<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: This book comes up in every martial art discussion I have
Review: Lovret takes the reader on a comprehensive and exciting view of Martial strategy, whether it be army against army, businesses vying for market share or single unarmed combat. Lovret has excellent perspective and I can't recommend this book enough. The points he make come up constantly when I practice and when I discuss what makes a martial artist good or bad. Read the book, no matter who you are or what your level, you'll take away vital information for your martial arts career.
Rating: 
Summary: I hate to destroy a book...
Review: but I had to with this. I didn't want such a horrible book to fall into someone elses hands and them getting delusions of Japanese fighting. The authors martial background is questionable. He claims he is/was the only one taught some super secret Ninja sword fighting technique from a Ninja master because he saved his life. The book is poorly written, has alot of questionable material, bad visuals and just plain awful. I agree with the others, this book wastes shelf space and deserves to be destroyed.
Rating: 
Summary: An excelent basic discussion of the subject.
Review: First let me say that I am a student of the author and have been studying Japanese martial arts since 1960. This is a book intended as a basic level review of the classical strategy and tactics of Japanese martial arts. It does that very well. While there are some people who claim to be scholars of Japanese history they tend to not mention that many records were altered for political reasons (historically and in recent times) and that others were lost in other ways over the years. A mention was made in a review about bad posture. As someone who has been instructed (and served as uke) by a number of very senior people (including Shioda sensei founder of the Yoshinkai)in Yoshinkai Aikido, Ueshiba-ha Aikido and others, that statement is patently wrong. Overall, this is an excelent book worth reading for the information contained. Traditional martial artists will find it both interesting and informative.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable addition to the available literature.
Review: I, too, am a student of Mr. Lovret, although I was not at the time I originally read The Way and the Power. Reading this book led me to seize the opportunity to train with Mr. Lovret and literally changed significant aspects of my life. The Way and the Power addresses classical forms of Japanese strategy. Each chapter presents a particular strategy, describing the philosophical basis of the strategy and detailing a number of specific, tactical applications. The topics addressed include such subjects as distancing, timing, centering, momentum, appearances, and initiative, among many others. As a karate instructor at the time I first read The Way and the Power, I was able to base nearly a year's worth of classes on explorations of the strategies illustrated in the book. Regardless of their personnel focus in training, most martial artists will find The Way and the Power to be an invaluable addition to their book shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Clear Look At The Mind and Spirit Of the Warrior
Review: Lovret does more than point out the tactics of fighting. HE DEPICTS ESSENTIAL TACTICS OF ALL LIFE, including business. Without directly stating it, Lovret details and clarifies many of the principles described by MUSASHI in his BOOK OF FIVE RINGS. So said, Lovret's work should be treated as a companion piece to Musashi's own. In 25 years of practice and study, I have never known any other writer to depict the mind and spirit of the warrior way so clearly, DEVOID OF THE IDEALISTIC TRAPPINGS OF THOSE INEXPERIENCED IN REAL COMBAT. I don't know Mr. Lovret, but I do know street-fighting better than most fighters ever will, and I do know the fear and anxiety of combat (for the streets and the military). I TRUST Lovret's words better than I do most others, for in reading his words I hear my old master and clearly recall my own painful lessons.
Rating:
Summary: tiresome writing style, bad examples
Review: The book has a number of failings that make it not worth the money, unless you can find it in a .99 cent bin at some used bookstore. It is worth the .99 cents because (and this is its one and only good point) is it does contain a list of the major concepts of Japanese military strategy. This list is the table of contents.
Once you get beyond the table of contents, the book turns utterly useless. It is poorly written and features somewhat pointless photos. Three things really condemn the book. First is what I have come to call the "macho-military martial arts" tone of it. The author goes on and on about "warriors" this and "warriors" that and trained killers and how there are two classes of people on earth; the wolves (and I guess the author fits himself in that category, which provides the first laugh of the book as the author, at least to my knowledge, was nothing more than an enlisted guy in the Navy and a gift shop keeper and running his martial arts studio) and the sheep (which are those who have not been "in combat") and it rapidly becomes tiresome. That kind of talk is okay for a video game manual but is less suitable for what I presume was supposed to be an adult book.
Reason number two is the fact that the supposed business examples of how to use these strategies are foolishly and unrealistically simplistic. Yes, he claims that running a business is just like running a military battle; which it is not. And even on the martial side the book talks in such generalities that the strategies do not have much use. If you are interested in Japanese/Chinese military strategy Samuel B. Griffith's translation of Sun Tzu: The Art of War is the one stop source for that.
Reason number three is the fact that the author seems to have little background in Japanese martial arts. Amazon reader review policy says not to attack authors so I will not. Suffice to say, the book looks like it was largely copied from other english language sources and padding is provided by the hyperbole of the author. For example this typical bit of prose in the introduction; "A man, like a tree, begins as a seed. As with a tree, his birth is a time of struggle. From that day forward he exists in a constant state of war with his environment. To live he must eat and to eat he must kill.." well, you get the point. Actually author Fred, to eat I go to the store or the Golden Arches, I have gone 46 years and never killed anything and neither, I strongly suspect, has the author, so that kind of talk just comes out sounding stupid.
Well too, I guess if you want a laugh or are a collector of really bad martial arts books .99 cents may not be too much for this book.
Rating:
Summary: This book is garbage.
Review: This book is complete garbage. I found it a waste of money and time reading it. The best thing I can find use for in this book was to keep the fire going on a cold winter night. This is another great book published by Paladin Press which brought you such great books written by Ashida Kim. Don't waste your time buying this.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of shelf space
Review: This book is one of the worst I've ever seen. The interpretations of Japanese culture and history are questionable. Overall, it is a waste of valuable book shelf space.
Rating:
Summary: Details of the Masters
Review: This is an outstanding book, full of the wisdom and spirit needed for martial arts and survival. Without intending to, Lovret has created a work that clarifies the tactics and techniques listed by Miyamoto Musashi. Beyond merely teaching us the strategies of sword-fighting, he details each principle as it applies to weapons, empty hand, grappling, competition, street use, and business. This book is the modern addendum to the "Book of Five Rings", and is a must for any serious student of the martial arts. Only those living in a fantasy of idealized notions would be unable to see the wisdom therein.
Rating: 
Summary: Ninja Samurai Strategy for the Survivalist
Review: This is another interesting book from Paladin Press, the publishers that brought us the classic title: "Bad: A Video Guide to Constructing and Firing Your Own Backyard Artillery Device". Here in "The Way and the Power" by Supreme Grandmaster Soke Lovret shows the Doomsday survivalist or weekend rogue warrior how to use traditional Japanese Ninja warrior strategy to quickly get the "dirty jobs" finished. As soke grandmaster Lovret says "the samurai was a butcher" and over 300 pages guide the reader on how to use the deadly Samurai Ninja arts of aiki and kenjitsu to "put 'em down for good". The Zen-like mental techniques suggested to dissassociate oneself from the temptation to be merciful and to stay cool under stress of combat when "up close and personal" were of special interest. Grandmaster Fredrick Lovret shows how anyone can master these Ninja strategy techniques and dirty little tricks within a weekend. The main problem with the book was that it was that the author often romanticized war which clearly shows that he has never really "been there".
<< 1 >>
| 
