By Pete Mills, on 26-01-2008 20:03

Zen in the Martial Arts Author: Joe Hyams; Publisher: Bantam Books; Year: 1979; Pages: 133; Languages: English; RRP: £3.97

Review:

Don’t let this slim, pocket-sized book convince you that it cannot teach you anything about Zen philosophy and the martial arts; it is packed full of bite-sized gems of information and advice. This book must have a place in any discussion about Zen in relation to martial arts because even though it was written almost 30 years ago (there are some quite outstanding moustaches to illustrate this), it is still in the Amazon top ten bestseller list of martial arts books managing to consistently out-sell the numerous how-to guides of do-it-yourself Tai Chi.

When this book was written, Hyams had already gained 25 years experience in the martial arts studying a variety of disciplines including Karate and kung fu. He started his martial arts career in 1952 studying Karate with Master Ed Parker whilst working in Hollywood as a journalist and screenwriter. So you won’t be disappointed if you like to hear a few famous names dropped. We hear several stories of the times and lessons Hyams spent learning Jeet Kune Do with Bruce Lee in either his back garden or driveway, sharing the most famous of screen martial artists’ time with other film bigwigs in Hollywood. We hear a lot of Bruce Lee’s philosophies that relate to both Zen and martial arts and from Hyams anecdotal retelling of how these little lessons affected both his progress and understanding in the martial arts to other aspects of his life including his career, tennis and relationships. Hyams introduces his understanding of Zen clearly and straightforwardly by describing it as, “merely good sense”. He then goes on to illustrate to the reader his gradual understanding of this philosophy and we learn as he learnt, through listening to wise advice given by one of his masters and applying it through an incident in his life, be it martial or otherwise.

Some of the most interesting stories Hyams tells us are related to how Zen techniques have been used to heal. For example, Hyams himself had a brush with death when he contracted Weill’s disease but utilised his breathing to fight the infection. He also used visualisation to help him recover from a nasty case of Bronchitis as he “carefully visualised a snow blower moving through my bronchial tubes.”

Joe Hyams has had a long and interesting career in the martial arts and when he wrote this book, his 25 years experience would put him on a par with many a master. However, as a reader, we are never encouraged to feel impressed with this knowledge; rather Hyams gives us the impression that he is still learning and is still very much a student in the martial arts and Zen. This is a very successful example of a martial artist and professional writer presenting his knowledge in a humane and entertaining way and is the first book anyone should read before starting their studies in Zen philosophy.

Author Profile: Lesley Jackson

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Lesley Jackson, black belt and Taekwondo teacher is deputy Editor of Martial Edge.

Also by Lesley Jackson:

• The Beginner’s Guide to Darkness
• Jamie Clubb the Ealy Years
• Strictly Baby Fight Club