Research into the history of Bushido - Philosophy and Principles

[kodomon]

Hello all,

I am in the middle of some research into the history of the development of Bushido, its philosophies and principles, and am currently scouring for resources and texts outside the usual popular titles. (Nitobe, Wilson, Cleary, Yuzan etc).

Can anyone point me at some lesser known and available titles or resources on this?

In particular, I am interested in any works on "Shido" by Yamaga Sokō in the 17th Century, and any obscure anecdotes or historical tales that personify any of the standard seven principles.

Finally, I am also interested in modern day interpretations and applications of the principles in Martial Arts Dojos and how these principles underpin the philosophies and training in those dojo.

[Joseph Svinth]

Be sure to read Professor Bodiford's articles in Thomas A. Green, ed., "Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia" (ABC-CLIO, 2001). You'll need to do this at the library, though, as the book itself is out of print.

Online, try:

* http://ejmas.com/jalt/2006jalt/jcsart_bodiford_0206.html
* http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsdraeger_musashi.htm
* http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_Hurst_0101.htm
* http://ejmas.com/tin/2004tin/tinart_watkin_2_1104.html
* http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_friday_0301.htm
* http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_hurst_0501.htm
* http://ejmas.com/jalt/jaltart_abe_0600.htm
* http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_1202.htm

In the past, Don Modesto has recommended the following:

SNIP

* http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4217

* http://www.aikiweb.com/language/goldsbury1.html
...for the meaning of Bu and the difference between budo/bushido\

To counter some mythology--Conlan: The Culture of Force and Farce
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/Conlan.pdf

More generally, here's a bibliography [Don] put together for [his] students: http://aikidojournal.com/forums/vie...p?p=67150#67150

UNSNIP

[kodomon]

I have come across Professor Henry Smith's excellent bibliography on Bushido: http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/chushinguranew/Bushido/Biblio.htm

It is an excellent list of both English and Japanese works.

Just looking for the eclectic and any obscure ones that readers of this forum may have come across.

[don]

Be sure to read Professor Bodiford's articles in Thomas A. Green, ed., "Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia" (ABC-CLIO, 2001). You'll need to do this at the library, though, as the book itself is out of print.

Hey, Joe,

Hope you're well; I'm...bereft to think that this book is out of print already. Geez, we really are our own worst enemies, aren't we--I can still see Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere and even Ashida Kim--but no Martial Arts of the World?!

Alsi, thanks for the citation.

CU.

[Joseph Svinth]

I always hoped that the publisher would consider selling a paperback version at a more reasonable price, but as it is? Hope your library bought a copy.

"MA in the Modern World" (2003) is still in print, but I'm wondering how long that will last.

Part of this is probably the pressure from the Internet. John Corcoran is having trouble finding anybody interested in a book on Elvis and the MA, so my guess is that fewer people are willing to pay for anything related to MA history.

***

If Prof. Bodiford's citations are not sufficient, then you might try Monumenta Nipponica. See also JSTOR and Google Scholar. Unfortunately, from my standpoint, many of these articles are in Japanese. See, for example, Prof. Abe's article on Chiyosaburo Takeda, one of the pioneers of kyogido (athletic sport) in Japan. http://www.taiiku.tsukuba.ac.jp/inst-hss/bulletin25pdf/31-48.pdf

[don]

I always hoped that the publisher would consider selling a paperback version at a more reasonable price, but as it is? Hope your library bought a copy.

It took 'em a long time to do it with Draeger...

I'm good, though. I got a remainder from Amazon Marketplace for $11 (some lines missing from the TOC). Best $11 I ever spent.

[Joseph Svinth]

Now here's one, if you read Japanese. SUZUKI Koshi, "The Invention of the Bushido in Meiji Japan," http://www.taiiku.tsukuba.ac.jp/inst-hss/bulletin24pdf/47-56.pdf

From the English introduction. "Many people believe that the Bushido has been the symbol of the soul of Japanese since our country begain. But in fact, the tradition of the Bushido was invented and we were made to believe that it is the identity of the Japanese...

A nationalist, Inoue Tetsujirou had a great role in this process. He said that the Bushido, which was limited within elite Bushi class in pre-Modern age and declined first 20 years of Meiji period, must be revived as a national spirit...

Another famous Bushido preacher, Nitobe Inazo went different way, when he published 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan' in English. The Bushido compared with Chivalry was easy to understand for foreign people, when he changed militant spirit into ethical one and played a great part in suppressing the raise of the yellow peril movement during the Russo-Japanese War.

In this way the nationalistic and internationalistic Bushido was invented in Meiji Japan."

See also ABE Ikuo's "The Genealogy of Chiyosaburo Takeda's 'Kyogido' and Its Nature," at http://www.taiiku.tsukuba.ac.jp/inst-hss/bulletin25pdf/31-48.pdf .

There is a two-page English summary, so everybody can read that one without much trouble. Worth reading, too, as you see some of the ideas that underpin kendo and, to a lesser extent, judo.

[Mekugi]

When I first read this, it only drove home what I had been thinking about nationalism and Budo in the early to mid 20th century. A really good article and it should be required reading in the school system.


Now here's one, if you read Japanese. SUZUKI Koshi, "The Invention of the Bushido in Meiji Japan," http://www.taiiku.tsukuba.ac.jp/inst-hss/bulletin24pdf/47-56.pdf

[Joseph Svinth]

I wonder if the author could be talked into a translation. All I know is what I read in summaries.