Sent to Japan as a 16 year old exchange student, Roy Dean stepped into the world of martial arts through the sport of Judo. Returning to the USA, he pursued even more intense study, becoming a live in apprentice to a Japanese Jujutsu and Aikido master. This is a recollection of a life changing journey, the lessons learned by living in a dojo, and his introduction to the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
The authpr himself admits that the memories and stories told in this book are just an incoherent recollection of his days as uchideshi. I expected to get a coherent story so I am a bit disappointed. However, the ideas and thoughts Rob presents are so captivating amd honest that in the end I must recommend this book to anyone interested in martial arts...
I'm not a fan of the style of writing, but the overall message for martial artists is so true and one that everybody deals with at some point in their training.
I was introduced to Roy Dean by watching recommended YouTube videos, and was interested in going through his experience as a martial artist. His thoughts on categorizing martial arts practitioners, e.g. fighters, philosophers and athletes, in addition to his insights for the eventuality of consistency in practice was without a doubt very eye opening. I have to admit though, I couldn't connect to last 2 chapters which were about beyond-the-body experiences that he and his friends had, physically I have had experienced them on my own due to either being knocked down and submitted or during meditations, but this was a little beyond my comprehension. As a whole, a great book that I would recommend to any martial arts practitioners, either new to this world or life-long students.
More than just a personal story, although that is of course a large part of it, this is a story of understanding, growth and new frontiers. Although centered in different martial arts then I practice the journey and truth are very powerful. As the saying goes there are many paths up the mountain.
The author is Frank about their experiences, always ensuring that they are not making broad generalizations for anyone else, but just sharing their personal experience and knowledge that they've accumulated over time. The book was paced well and that, sad to say, is a rarity in martial arts novels that are even semi autobiographical
While the book does not have a very clear purpose or a specific focus throughout, it is still a great read for those interested in the martial arts solely because of the fact that the author gives genuine experiences and does not hold back from telling honest (and sometimes disappointing) lessons he learned practicing the martial arts.
I enjoyed the book. It was a recollection of his experiences on the road to becoming a traditional martial artist. I enjoyed his views even though I was thinking this book was about Brazilian Jou Jitsu but still a great read