Subtitled, Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions, the chapters of this extraordinarily well-researched text is divided into three sections: Koryu, Japanese Weaponry, and History and Tradition. Unlike many other authors of books pertaining to the martial arts, Mister Amdur’s knowledge is not derived from mere research and speculation, but rather from actual experience. He had lived in Japan for years, speaking the language, training under various masters, and practicing extensively with a number of traditional weapons rarely seen in the States. Due to his unique perspective, he is one of the few Westerners qualified to discuss at length the history, techniques, and spirit of budo.

I particularly liked the section on Japanese Weaponry, which discussed the development, usage, and idiosyncracies of a number of weapons, but particularly: the naginata (a polearm with a curved, sword-like blade), chigiriki (long handled flail), and the kusarigama (chain-and-sickle, of which several distinct versions are discussed). I’ve studied exotic weaponry all my life, but was still able to learn a great deal from these chapters — and was shocked to learn that I’d actually been mistaken in some of my preconceptions (i.e., the kusarigama was never used as a farming implement, and the chains used were typically far shorter than the eight-footer on my old homemade version). Even the curators at the Smithsonian Institute could probably learn a thing or two by reading this fine book.

Unlike Mister Amdur’s first book, Old School seems to be intended more for scholars and advanced martial artists than for the neophyte, although it is sure to be appreciated by anyone with a sincere interest in the subject matter. A few choice excerpts from this masterful text follow:

"A complete warrior is one who can act appropriately. Such an individual can kill if that is necessary to preserve other’s lives, or he can die for others. But such an individual also possesses the power to find a way through conflicts to a non-combative resolution. This power can create a real peace between people. Such a person’s presence, rather than intimidating, calms and gives strength to others." (p. 37)

"Swords have always had a much wider range of uses than spears and halberd-like weapons. The latter are purely instruments of war and not of self-defense. In times of peace, a warrior may still find it necessary to bear a sword, while spears and halberds are either laid aside in storerooms or borne aloft as symbols of power." (p. 92)

"Concealed weapons are occasionally genuine ‘spy craft’ articles. More often, they are either created to obey social conventions that weapons not be brandished too ostentatiously, or are constructed by innovators who have little occasion to use them in combat." (p. 138)

"With such safety equipment and body armor, one could take all kinds of ‘risks,’ diving in to strike while allowing the edge of te opponent’s ‘weapon’ to slide across the femoral artery or the back of the neck with no thought to the fatal injury one would suffer if dueling with real weapons. . . . Because there is no sense of danger or even a need to protect undesignated targets, many competitors do not move or respond in a natural way. Blows that would sever arms, disfigure, or even kill are ignored because they are not designated targets." (pp. 203, 217)

"In 1945, the war finally ended. The occupation forces were fearful of anything that seemed to be connected to Japan’s warlike spirit and they banned martial studies. Thousands of swords were piled on runways, run over with steamrollers, and then buried under concrete construction projects." (p. 211)

"She has been a model to me in my own profession dealing with the diffusion and de-escalation of violence. It was from her that I learned the power of tact, how courtesy alone can often resolve what force of arms may not." (p. 221)

"I do not idealize the act of killing on a battlefield. I do idolize those who passed through such experiences and, rather than leaving mere reminiscences of brutal acts committed or suffered, attempted to pass on a treasure distilled from the horrors of war: the knowledge of how to survive; a method of continuing the bonding that occurs on the battlefield well after the battle was fought, maintaining those ties of trust once the shackles of fear and rage are no longer needed to force people together; and perhaps most important, a tradition for handing on the depths of ethical and spiritual teachings contained in the heart of systems created ostensibly only for war." (p. 224)

"The essence of budo includes not only the secret teachings of the school, but an essential quality of character, a selfless devotion to one’s tradition, one’s students, to moral behavior, and whatever cause to which one righteously attaches oneself. And any violation of these assumed debts of honor will result in punishment by the gods. Even the teacher himself is subject to the same punishment." (p. 249)