This book is an old one that I purchased sometime in the early eighties. It is missing most of the front cover and the pages are yellow and some are loose from the spine. I really should not be a Cheap Charlie and buy a new book, but I love the smell and feel of old worn books that are part of my life.
Zen In the Martial Arts is a tiny book that is only 133 pages, but is jammed packed with wisdom. The book is 28 chapters containing stories of the author training and having conversations with master martial artists such as Bruce Lee, Bong Soo Han, Ed Parker, Jim Lau, and Yong Tae Lee. Each chapter is short (2-6 pages), but full of very useful philosophy. The information will help you in your day to day life. If you are into Zen and Taoism you will not be able to put this book down.
Below are two quotes and one except conversation from the book:
Flow with whatever may happen
and let your mind be free: Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.
This is the ultimate.
– CHUANG-TZU-
To win one hundred victories in
one hundred battles is not the highest skill.
To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.
-SUN TZU-
Excerpt from the Confident Seeing chapter:
Conversation between the author and Bruce Lee.
“The mind is like a fertile garden” Bruce said
“It will grow anything you wish to plant-beautiful flowers or weeds.”
” I’ll give you a secret for ridding my mind of negative thoughts,” Bruce said.
” When such a thought enters my mind,I visualize it as being written on a piece of paper.
Then I visualize myself wadding the paper up into a tight ball.
Then I mentally light it on fire and visualize it burning to a crisp.
The negative thought is destroyed, never to enter my mind again.”
The book Zen In The Martial Arts By Joe Hyams can be purchased on Amazon.com below:
