Classical Budo

by Donn F. Draeger

Donn Draeger was one of the most famous and well-respected martial artists of the twentieth century, and he was a pioneer in bringing Asian martial arts study to the West. Here, he illuminates the compelling historical, political, and philosophical events that gave rise to the development of the budo arts. The classical budo , or "martial ways" are not combat systems like their forerunner, bujutsu , or "martial arts"; nor are they sports like modern judo, kendo, or karate . They are first and foremost spiritual disciplines, whose ultimate goal, achieved through the most rigorous mental and physical training, is self-realization in the tradition of Zen Buddhism. The author details the history, philosophy, and methods of a variety of these "martial ways," some using weapons and some weaponless, and reveals how they evolved from their combative roots. The book includes fascinating artwork from classical sources, and archival photographs of modern budo masters in action.

Genres: Martial Arts, Japan, History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

From Wikipedia:

Donald 'Donn' Frederick Draeger (April 15, 1922 – October 20, 1982) was an expert practitioner of Asian martial arts, an author of several martial arts books, and a United States Marine. Draeger was widely known and respected in the martial arts community, and was a leading martial arts researcher.

Throughout his life, Draeger was known by his nickname 'Donn.' He held the rank of Captain during peacetime and Major during wartime in the Marine Corps. Draeger's tombstone reflects his peacetime rank of Captain. He spent several decades of his life in the Pacific area and Japan, becoming well acquainted with several classical martial arts of the region. Today, he is probably best known for his martial arts scholarship.

Reviews

[Steve Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like its sister volume “Classical Bujutsu” it is a bit dry at times. Like that work Draeger inexplicably uses western quotations to introduce each chapter.

I found chapter 7 the most interesting, as it dealt with empty handed methods and their development.

Both works are good sources for the nerd, and though brief, give a wealth of background on the disciplines.

[Matt Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bear some burden for this falling flat. This is the second volume of a three volume set, and I didn't read the first. Maybe it would make more sense. But I wasn't particularly interested in the bujutsu, so I started here. It should also be noted that I read the 1973 edition, rather than the revised 1990 edition, so maybe it's all better now.

That said, the structure of the book is a lot of the issue. While I appreciated the emphasis on historical context, it was not until halfway through this volume that the author started to specify what forms were included in his definition of "classical budo." For example, he excludes kyudo, Japanese archery, despite the fact that it's featured on the cover of the second edition and throughout the book itself. While he identifies several schools of thought, they are not broken up clearly so that the reader knows when he is transitioning from one to the other. Even after reading the book, I don't think I could explain what classical budo is. I could describe why and how it emerged, but I'd have trouble describing the particular elements of the practice itself.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to really understand martial arts and its history you should get Donn Draeger's three books in this series:

Classical Bujutsu : Martial Arts And Ways Of Japan, Vol I., Weatherhill, 1973, 1996
Classical Budo: Martial Arts And Ways Of Japan, Vol II., Weatherhill, 1973, 1996
Modern Bujutsu & Budo: Martial Arts And Ways Of Japan, Vol III., Weatherhill, 1974, 1996

[Victor Whitman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, relatively short, introduction to Japanese martial arts, with an emphasis on the classical sword arts. Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in these things.

[Sumo Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Draeger's work. He writes like a true expert who has put his body on the line. Learned lots about the history of martial arts here, the personalities behind it and the combat philosophy of the samurai and their leaders. Invaluable when helping me to research sumo all those years ago. And a tidbit for movie buffs: Draeger helped coordinate the martial arts scenes for the 1967 Bond movie: You Only Live Twice, set in Tokyo.

[Gene · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has spent most of my 49 years studying traditional Japanese martial arts, I wasn't expecting to read much that I didn't already know. I couldn't have been more wrong. I'd already ready Classical Bujutsu when I read this and yet I was still surprised at how much new information I gleaned from this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may be interested in studying Japanese martial arts.