Average customer rating:
- Best series of books on kata.
- masters
- masters
- Excellent to learn Katas
- Shotokan Katas from beginner to Brown Belt
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Best Karate, Vol.5: Heian, Tekki (Best Karate, 5)
Masatoshi Nakayama
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0870113798 |
Book Description
Kata, the formal exercises of karate training, were the essence of practice in Okinawa and China, and are the core training method even today.
Detailed here in 1500 sequential photos are the five Heian and three Tekki kata, mastery of which is necessary to attain first dan.
Demonstrated by the author and Yoshiharu Osaka.
Customer Reviews:
Best series of books on kata........2004-04-25
I have been practicing Shotokan karate for 10 years now. Even though I attend regular classes and seminars, as well as working out with very qualified karate-ka, I still find myself coming back to Master Nakayma's work in this very fine series of books. Of all the books on kata I have these books are superior.
The instruction is straight forward and to the point. Tips are given to avoid common mistakes. Under the many pictures illustrating the kata is a stance diagram and short concise sentences to describe each move.
Extremely well done by one of the finest karate masters.
masters.......2001-10-22
i think its also so good book but i dont know how bought this book. its for your information i am a black belt of martialarts. i cose so diffrent style of martial arts its use only in tis time Pakisatn but future its must be te king style of the world.
masters.......2001-10-22
i think its also so good book but i dont know how bought this book
Excellent to learn Katas.......2001-07-12
I bought three books out of the "Best Karate" series and the two books about katas are simply outstanding. I use another book which describes the movements in words but it's just too hard to figure it out for some of the tricky movements. The "Best Karate" series has photo series for all katas plus additional information about what people should take care of for the individual katas (for instance, stance changes for Heian Shodan). That way, it's really "easy" to learn a kata on your own, just from the book.
Shotokan Katas from beginner to Brown Belt.......2001-03-31
Excellent book. Those that do not have an instructor close by can learn the details of the katas from this book.
Book Description
A wise and witty thriller of ancient Japan by the award-winning I. J. Parker Government official turned sleuth Akitada Sugawara, on his way home to attend the sickbed of his bitter, aging mother, is spending the night in a monastery when he finds himself drawn to a brilliantly illustrated screen depicting the horrors of hell. His brief stay is complicated by the murder of a beau-tiful young woman. Personal and professional interests begin to merge as Akitada becomes ensnared in a tangled web of deceit and malevolence that will, in the end, strike very close to home. Rich, textured, and historically researched, this com-plex mystery is the second in an acclaimed series featuring Akitada Sugawara.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Excellent - Parker's Best Thus Far.......2006-11-28
It's November 27, I've got Parker's fourth Sugawara novel "Black Arrow" on preorder, and I'm consumed with a thoroughly bizarre impulse to strangle my calendar. "Black Arrow" won't be released until the 28th, you see, and I finished "The Hell Screen" just a couple of days ago.
I would read it well into the wee hours to the point of mental and physical exhaustion (I know exactly how Sugawara felt when he first saw the Hell Screen,) then tear home the following afternoon to continue, craving the people and places in it like food, or maybe like air.
In "The Hell Screen" Parker rebounds mightily from the less-compelling work "Dragon Scroll" and surpasses her brilliant debut, "Rashomon Gate." The plotting is ingenious, the characterization continues to be spectacular, and her continued theme - the frequent cruelty of a rigid caste system - is often intensely dramatized but always artful and understated, never overpowering the story as a whole. The character development of the principles - Akitada and his family, Kobe, Tora and Seimei - gets much deeper and richer here without getting the slightest bit overlabored; the supporting characters are the most vivid and memorable I've encountered since those of...dare I make the comparison...J.K. Rowling.
I've only just now unraveled my confusion as to Parker's sequencing of the Sugawara novels, thanks to a kind tip by reviewer Mary Whipple: she isn't writing them in chronological order. "The Dragon Scroll" is first chronologically, followed by "Rashomon Gate," then "The Hell Screen" - but Parker wrote (or at least published,) "Rashomon" first, then "Hell Screen," then "Dragon Scroll."
In a way this is refreshing. Devouring them out of chronological order evokes a sense of making individual forays into a world of the past, like separate trips in a time machine. I suspect it will also prevent Parker's books from falling into that trap of "bigger and better than last time," something some other series exhibit to the point of tedium.
As in my review of "Rashomon Gate," I sincerely hope Ms. Parker makes this an enormous series, because it's been a long while since I've enjoyed a series of novels so thoroughly. "The Hell Screen" is flawless and the best so far - Bravo!
'Scuse me now while I wrestle with that #!%&@*! calendar...
I. J. Parker and Sugawara Akitada just keep getting better........2006-08-27
This is the latest installment of this fine series, and they just keep getting better. Parker's deft weaving of plot and character, her nuanced and sensitive chronicling of the often painful progress to maturity of her fine detective Sugawara Akitada, and her loving presentation of early medieval Japan all deserve the highest praise. I can't wait for the fourth novel to appear, which is scheduled for this coming November.
"That which seems real in the world of men is but a dream and a deception".......2006-04-30
This is I. J. Parker's second novel set in 11th Century Heian Japan. As is always the case in Japanese culture, the politics of the time were extremely complex. Small missteps could quickly turn into personal disasters. Such has been the case for Sugawara Akitada, who was sent from the capital in disgrace to a position as provisional governor of a distant province. Unexpectedly successful, Sugawara has been allowed to return to the royal presence. He is traveling back with his family and retinue when a messenger intercepts them with news that Akitada's mother is in her final illness. Rushing back, Sugawara spends the night at a monastery and inadvertently overhears a murder.
Back in the capital, Sugawara finds his house in disarray - his mother, even dying, tries her son's patience with her constant criticism and the abuse of his sister Yoshiko, who has remained unmarried in order to care for her mother. Adding to the complication, the husband of Sugawara's other sister is suspected of stealing from the royal treasury and asks for his help. One thing leads to another, and Sugawara realizes that the screams he heard in the monastery are connected somehow to the mysteries confronting him in Tokyo. It seems that Sugawara has little hope of enjoying the fruits of his success in Eichigo province.
Parker is an excellent writer and fills her pages with a complicated story of murder and insanity. Always taking the time to share the details of life in a city that was one of the most sophisticated of its time. Comparisons with Laura Joh Rowland are inevitable, and it is this depth of detail that keeps Parker from simply being a copycat. Rowland's forte is her character development. Thus both authors have much to offer in mystery stories set some 600 years apart. In either case the reader is treated to a good mystery story, strong writing, and everything a Japanophile could ever want.
Bland in the historical department.......2005-10-05
For a book advertised as being historical fiction, I found it truly bland in the historical department. Little cultural details are mostly absent. Common terms are often used (such as rice wine, instead of sake), which when combined with dubious details (such as large amounts of "fruity" wine being drunk, modern-ish character traits, etc.) makes the novel seem like it could be set in just about any generic "historical" time period or place. To me the story seemed almost completely devoid of a specific cultural setting.
If you are looking for a decent mystery story, give the book a try. If you are looking for good historical fiction of ancient Japan, look elsewhere.
Ms. James does it again!.......2004-08-28
At a temple outside Heian Kyo, the wife of a wealthy antique dealer is found, brutally murdered, in the room of her brother-in-law, who is immediately arrested for murder. He claims he did not do it, but he has no remembrance of the evening at all.
Akitada is just returning to Heian Kyo from several years as a provincial governor, and present the temple on the night of the murder. He hears a woman scream that evening, but it is not until several days later that he learns of the crime. Despite Inspector Kobe's reluctance, Akitada turns his deductive skills to the case, while also trying to remove his own brother-in-law out of a bit of a potentially ruining situation.
Meanwhile, Akitada's servant, the womanizing Tora, decides to prove his deductive prowess, and find "the slasher" that is mutilating women in the Pleasure Quarters. He has seen the slasher's work and is determined to stop him.
As with the first Akitada novel, there is a lot going on. But, Ms. Parker pulls it off with style and intelligence. The descriptions of eleventh-century Japan are detailed, and yet casual so that the reader doesn't feel that history is being pushed down the throat. Akitada and his friends and family are convincingly real and the plot is credible.
On the whole, this five star mystery is a worthy successor to (also five star) Rashomon Gate and Ms. Parker keeps rising in my esteem as a gifted author.
Average customer rating:
- This book very much reminds of Silver Smith's apprentice Johny Tremain
- The Sign of the Chrysanthemum
- A heart-warming, captivating read.
- The Sign of the Chrysanthemum
- A Pedal of the Chrysanthemun
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The Sign of the Chrysanthemum (Harper Trophy Book)
Katherine Paterson
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
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ASIN: 0064402320 |
Book Description
Muna has never known his father -- a samurai, a noble warrior. But Muna's mother has told Muna how he will know him one day: by the sign of the chrysanthemum. When his mother dies, Muna travels to the capital of twelfth-century Japan, a bewildering city on the verge of revolution. He finds a haven there, as servant to the great swordsmith, Fukuji. But Muna cannot forget his dream: He must find his father. Only then will he have power and a name to be reckoned with. Only then will he become a man.
Customer Reviews:
This book very much reminds of Silver Smith's apprentice Johny Tremain.......2007-03-15
Back when we knew very little about Japanese history
of culture this was a very good introduction.
Shogun was new and ideas of how this culture was just another culture.
The Rape of Nanking seems to have these innocent dreams about Japanese being "like" us? This book gives a good introduction to the Samurai based society of medieval Japan at a time when Knights roamed England on deeds of chivalry and cathedrals were being built. A system based on Christian ethics is very different than one based on Bushido. But the societies are surprising alike on the surface.
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum.......2005-03-14
I thought the book was a good book but wasn't appealing to me as it would be to some people. The plot is somewhat boring, there no "great" scenes and the conflict is just dragging on. There are no new occurrences, and when they happen to show up you know its going to happen. Every chapter repeats the same thing and when something new happens to change the plot it repeats for two more chapters. This book does have some up points though. The setting is very well placed with many historical and cultural facts popping up here and there. The theme is a good one and it's not to mushy, and it has a good ending; the characters are good, but a lot of them are your basic line up of people in a story. The drawings aren't very good and are just there to please the junior high students reading this with there teacher. This book is good for children to read and to learn about ancient Japan and that's why it was given out. I would not suggest reading this on your own time but if you're a teacher wanting your students to read and stand by the curriculum this is a perfectly good book. I give this book a C- for helpful information but an uninteresting reading experience.
A heart-warming, captivating read........2004-12-02
I really enjoyed this book and read it in about two hours (it is a short book). I am a Chinese lady teaching 12th grade English and I am sure all my students will enjoy this book, and also any grades from 9th onwards, because of its universal themes of search for identity, how it encapsulates the adventurous spirit of Feudal Japan, and its simple language which manages to be so evocative at the same time. For all those who didn't enjoy reading or teaching the book, may I suggest that you let your students watch some extremely popular Japanese Animation series about Feudal Japan like Rurouni Kenshin and Inuyasha before reading this book. Katherine Paterson's book reads exactly like a a great Anime series and I could picture the whole thing in my mind, background music and scenery included, and it was beautiful. So beautiful. Anyone with even a vague knowledge of feudal era Anime, or Japanese Culture and History of the Heian period will realise how accurately Paterson has portrayed the Japanese ideals of 'honour' and 'family'. She also deliberately tones down her writing style to match the simple sentence structures and restrained style of many East Asian writers, and this would be useful to know when comparing this book stylistically with her other works.
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum.......2002-04-04
The Sign of the Chrysanthemum is a book about a boy named Muna. Muna is a name that people would laugh about; some might say, "What kind of name is that?" People teased Muna because of his name. Muna doesn't want to be tease anymore and wants to be a man, so he would try to find his father, who is a warrior. Muna used to lived only with his mother and him, without a father with them. Then Muna's mother died and decides to find his father, so people won't tease him. But before Muna's mother died, she said some descriptions about his father. His father is a warrior and has a chrysanthemum tattoo. But that is the only things that Muna knows about his father. So the journey begins with some adventures.
I think that this book is okay, but it isn't really that good. I wanted to give the rate to be 3 and a half, but it doesn't have it. But in the other hand, it was a little bit good. Muna had some dreams about his father. This book was kind of boring, but there are adventures that are exciting. This book has some pictures in it and is kind of short. I enjoy reading part of the story, it is a good book.
A Pedal of the Chrysanthemun.......2001-12-17
The book starts off with a boy named Muna, the nameless one, whos mother just passed away. He now wants to look for his warrior father so that he would be able to be highly respected and change his name of his 14th birthday to a name more proper for a man, but the only thing he knows about his father is that he has a chrysanthemun tattoo and a he is a Heike warrior.
I thought this book was quite good. It had many dialogues, a good storyline, and some action. Most of all, I liked how the book was easy to understand.
Book Description
These translated poems were written by 2 ladies of the Heian court of Japan between the ninth and eleventh centuries A.D. The poems speak intimately of their authors' sexual longing, fulfillment and disillusionment.
Customer Reviews:
A Classic for All Time.......2007-09-07
The Heian period of Japan was artistically fertile time that produced numerous classic works of literature. It was even more remarkable in that most of the major literary figures of the time were women. Among those great women, Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu were two of the best. Their waka poetry (now called 'tanka') is some of the best literature ever written in Japan and the poetesses themselves have become the stuff of legend.
Doing justice in translating ancient Japanese into modern English is no easy task, but Hirshfield and Aratani have created translations that are as beautiful as the originals. Anyone who enjoys poetry, who loves love, or who is interested in other cultures and finding the universal passions of the human heart will enjoy this book.
--M. Kei, editor of Fire Pearls : Short Masterpieces of the Human Heart
Beautiful and universal.......2007-02-12
Unlike other reviewers, I am not an aficionado of Japanese poetry or culture, nor have I ever studied this period in Japanese history. I found this book entirely by chance buried in an obscure corner in my college library. I read a couple of random pages and fell in love. I checked it out repeatedly throughout my academic career, then bought it.
These women so effectively communicate, in few words, universal feelings of love. While the poems are deceptively simple, they manage to be so beautiful that I am amazed every time I pick it up.
Even more impressive than the writing is how easy it is to relate to the emotions behind it. As I have grown older and experienced so much more of life, I am surprised to find my own feelings mirroring one poem after another. What once seemed pretty words are eerily my own thoughts. It's amazing, considering they were written one thousand years ago!
If you're thinking about buying this, I suggest using the preview to read the few sample pages. If you like what you see, just get it. You won't be disappointed.
Love and Nature.......2006-11-10
Wonderful poems showing the power and of two woman poets of the Heian Jidai. Exposes the "nature" poetry prejudice that derives from the unfortunately all male cutesy pie abbreviations of Westernized haiku. Waka yes, Haiku no.
Love poems from the Heian era........2006-09-03
Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani have done a marvelous job with the translation of these lovely tanka-- manages to capture both their fragility and robust complexity. I had an acquaintance who was a scholar with a focus on Japanese literature. She explained to me a little bit about the complexity of translating waka. I have nothing but admiration for those who can do it well. Hirshfield actually has an essay at the back of this book called "On Japanese Poetry and the Process of Translation". I recommend it highly, even if you do not normally read this kind of essay.
I am a little bit afraid that the focus on the love poems and the emphasis on Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu as female writers may give the wrong idea about the strength and importance of the poetry. Shikibu is widely considered the greatest poet of her period and Ono no Komachi was one of the Rokkasen-- the six best waka poets of the early Heian period. The reason that I am not giving this volume five stars is because of this packaging and not because of the poetry itself.
These poems are a joy to read aside from any issues of scholarship. They are strong and sad and very affecting. There is actually no stronger recommendation to read this than the poems themselves, so I will close this review with one of the poems by Shikibu:
What is the use
of cherishing life in spring?
Its flowers
only shackle us
to this world.
A magnificent book.......2002-12-29
This book is among my most treasured. These women's love and longing is so eloquently worded, and could be the very same heartaches any woman experiences today. A fascinating glimpse into a society I could only imagine. Excellently translated tanka. Extremely good. I would recomend it highly to anyone.
Book Description
A riveting historical mystery—the second in the Akitada series—set amid the exquisite ritual and refined treachery of eleventh century Japan
From the author of The Dragon Scroll comes an ingenious new novel of murder and malfeasance in ancient Japan, featuring the detective Sugawara Akitada. The son of reduced nobility forced to toil in the Ministry of Justice, Akitada is relieved when an old friend, Professor Hirata, asks him to investigate a friend's blackmail. Taking a post at the Imperial University, he is soon sidetracked from his primary case by the murder of a young girl and the mysterious disappearance of an old man—a disappearance that the Emperor himself declares a miracle. Rashomon Gate is a mystery of magnificent complexity and historical detail that will leave readers yearning for more.
Customer Reviews:
Very Enjoyable .......2007-10-14
Sugawara is a gentleman who bends class distinctions to the discomfort of his peers. He helps both the 'good people' as well as the 'low classes'. In this respect, the Sugawara series reminds me of the Lord Peter Whimsey series, which I also enjoyed.
The author rotates several plot lines and always maintained my interest. The characters development is reasonably full, but not at the expense of the storyline. Parker manages to write a story set in a foreign and ancient environment without sacrificing readability. Some reviewers here have confused the readability with an attempt at juvenile fiction, and this simply isn't the case.
Good historical writing, but some flaws in the plot .......2007-06-05
Like several other readers, I picked RASHOMON GATE because I have been a longtime fan of Laura Joh Rowland's Sano Ichiro series. I've always been interested in Japanese history, and especially the Heian period. So, I thought this book would be perfect for me. In many ways, I was absolutely satisfied. The author manages to keep the story feeling fresh while still adhering to the customs and mannerisms of the time. Also, unlike Rowland's series, Akitada is "average"--not to say he's not an interesting person and a good character, but rather that he mingles with common people and he experiences more aspects of everyday life. I think outside of the actual plot, the details that the author adds into the story were what made this reading experience enjoyable for me.
The actual mysteries (three of them) were not quite as good as I expected. I did like the plot line about the girl in the park, especially Tora's sleuthing in the underworld. I felt it was wrapped up too quickly so that Akitada's cases (which were more dull) could get more attention. The university scandal interested me at first, but the actually killer wasn't too surprising. Also, the prince's killing was basically solved the whole time. Akitada knew who did it, and it was only a matter of finding out how. So there really wasn't a lot of suspense there.
I was also somewhat confused because I thought RASHOMON GATE was the first book in the series. This is not correct. The first book is THE DRAGON SCROLL, and it was published after RASHOMON GATE.
Lastly, I enjoyed all of the characters, especially Tora. However, I felt that Tamako wasn't given much of a personality. And the author constantly described her as "slender." I mean, there are other adjectives out there... slim? Svelte? I don't know, but that constant repetition bothered me, as did her one-dimensional personality. I think the whole reasoning behind her refusal to marry Akitada was a big let-down... it could have been a lot better than it was.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical mysteries. I've already bought THE DRAGON SCHOOL and I'm hoping this series will become another one of my favorites.
I prefer the Judge Dee stories.......2007-02-11
I think this author borrowed heavily from Robert van Gulik's famous Judge Dee mysteries, but she lacks that author's ability to make the past seem real. For some reason, I didnt find this story believable, mostly due to the dialog, which seemed very contemporary and Western. The story unfolds oddly, and one wonders how the main character could know so much so quickly. If I werent already familiar with Judge Dee, and if I were a young person in junior high or high school, I'd probably enjoy this book much more. It reads like a romance story.
Decent Mystery Read.......2006-12-07
Below is somewhat a similar review I gave for the Dragon's Scroll because both books are consistently similar.
Cutting to the chase, this is simply a good quick read, nothing more. It is the perfect book to read at the beach or on a plane. The writing is not very deep, vivid or profound. Despite how this book is promoted, do not expect to learn a lot about ancient Japan nor culture. Do not expect this to be a book about samurais since the period portrayed is before the age of the samurai. Do not even expect a classic intense mystery thriller since it becomes obvious early on who did the crime. Instead expect a book that goes out of its way to explain the class differences between nobility and peasants.
Despite all of this, I found it enjoyable only because the setting was interesting. However as in Dragon Scroll, if it wasn't for the sexual references, I still feel the writing of this book would be more appropriate for young adults.
Still, its good quick read.
Impossible To Put Down! .......2006-09-06
[Note: Correction w/minor spoiler below...]
I'm roughly halfway into Rashomon Gate and feel like I've stumbled onto buried treasure. It was a link on a page for one of Laura Joh Rowland's novels that turned me onto Parker's work (hats off to Amazon,) and fortunately I decided to take a stab at an unfamiliar (to me) author.
I've been reading Rowland's Sano Ichiro novels slavishy for years and will continue to despite their virtual carbon-copy formulaic nature and some other gripes - but Ingrid Parker's "Rashomon Gate" has put me in a state of angst throughout this daily period we commonly call "work." I love my work, seriously, but I've become a clock-watcher, anticipating the moment I can get back to the grand and wonderful place Parker creates in her prose.
Aside from that unwillingness to put a book down, the litmus test I have for the value of both literature and cinema is the simple question: "Do I find myself thinking about the people and events in this story even when I'm far removed from them?" Rashomon Gate succeeds in spades. It's not just a great, refreshing escape from an increasingly ominous modern world, it's an incredibly well-crafted plot (so far,) traversed by a hero who is genuinely admirable and likable. "Rashomon Gate" seems less like reading about a detective of ancient Japan than spending a fortnight with a dear old friend.
The tone of this novel too is a pleasant surprise. Where Rowland's books are fairly dripping with a bizarre contempt for Japan, never missing an opportunity to rub the reader's nose in every puddle of sewage imaginable (see my review of Rowland's "Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria",) Parker, like Clavell and to a degree Yoshikawa, succeeds in maintaining a sense of respect and wonder for ancient Japan even as she illuminates negative aspects of that period. There is indeed a strong resemblance to Yoshikawa's "Musashi" here in Parker's subtle but powerful mood of benevolence, but where the former was fable-like and episodic, Rashomon Gate's refreshing lightheartedness is counterbalanced nicely by the weight of evil deeds, hidden motives and the expertly-crafted plot into which they're woven. The result is an irresistible brew, one of which I hope to imbibe long and deeply.
The only negative I can think of is that the characters come at you a bit more rapidly than can be integrated into memory for later reference, but that may have more to do with this reader's mental limitations than the book itself. The character glossary at the front of the book takes care of that handily in any case.
[Late correction: I had originally assumed "Rashomon Gate" to have been the second in the Sugawara series and the Booklist review by Carrie Bissey, above, to have erroneously described it as Parker's debut. 'Turns out Bissey is right and I am wrong, with copious thanks to reviewer Mary Whipple's clarification in her review of "The Dragon Scroll." As Ms. Whipple points out, "Dragon Scroll" was indeed published third but takes place prior to both "Rashomon Gate" and "Hell Screen" in the stories' chronology - note that Akitada is still single in "Dragon Scroll," marries by the end of "Rashomon Gate" and is a father by the beginning of "Hell Screen." Hence my confusion ~ groan ~]
So next it's "The Dragon Scroll," which takes place earlier and which I expect will be every bit as enthralling. I'm hoping Parker will become as prolific a mystery writer as Nora Roberts - this is excellent, can't-put-it-down reading from a talented writer with a refreshingly benevolent sense of life.
Book Description
This text is a "must-have" for any serious karate student who wants to truly understand how Kata works and where real applications seem "hidden".
Customer Reviews:
Great Book In A Sea Of Copies.......2007-09-21
It is great to see another book from this author who actually caters for those who seek new knowledge instead of just repackaging old theories and techniques. I have been teaching similar theories about kata in my class for years and having done Judo I found many throws, chokes etc., in all the kata. A great book for beginners to aspire to and some good direstion for veterans.
Can this be true?.......2005-10-31
Could someone who has this book list the evidence that Mr. Schmeisser provides to explain how he happens to know a Kata that has been lost for almost a century now. The only karate masters who ever mentioned it, in books written in the 1940's, say that no one knew it then and it had been forgotten. They obviously did not teach it, so how has it now popped back up? I would like to know whether this book is credible, or just a clever way to make a buck..... before I buy it.
Misguided attempt.......2005-09-24
I read this book with great interest. I have known a few people that practiced these kata. This book does not present the real kata but instead a modified version of the first two pinan. The history is good but if you want these Kata get Funakoshi's Karate do Kyohan because the heian/pinan kata are there. I guess this wasn't a bad attempt just misguided. There are still a few that practice these Kata if you look hard enough.
Kata Origins .......2004-09-06
Channan: Heart of the Heians, by Elmar T. Schmeisser, explores the possibility of the modern day Heians as derived from the chinese kata Channan-Dai and Channa-Sho. The author makes no definitive claim that his studies are absolute, but presents his research in a sound historical manner leaving the reader to make his or her own decision regarding the origins of the Heian kata based on the research presented. The book is loaded with simple-to-follow, step-by-step, photos of Channan-Dai and Channan-Sho and accompanying text for each step. In a simple straight forward way, the author clearly illustrates apparent or perceived correlations between the Channan kata and the modern day Heians. An added plus in this book is the way it is laid out; the book is designed in such a way that keeps the reader flowing seamlessly from one photographic illustration to another. Only two things might have improved this well produced book and research, one of which is nearly impossible to do on the printed page, showing the transition moves in sequence, and crisper photographs with a higher quality camera. Overall, regardless of these two minor shortcomings, this book is a fantastic work and will be greatly appreciated by anyone who enjoys the study of traditional Japanese kata, bunkai, and kata origins.
Dr. Schmeisser Continues to Break New Ground.......2004-06-28
This is the first book of it's kind to my knowledge. Dr. Schmeisser presents for us two kata, Channan Dai and Channan Sho, of Chinese origin, that he believes are the root kata that Itosu Yasutsune used as the source material to create the 5 Pinan kata (known as Heian in Japanese styles). Dr. Schmeissar's writing style and organization is extremely logical. There's no fluff here, just the meat. He begins by providing us with a background and historical context of these kata to convince us of his theory. This chapter is chalked full of fascinating footnotes from the research that he did. He then takes us right into Channan Dai and Channan Sho, showing the movements with pictures and detailed written description with full Bunkai. In the fourth chapter, he relates the Channan sequences and bunkai to their respective Heian sequences, teaching us bunkai for the Heian kata. The 5th chapter is a historical note discussing the kata origins and the question of whether they are the root kata of the Pinan/Heian. The chapter demonstrates to me the author's professional integrity and honesty by admitting that his theory cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt but provides us his reasoning and allows us to make our own judgement. The last chapter provides us with a photographic sequence of the kata to use as a reference for learning. This is, perhaps, the only place in the book where I find fault which, quite possibly, could be due to my own short comings. I found it hard trying to follow the sequence and often got confused on which direction I needed to go in or what my feet needed to do during some of the turns and transitional movements (I'll need the video to get my performance correct). In my opinion, more photos of the transitional moves would have alleviated this for me. Despite this small fault, I believe this to be an extremely valuable book and there's no other like it on the subject. I highly recommend it.
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Objects of Discourse: Memoirs by Women of Heian Japan (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies)
John R. Wallace
Manufacturer: Center for Japanese Studies University of Mic
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Customer Reviews:
A great look at Japanese history.......2007-05-10
The Diary of Lady Murasaki is a very fine read, even by today's standards. Sadly short due to age, it still offers an amazing insight into court life of the time.
The book's coverage of both important court events and the personal outlook of Murasaki herself on everything from fashion to her contemporaries is eye-opening to say the least. Great attention is paid to detail where she was able to remember any detail at all, and when she does not remember detail, she always made a note of why. Perhaps the most refreshing part of the book is the honesty in her observations. She seldom seems to mince words, which is not something that I would expect from anyone at all familiar with court politics.
The book is especially valuable given the lack of other documents to come out of the period.
A must read for Asian history buffs........2003-09-09
And a companion piece ot the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. The world of courtiers and courtesans, intrigues, affairs. Daily soaps will never be the same after you've read this book!
A Slim Tome that Packs Quite a Punch.......2002-03-11
First off, Although the book i s 91 pages long there is a 52 page introduction. The introduction by Bowring is very well done, especially for those who are unfamiliar with Heian era Japan, like me. Bowring gives adequate introductions to the architecture, dress, religion, and other things of culture at the time. Although the info he gives of Murasaki Shikibu is scant, he does give the reader all of the information that is known about the author of the Genji monogatari. The diary itself is a wonderful resource of Heian era Japan. Murasaki Shikibu gives wonderfully detailed descriptions of ceremonies, dress, and glimpses of daily lives of females in the court. Bowring adds wonderfully helpful footnotes to aid teh reader. Also the illustrations inb the book are wonderful for showing how the Heian lady dressed and how a Heian era mansion looked. Good little book.
An important Historical Document.......2001-03-19
Aside from the "tale of Genji" this is the only known writings of Lady Murasaki. The book is slim, as not much of her personal diary survived. However, it does have a good introduction, including a VERY helpful picture of a court lady in her dress. If you ever read any of these old court diaries, you come to appreciate a good picture like this because the women who wrote these books dwelled, almost obessivly on what they wore.
The clarity and quality of the writing is this slim volume is very good, as good as what you will find in the pillow book of sei shonagon. This book is also a facinating read in conjuction with the latest novel by Liza Dalby "the tale of Murasaki". Anyone interested in Old Japanese litrature should had this title to their reading list.
Visions of the past, for those to follow.......2000-03-21
Diaries in the west are usually kept for personal reference. Such was not the case in ancient Japan or China. Diaries were kept for those who came after, as guidebooks and records of important events. This diary was perhaps written for the author's daughter, instructing her on how to behave and what to expect if she became a lady-in-waiting for one of the higher nobility. As such it gives a nice peek into how people (at least the author) viewed life about 1000 years ago, and also records some of the more exeptional events of the time. This is also invaluable as a look into the mind of the author of the Tale of Genji, and may even clear up some of the unease people occasionally feel while reading it regarding life during that time.
Book Description
The first three centuries of the Heian period (794-1086) saw some of its most fertile innovations and epochal achievements in Japanese literature and the arts. It was also a time of important transitions in the spheres of religion and politics, as aristocratic authority was consolidated in Kyoto, powerful court factions and religious institutions emerged, and adjustments were made in the Chinese-style system of rulership. At the same time, the era's leaders faced serious challenges from the provinces that called into question the primacy and efficiency of the governmental system and tested the social/cultural status quo. Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries, the first book of its kind to examine the early Heian from a wide variety of multidisciplinary perspectives, offers a fresh look at these seemingly contradictory trends.
Essays by fourteen leading American, European, and Japanese scholars of art history, history, literature, and religions take up core texts and iconic images, cultural achievements and social crises, and the ever-fascinating patterns and puzzles of the time. The authors tackle some of Heian Japan's most enduring paradigms as well as hitherto unexplored problems in search of new ways of understanding the currents of change as well as the processes of institutionalization that shaped the Heian scene, defined the contours of its legacies, and make it one of the most intensely studied periods of the Japanese past. Throughout, the widely deployed model of "centers and peripheries" is tested as a guiding concept: It serves here as a point of departure for a reexamination of the dynamic tensions among and between literary languages, administrative structures, urban centers and rural regions, orthodoxies and heterodoxies, the status quo and the pressures for adaptation and change, and many other powerful entities and socio-cultural forces.
An introductory chapter lays out the volume's four main points. The first emphasizes the importance of the early tenth century as a watershed that highlights the institutional and political transformations at court whereby provincial governors were allowed more freedom and, by extension, greater financial benefits. The second point problematizes the notion of a singular dichotomy between center and periphery in Heian Japan. The various essays suggest instead that the nexuses of power were in fact plural, and the periphery was not as peripheral as had been imagined. Thus, rather than conceiving Heian society as a static and one-dimensional formation centering on Kyoto alone, it might better be understood as a society of multiple centers and peripheries. The third point challenges the long-held view that the central government's lessening of administrative control of the provinces meant an increasing loss of power. Rather, the abandonment of a strict administrative approach in favor of a more effective one allowed elites in the capital to strengthen their hold on the provinces, reflecting an improved integration of centers and peripheries. Fourth, the methods and means of exercising power shifted from one relying solely on official titles and procedures to one that was increasingly based on extra-governmental means, a process of "privatization" that reflected the development of multiple centers of social, political, and economic practice outside the official structures of the state.
Heian Japan, Centers and Peripheries presents not only a set of new interpretations of this epochal moment in the Japanese past, but also offers a host of new questions to be addressed in future international and interdisciplinary research modeled on this exemplary volume.
Amazon.com
Liza Dalby's novel is a brilliantly imagined chronicle of the 11th-century Japanese writer Murasaki Shikibu. As we soon discover, our narrator has a good many doubts about the writing life. "As I pondered this question of how to be a success at court," she muses, "I came to the conclusion that literary ambition was more likely than not to bring a woman to a bad end." Happily, the real-life Murasaki persisted, and went on to become the author of the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji. For The Tale of Murasaki, Dalby draws on this groundbreaking masterpiece and on the surviving fragments of Murasaki's own diary and poetry, along with another masterpiece of the Heian period, The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. The result is a vivid and emotionally detailed portrait of an intelligent, sensitive, and complex woman.
In Dalby's novel, Murasaki writes her first stories about Prince Genji's amorous encounters in order to entertain her friends, and to express her own creative temperament. As the stories gain a wider public, however, they are transformed into a conduit for observations on the mores and intrigues of court life. And in the end, as the narrator struggles to stay true to her literary vision, her tales are inflected by Buddhist thought and become parables on the transience and beauty of the world:
I have always felt compelled to set down a vision of things I have heard and seen. Life itself has never been enough. It only became real for me when I fashioned it into stories. Yet, somehow, despite all I've written, the true nature of things I've tried to grasp in my fiction still manages to drift through the words and sit, like little piles of dust, between the lines.
Dalby is an anthropologist by trade, who has produced two previous nonfiction studies: Kimono and Geisha. And given that her research for Geisha gained her the distinction of being the only Westerner ever to have trained in that much misunderstood profession, it's no surprise that she is able to reconstruct 11th-century Japan with meticulous fidelity. It's all there--the political and sexual machinations, the preoccupations with clothing and custom, the difficult and tenuous position of courtiers, the intensity of female friendships in a male-dominated society--and the author shows us precisely how Murasaki's sensibilities were shaped by the culture in which she lived. This is a rich and convincing debut, and another chapter in the current resurrection of the historical novel. --Burhan Tufail
Book Description
Out of the life and work of Lady Murasaki, the author of, the world's first novel,
The Tale of Genji, Liza Dalby has woven an exquisite and irresistible fiction that with rich, nuanced authenticity and lyrical drama, brings an elaborate past world to vivid life.
The sensitive and modest daughter of a mid-ranking court poet, Murasaki Shikibu staves off loneliness with her active imagination, telling stories about the dashing Prince Genji to her close friends. At first, they are their private entertainment, but soon Genji's amorous adventures are leaked to the public and Murasaki is thrust into the life of a kind of 11th century Japanese celebrity. She is compelled by a charismatic regent to accept a position at court regaling the empress with her stories. At court, Lady Murasaki becomes caught in a vortex of high politics and sexual intrigue, which begins to reflect itself in her stories. In this way, she comes to write her masterpiece,
The Tale of Genji.
But this is much more than just an elegantly plotted historical novel.
The Tale of Murasaki is a beautiful work of literary archaeology. Dalby, the only Westerner to have become a geisha and the author of the definitive book, Geisha, subtly reconstructs the fashions, sensibilities, manners, and preoccupations of 11th-century Japan. The result is a vivid portrait of a woman and her times, the most splendid in Japanese history. In
The Tale of Murasaki, Dalby transports her readers to an exotic world and time and wraps them in a story that speaks clearly across the centuries. It is a dazzling literary achievement and a truly unique and wonderful reading experience.
Download Description
Out of the life and work of Murasaki Shikibu, author of the world's first novel, Liza Dalby has woven an exquisite and irresistible fiction. The sensitive and modest daughter of a mid-ranking court poet, Murasaki staves off loneliness with her active imagination. At first, her stories about the dashing Prince Genji entertain just close friends. But soon Genji's amorous adventures are leaked to the public. And, compelled by a charismatic regent to accept a position at court regaling the empress with her stories, Murasaki becomes caught in a vortex of high politics and sexual intrigue. In this way, she comes to write her masterpiece, The Tale of Genji. In a beautiful work of literary archaeology, Dalby subtly reconstructs the sensibilities, manners, fashions, and preoccupations of eleventh-century Japan. The result is a vivid portrait of a woman and her times, which were among the most splendid in Japanese history. "The Tale of Murasaki" has that rare ability to transport readers to an exotic world and time, giving them a heroine with whom they can identify completely.
Customer Reviews:
At first, daunting & strange; after finishing, wonderful.......2005-10-22
I picked this book up only because it was historical fiction and I did enjoy "Memoirs of a Geisha"; however, this is much different and at first I was rather disappointed. I didn't particularly like the first person narrative and what I thought of as the "weird little phrases" of poetry interspersed, but I kept reading. I was soon pulled in and could not put it down. Not that I especially liked the character of Muraski, but I so enjoyed the visit to 11th century Japan.
I agree with those that remarked on the lack of background regarding the politics and religion that shape this novel, but I didn't find it overwhelming. Instead, it spurred my interest to investigate further.
It is hard to judge the qualities of characters that are living in a world so far from our own. The exchanges of "waka" seem bizarre at first, but I actually found myself looking at my own surroundings (especially nature) in a new light. Although the author, I felt, was too detailed, too wordy (especially in the long descriptions of colors and kimonos), we could all learn something about saying so much in so few words.
How enthralling to briefly inhabit a world without time;
how much my time has changed.
Yucky YUCK YUCK YUCK -_-.......2005-09-24
I did NOT enjoy this book.
Interesting cultural aspects aside (that's about all this book is good for) I did not find the protagonist interesting. I didn't cry over her 'keeping her mother here' or whatever she thought she was doing when her mom was cremated and she wished for the smoke to keep rising. I found her a sad person. I mean, just SAD, not in her life circumstances but I just didn't like her, Genji and all aside.
It's been a long time since I read this book, and I'm writing by the seat of my pants. I simply DID NOT like this book at all. And I will not ever be reading it again. That's pretty bad for me. o.o
Good Premise Sputters Out Half-Way.......2005-04-06
Being someone who has lived in Japan, studied Japanese culture, and for whom the Heian period - in which this book takes place - holds a particular fascination, I must nevertheless reveal that this book dies half-way when the author's gender-bending agenda takes over and crushes the thrust of the story. Murasaki was indeed a remarkable character, and the first half of the novel does a wonderful job in constructing what her early life may have been like, but the author's creation of her character's romantic preference for women denies the historical hetero orientation of "The Tale of Genji". To paraphrase Virgina Woolf, authors should write from the perspective of all people, WITHOUT AGENDAS.
Rich, visual novel.......2005-01-08
Wow, I learned so much from this rich, visual novel. Historical fiction about the 11th century Japanese woman who wrote the WORLD'S FIRST NOVEL!! I hadn't even heard of her before. Liza Dalby (author) is an anthropologist and the only westerner to have become a geisha. This book was a magical find. Whether due to the small print or lyrical, sometimes dreamy, prose I found myself reading much SLOWER than I normally do, but that's not a bad thing. Very lush, i really felt transported. The translations of the poetry were quite good. I now feel very well-schooled in 11th century Japan (an era I knew little about before reading this novel). Very nice.
A peek into the past.......2004-10-05
This novel about Lady Murasaki and her world is a well-written story providing both a glimpse of Heian court life as well as the role of a female in said society. The focus on the aesthetic pleasures of life shows the sensitivity of this culture of the past, though at times the frivolity of the lavish lifestyle of the ruling class seems excessive to the modern mind.
At the outset Murasaki is likeable because she displays a sense of individuality, intellectualism, a hint of stubbornness, and rebellion against the role of subserviant, compliant female; her somewhat taboo relationship with the Chinese visitor Ming Gwok reveals an uncompromising element to her personality as she pursues that to which her own interests guide her, versus bowing to the strictures of her society (though she is aided by the fact that her fairly enlightened father looks the other way). She also fights the societal insistence of marriage for much longer than most women would have had the staying power to do.
As the book progresses it becomes somewhat frustrating to see her buckle to fit the role of court lady, though this is likely a historically accurate portrayal of what would have become of her at the time. Because of this, the latter part of the book seems somewhat vapid at times and loses its sense of substance, even if it is accurate.
Still, this is a worthwhile read from Liza Dalby, a tried and true scholar and analyzer of Japanese culture.
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