Written by a major in the US Air Force with twenty years of martial arts training, these
experiences have apparently let him muse on, as the subtitle indicates, how the modern
warrior should think. In the beginning, Morgan asserts that that although there are
cultural differences between warrior groups from around the world, there is a common
attitude that separates them from non-warrior people within their respective cultures.
He goes on to elaborate how martial arts training can instill those warrior like
qualities, and how and why the warrior mindset should be embraced as means of bettering
the individual. The result is a very motivating and reinforcing book to anyone
seriously interested in adopting the values associated with the military and/or martial
arts. An overview of the contents can better describe the book. It is divided into
three parts with various chapters in each. Part one concerns training. Chapter one
discusses adopting and embracing a warrior mindset for internal reasons, not external
gratification. Subsequent chapters involve selecting a martial doctrine, developing
strategies and tactics (certainly where his military experiences weigh heavily) and
embracing the training regimen of a warrior. The section finishes by touching upon
martial arts concepts such as life force, indomitable spirit, and a focus of spirit.
The second part deals with the warrior sense of honor, its application, and perversions
thereof. Part three deals with the warrior lifestyle. One chapter in this section
makes a valid point that a warrior must be healthy and fit to fight, and that training
needs to be specific to your martial arts objectives, but some of the detailed
suggestions about incorporating fitness routines are a bit flawed. Here is probably the
book’s most ingenious chapter on fostering a commanding warrior presence: an austere
quality, good posture, physical and mental grace and composure.
As one might have guessed from the above synopsis, this book is not a cohesive thesis,
but more like a series of well organized (for the most part) reflections on being a
martial artist/warrior. The book should have kept exclusively with this theme of
musings and examples, rather than at times also trying to be a how to book. Sections
on the importance of faking or the need to strike specific, vital targets, for example,
seem misplaced, as they become tangential subjects of their own rather than mere
illustrations of some point being made. Although well intended, similar sections on
developing power through the breath and the aforementioned fitness recommendations are
book subjects onto themselves, and the few pages dedicated to them within this book are
not that helpful. At times it seems as if the musings became more like related
ramblings. The spattering of Asian martial arts terms and quotes from martial arts
sources may seem a little hodgepodge but for the most part fit into and support his
arguments nicely. There is not anything particularly groundbreaking within the book,
but the author makes some good points and observations that, when coupled with some
neat stories and examples, shows he has thought about the real-life applications of
the qualities and traits he espouses. It is also a fairly light and easy read compared
to some more serious works, making it an enjoyable book overall. While not enlightening,
it couldn’t hurt to read this book to get you thinking and to reinforce your desire to
use the martial arts as a vehicle for personal development.
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