The Military Retainer: The Samurai
Education and Status of the Buke
The Samurai Woman
The Masterless Warrior: The Ronin
2. The Heimin
The Farmers
The Militant Clergy
Artisans and Merchants
The Police Forces and the Underworld
3. The Centers of Martial Instruction
The Ryu
The Sensei
PART II OUTER FACTORS OF BUJUTSU
Weapons and Techniques
4. Armed Bujutsu
The Armor
Evolution of Japanese Armor
Elements of Japanese Armor
The Major Martial Arts
The Art of Archery
The Art of Spear Fighting
The Art of Swordsmanship
The Art of Military Horsemanship
The Art of Swimming in Armor
The Minor Martial Arts
The Art of the War Fan
The Art of the Staff
The Art of the Jitte
The Collateral Methods of Combat
The Art of the Chain and Other Weapons
Ninjutsu
5. Unarmed Bujutsu
Specializations, Instruments, and Techniques
The Art of Wrestling
The Military Specializations of Unarmed Bujutsu
The Schools of Jujutsu
The Schools of Aikijutsu
The Arts of Striking
The Art of Kiai
PART III INNER FACTORS OF BUJUTSU
The Invisible Range
6. Control and Power
The Foundation
The Concept of the Centre
The Concept of Intrinsic Energy
Applications of Haragei
Haragei in Ancient Specializations of Bujutsu
Kyujutsu
Kenjutsu
Sumo
Jujutsu
Kiaijutsu
Haragei in Modern Derivations of Bujutsu
Judo
Karate
Aikido
The Martial Synthesis
7. Strategic Principles
The Major Strategies
Principles of Application
The Bilateral Principle in Particular
The Attack and the Counterattack
The Defense
8. Morality of Bujutsu
The Way of the Warrior
The Value of Zen in Bujutsu
CONCLUSION : The Evolution of Bujutsu
CHARTS
2. Chronology of Japanese History
3. Class Structure of Tokugawa Society
4. The Central Government (bakufii) and Its Major Agencies in Edo
5. Classification of Daimyo Ranks According to the Audience Room at the Shogun’s Court at Edo
6. Structure of the Yamanouchi Clan
7. Structure of the Okudaira Clan
8. Major Divisions within the Warrior Army in Feudal Japan
10. Program of Instruction in the Nisshinkan Institute
11. Major Schools of Bujutsu in Feudal Japan
12. Ranking System in Modern Derivations of Feudal Bujutsu
13. Methods of Unarmed Combat
14. Sumo Organization and Ranking System
15. Judo Program of Instruction (Kodokan style)
16. Major Outlines of Aikido Program of Instruction
17. Karate Program of Instruction (Shotokan style)
18. Action and Reaction in Judo and Aikido
FOREWORD
Secrets of the Samurai is the end result of a man and a woman's passionate commitment to the literary and artistic possibilities inherent in the combination and integration of word and image, whatever the subject, and—more particularly—to Oscar Ratti's unique ability to bring life to every page with drawings infused with the vitality and humanity of the individual and of the collective spirit. We are all part of something larger than ourselves, and yet we are all individual entities with almost unimaginable potential for enhancing and contributing in a positive way to the ongoing, turbulent stream of life; to learn—sometimes through very painful experiences—how to expand our horizons and those of others.
Down through the ages, philosophers, writers, artists, and all reflective individuals, have grappled with the quandary Shakespeare had Hamlet consider: “To Be, or Not To Be, that is the question…” Whether to grasp the nettle of existence firmly and fight the good fight—in