Review of Clearing Away Clouds:
Nine Lessons for Life from the Martial Arts
by Stephen Fabian
Reviewed by H. E. Davey
Clearing Away Clouds: Nine Lessons for Life from the Martial Arts
(Weatherhill), ISBN 0-8348-0468-9, $14.95, soft cover, 159 pages,
By Stephen Fabian
Clearing Away Clouds: Nine Lessons for Life from the Martial Arts, by
Stephen Fabian Sensei, has just been released by Weatherhill. It has a number
of points to recommend it.
Clearing Away Clouds brings Dr. Fabian's excellent background in
anthropology and Japanese culture to bear on over two decades of training in
Japanese and Korean martial arts and ways. The result is an interesting
autobiography that also details nine lessons for self-mastery in daily life
and the martial arts.
The book is, logically enough, divided into nine chapters, one for each
of the "Nine Lessons for Life" that are the subject of this obviously sincere
work. Mr. Fabian's precepts for both martial artists and the average person
are:
- Embrace a Way
- Accept Responsibility for Your Actions
- Control the Breath
- Focus
- Develop Self-discipline
- Train Hard, Seeking Aesthetic Refinement
- Be Patient and Flow
- Persevere
- Cultivate the Mind of No Mind
Many individuals will agree that the cultivation of most or all of
the above ideals is advantageous. But unlike some books dealing with
philosophical issues in Japanese cultural arts and/or martial arts,
Clearing Away Clouds does not cover these seemingly abstract
concepts in a similarly abstract or purely theoretical manner. Since
Dr. Fabian has adopted an autobiographical approach, his book personalizes
the above nine lessons in a way that is more interesting than is sometimes
encountered in books of this sort.
Clearing Away Clouds would have been enhanced by photographs. In
particular, photos of the author's unique training in one of Japan's older
systems of jujutsu would have helped the reader to visualize what kind of art
Dr. Fabian was studying. (This is particularly important in light of the fact
that authentic Japanese jujutsu is rarely found outside of Asia.)
Unfortunately, Weatherhill seems to be strangely reluctant to include
illustrations in its books of this nature. Arts of Strength, Arts of
Serenity by Nicklaus Suino, another fine and thoughtful book on the
spiritual side of the Japanese martial arts, and also published by
Weatherhill, similarly suffered from a lack of illustrations.
Mr. Fabian's topnotch background in the Japanese martial arts makes his
autobiographical treatment of martial arts philosophy not only legitimate but
fascinating as well. Mr. Stephen Fabian, Ph.D., is a Senior Advisor to the
Shudokan Martial Arts Association, and one of the
highest-ranking members of the SMAA Jujutsu Division. He is also a member of
the SMAA Iaido Division, with training under top teachers in Japan, and his
qualifications as an educator and martial artist make themselves felt in this
book.
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Weatherhill
1-800-437-7840
weath1212@aol.com
www.weatherhill.com
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