Samurai Zen - Authentic Japanese Samurai Sword for Home Decor, Martial Arts & Cosplay | Perfect for Collectors, Display & Anime Enthusiasts

I have read over the Amazon.com reviews on Samurai Zen and I believe that they are all enlightening and present a unique perspective from the point of view of each reviewer. Though these reviews each present an interesting appraisal of the book, there is a serious problem with the review placed here on November 11, 2003. This review must be addressed as it presents untrue and incorrect facts about Master Scott Shaw and his book Samurai Zen. Not only does the reviewer make a completely false statement, which he has no basis for, about the training background of Master Shaw, but he also states incorrect facts about the book. These falsehoods must be addressed.First of all, certainlly Dr. Scott Shaw is best known for his involvement and long list of published works on the Korean martial arts. This being stated, he lives much of every year in Japan, and has done so for the past twenty-five years. Not only did he train in the Japanese arts, from the late 1970's forward, but he has long held training seminars in Japan and the West on, not only the Korean martial arts, but the Japanese martial arts, as well. Furthermore, as anyone who has studied the historic evolution of the modern Korean martial arts understands, these arts were born from the Japanese arts. Thus, the two can never be seperated.I find that it is often the case that a martial artist is so locked into their particular system of training that they believe that it is the only true style. From this, some of these practitioners falsely attack others who present a different approach to the martial arts. This is obviously the case with this particular reviewer. He clearly states that he has only studied Iaido for four years. That is no comparsion to the four decades of training possessed by Master Shaw. Furthermore, as anyone who has studied the sword arts understands, there are numerous Ryu or schools that teach varying methods of sword play. So, to say one person is wrong by the style of technique they demonstrate, clearly illustrates a complete lack of understanding, as there exists a plethora of schools on the sword arts: Japanese, Korean, and otherwise.In closing, to read this book as soley a book on Iaido is completely missing the point. Only a very small porition of this book is focused on the physical techniques of the martial arts, This book is about the subtle realms of the martial arts and how they can cause the practitioner to raise themselves to the higher mind. In other words, to understand this book, you must step beyond the obvious realms of physical techniques and read it as a manual for meditation, the way, I am sure, Dr. Shaw had hoped it would be received.