive (US100). I don't know what's in it. What I am looking is the book of karate that does not show you the technique but philosophy. I read some people take few words from gichin funakoshi's word. i wonder which one of his books that contain only about the philosophy. Well for technique, no reason unless you train

[Sochin]

Try Funakoshi Gichen's bio, Karate-Do My Way of Life,

and Sensei Richard Kim's Weaponless Warriors, and The Classical Man.

These are a good start...

I also recomend all books by Dave Lowry.


Try The Zen of Archery if you can find it.

[Harry Cook]

An excellent source is Michael Maliszewski's Spiritual Dimensions Of The Martial Arts, Tuttle 1996 ISBN 0-8048-2048-1. if you are going to look at Herrigel's work on Zen and archery you should also read Yamada Shoji's "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" Japanese Journal of religious studies Spring 2001 Vol 28 Nos.1-2. I have seen this article on a number of web stes; I'm sure a google search would find it.
Remember that much of the value system and "philosophy" of karate is simply Confucianism applied in a martial context. You might find that looking at some of the Confucian classics of value.
Yours,
Harry Cook