The Art of Budo

Beginning with the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, nearly all of the great martial arts left a legacy of calligraphy and painting. Their artwork-Zenga and Zensho (Zen pictures" and "Zen calligraphy") - was an extension of their Zen practice-but also reflected their deep spiritual commitment to the budo ethos, the perfection of self through martial arts training. This book presents a concise history of this tradition, with works from such samurai as Musashi, Takuan, Yagyu, Motusgai, Rengetsu, TesshuDeishu, Kano , Morihei, and others. Aikido master John Stevens is an expert on Zen and budo art, and he provides a fascinating introduction to the tradition and biographical details on each of the warrior artists, and brief, illuminating commentary on each piece"--