A "must read" for any student of martial arts.., January 11, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Canada
I would highly recommend--regardless of the system of martial arts you study-- Living the Martial Way by Forrest E. Morgan. This book will change your whole outlook on how you study martial arts and will teach you how to develop attitudes based on ancient Asian martial arts. It is a manual for the way a modern warrior should think.

This is the most influential book I have ever read. I sincerely recommend it as a "must read" for any student of martial arts or anyone interested in a noble way of living.

A masterpiece ..., December 21, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from Texas
Having read this book several times, I was amazed that anyone would give it less than five stars. The topics discussed are timeless and as relevant today as they were 500 years ago. Simply the best book on the market about what it means to be a martial artist and a warrior. I would encourage everyone studying the martial arts to get a copy of this book.

Excellent, heart-warming book., October 11, 1998
Reviewer: A reader from United States
Funakoshi makes me proud to be a student of shotokan karate. His anecdotes are universally applicable, even outside the karate world. A must read for all karate-ka, especially beginners who will gain an appreciation for the true meaning of karate early on.

Essential reading - but not a historical, July 5, 1998
Reviewer: A reader from United States
Funakoshi wrote this book near the end of his life, after America had bombed his karate dojo into the dust, after his son died, and after his wife died. His home in Okinawa was destroyed, and his people lived under the military rule of the United States. He expresses pacifism and the usual talent for exaggeration one finds in an old martial artist. Read his earlier works, like Ryukyu Karate Kenpo or Tote Jutsu to read the man before the war when he was cocky, obnoxious, and prepared to teach us all karate to make us good Japanese subjects.

lessons through fables, July 25, 2000
Reviewer: mochi227 from Brooklyn, NY United States
This short read, told as a fable, is broken down into chapters, each expounding on an idea the book wishes to delve into with greater detail. The relationship between a martial arts master and his student is one of the most profound possible, and this book guides the reader/student into a more profound understanding of the teacher/student dynamic. The end result is, or should be, that the student becomes the master, and that the cycle of learning and growth between master and student is eternal and self-renewing.

There is one narrative quirk that should not affect the power of the lessons contained herein, but does weaken the book a bit from a writer's point of view. Otherwise, this is a valuable book, one that addresses the key relationship between master & student. In the West, it is common for students to not take their masters as seriously as they should, and for masters to occaisonally show less responsibility and accountability than they should. This short volume shows what a balanced, committed disciple/master relationship might look like.

Recommended.

excellent, September 3, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from New York
This is an excellent glimpse into the internal portion of the martial arts. It is told through a story of a young master and his struggles much akin to our own, possessing egos and monkey minds. It is cleverly written to be much like the conundrums of Asian tales, but is obvious enough to be something most can relate to. I highly recommend this book to anyone who trains martial arts and wants to deepen their commitment to becoming a better person and martial artist.

Simple, Essential, February 17, 2001
Reviewer: parisgarden from New York, NY United States
A simple Handbook for the "warriors, correcting wayward tendencies, and outlining the personal, social, and professional standards of conduct .... the Japanese chivalric tradition", yet what it has to offer can be much valued even for everyday life! It should be incorporated into every child's mind--and there we would find in 20 years a TRUE change in our society.

Very interesting, January 8, 2001
Reviewer: Chris Adkins from Charlotte, NC USA
The book was very interesting. It tells how the samurai warrior had to live his life in order to be noble and respectable. I found that the advice it has to offer is very helpful even today. It is very short and easy to read.

One of the best, November 9, 2000
Reviewer: Loren W. Christensen from author of FIGHTER'S FACT BOOK
I had the opportunity to see Bruce Lee in action at an East Coast karate tournament in 1969. He wasn't competing but was there as a celebrity guest.

I stood with others at the back of the tournament hall and listened in awe as he talked about having just finished filming Marlow and his plans to leave soon for Hong Kong to begin filming a movie.

Later, I watched him warm-up a great tournament fighter named Luis Delgado. Lee's speed was absolutely incredible. His backfist was nearly imperceptible and his footwork for closing the gap was a blur.

What a loss to the martial arts world that he left us so soon. But we still have this book of his notes. It a wonderful bible, if you will, that will make any martial artist look at his own training to see how some of Lee's ideas can fit.

There will always be the Jackie Chans and Jet Lis who will come along and dazzle us with their screen antics. But Bruce Lee was a seeker of knowledge, a true master of the fighting arts and philosophy. Some of it is in this wonderful book.

As an author of 13 books on the martial arts, I highly recommend this book for every MA library.

Library Essential, April 2, 2000
Reviewer: questor13 from U.S.
Tao of Jeet Kune Do could best be described as a training diary for the martial arts. It does not represent a style of martial art, rather it defines a concept within the martial arts. Lee combines his knowledge of the fighting arts and physical training methods with his philosophy of "using what will work for you." This book does not just explain basic techniques, it also explains how to best use these techniques when confronted with a hostile situation. Basic techniques, training methods, strategy and philosophy all in one book. Quite a feat for such a young author. If you are truly interested in improving yourself through study of the martial arts, then you should consider adding this book to your martial arts library. Other books to consider are "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu and "Karate-Do Nyumon" by Gichin Funakoshi. These books are considered basic reading since they discuss strategy and history of the martial arts. There are no limits except those we place on ourselves.