They Call Me Sensei

They Call Me Sensei
Author: REESE RIGBY
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2012-11-29
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9781477293072

This is the story of Sensei Reese Rigbys journey into Isshin-ryu karate-do from beginner white belt to ninth-degree black belt grandmaster, starting with his school of fourteen students in 1973 and growing to approximately three hundred karate students and an additional one hundred combined cardio kickboxing and tai chi students in 2012. In writing this book, Sensei Rigby wanted to share his story with his students, family, and others who are interested in a martial arts journey. This book is a tribute to his Isshin-ryu instructors, Grandmaster Angi Uezu and Grandmaster Tom Lewis, and his tai chi instructor, Sifu Diane Cannon.

Dueling with O-Sensei

Dueling with O-Sensei
Author: Ellis Amdur
Publisher: Freelance Academy Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2016-12-31
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1937439518

If you are a long-time martial artist, you have likely been either the recipient, the victim - or both - of the "wise old master" phenomenon, whereby budo students reverentially enfold their teachers as martial, moral and mystical juggernauts sans reproach, in which case, this book will make you clench your fists and laugh out loud, often while reading the same sentence. Iconoclastic, rebellious, yet fiercely holding to some of the most traditional values of Japanese martial culture, Amdur brought something new to martial arts writing - a startling honesty about the flaws, not only within martial arts culture, but also within its practitioners, often using himself as an exemplar of the latter. Originally published in 2000, and now fully revised, with eight new chapters, new artwork and photography, Dueling with O Sensei, Revised and Expanded Edition will be an invaluable addition to the library of old readers and new alike.

Self-Portraits: Stories

Self-Portraits: Stories
Author: Osamu Dazai
Publisher: New Directions Publishing
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2024-02-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0811232271

Bringing together novelist Osamu Dazai’s best autobiographical shorts in a single, slim volume, Self-Portraits shows the legendary writer at his best—and worst “Art dies the moment it acquires authority.” So said Japan’s quintessential rebel writer Osamu Dazai, who, disgusted with the hypocrisy of every kind of establishment, from the nation’s obsolete aristocracy to its posturing, warmongering generals, went his own way, even when that meant his death—and the death of others. Faced with pressure to conform, he declared his individuality to the world—in all its self-involved, self-conscious, and self-hating glory. “Art,” he wrote, “is ‘I.’” In these short stories, collected and translated by Ralph McCarthy, we can see just how closely Dazai’s life mirrored his art, and vice versa, as the writer/narrator falls from grace, rises to fame, and falls again. Addiction, debt, shame, and despair dogged Dazai until his self-inflicted death, and yet despite all the lies and deception he resorted to in life, there is an almost fanatical honesty to his writing. And that has made him a hero to generations of readers who see laid bare, in his works, the painful, impossible contradictions inherent in the universal commandment of social life—fit in and do as you are told—as well as the possibility, however desperate, of defiance. Long out of print, these stories will be a revelation to the legions of new fans of No Longer Human, The Setting Sun, and The Flowers of Buffoonery.

Pride (I Am Self-Identified!)

Pride (I Am Self-Identified!)
Author: Danielle Sainte-Marie
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 527
Release: 2011-04
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0557575729

This is a labor of love; it is my love letter to the world. Its message of positive perspective, how to love yourself and increase self-esteem is primarily intended for the LGBTQI, BIID, and Polyamory communities, but it is also quite useful for absolutely anyone who wishes to have a more realized sense of self-identity. I hold two Bachelors Degrees, one in Psychology and the other in Business Management; I am an affectional orientated lesbian as well. After having been through religious oppression, extreme abuse and even homelessness, I have managed to thrive and I offer this book as my definitive statement on how and why we need to accept all peoples in this vast, diverse world if we truly wish to learn to love ourselves. Most books on these types of subjects don't address the philosophical and psychological mind-set needed to self-identify with authenticity. I also wanted to show the reader how to feel great about her or himself even in the worst of situations. This book fills that need.

Let Me Play

Let Me Play
Author: Radford Castro
Publisher:
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2004
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9781587363498

Do you ever skip dinner to finish that "impossible" level? Have you ever tossed your keyboard out the window after losing a game, or swung your controller around because you lost that power up? Would you like to learn a little bit about the underground world of emulation? If you answered yes to any of the above, this book was meant for you. With an insider's look at how people interact with the games and with each other, Radford Castro's tales of gaming are almost as fun as playing the games themselves.

Early Light (Storybook ND Series)

Early Light (Storybook ND Series)
Author: Osamu Dazai
Publisher: New Directions Publishing
Total Pages: 60
Release: 2022-08-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0811232115

Early Light gathers three tales by Osamu Dazai, author of the wildly popular No Longer Human Early Light offers three very different aspects of Osamu Dazai's genius: the title story relates his misadventures as a drinker and a family man in the terrible fire bombings of Tokyo at the end of WWII. Having lost their own home, he and his wife flee with a new baby boy and their little girl to relatives in Kofu, only to be bombed out anew. "Everything's gone," the father explains to his daughter: "Mr. Rabbit, our shoes, the Ogigari house, the Chino house, they all burned up," "Yeah, they all burned up," she said, still smiling. "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," another autobiographical tale, is much more comic: Dazai finds himself unable to escape the famous views, the beauty once immortalized by Hokusai and now reduced to a cliche. In the end, young girls torment him by pressing him into taking their photo before the famous peak: "Goodbye," he hisses through his teeth, "Mount Fuji. Thanks for everything. Click." And the final story is "Villon's Wife," a small masterpiece, which relates the awakening to power of a drunkard's wife. She transforms herself into a woman not to be defeated by anything, not by her husband being a thief, a megalomaniacal writer, and a wastrel. Single-handedly, she saves the day by concluding that "There's nothing wrong with being a monster, is there? As long as we can stay alive."

Implac

Implac
Author: Zvi Zaks
Publisher: eStar Books
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2011-03-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1612102018

Schools, churches and government all insisted that none of the sadistic and genocidal implac robots had survived the Great War, but Tommy McPherson never believed them. When he heard about a tunnel on the moon - one uncharted and too straight to be natural - he knew the time had come to investigate what was hidden there and face his most terrifying nightmares...

Self Portraits

Self Portraits
Author: Dazai Osamu
Publisher: ببلومانيا للنشر والتوزيع
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2024-10-28
Genre: Drama
ISBN:

"Self Portraits" by Dazai Osamu is a collection of short stories, essays, and personal reflections that offer insight into the mind and struggles of the author. These pieces blend fiction and autobiography, reflecting Dazai’s inner conflicts, including his lifelong battle with depression, addiction, and a sense of alienation. The stories in this collection often present characters that mirror Dazai himself—outsiders grappling with societal expectations, guilt, and shame. Themes of human imperfection, self-destruction, and existential despair are common throughout. Dazai's writing style is deeply introspective, marked by irony and dark humor, as he explores the contradictions of the human spirit. "Self Portraits" provides a raw and intimate look into the author’s life, making it an essential read for those interested in understanding Dazai’s psyche and the experiences that shaped his literary voice. The collection complements his other major works, such as No Longer Human and The Setting Sun, by revealing more personal aspects of his worldview.

Mediocrity

Mediocrity
Author: 二葉亭四迷
Publisher:
Total Pages: 228
Release: 1927
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN:

Outbreak Company: Volume 4

Outbreak Company: Volume 4
Author: Ichiro Sakaki
Publisher: J-Novel Club
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2018-06-22
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1718301103

SHINICHI'S A MAID MAN A passage to another world has been discovered in the "Sea of Trees" near Mount Fuji. That other world is the Holy Eldant Empire, and it's a full-on fantasy universe, with dragons flying through the sky and everything! The Japanese government, eager to profit from this discovery, secretly sets up a company called Amutech to promote trade by bringing otaku culture to the benighted inhabitants of this land. But wouldn't you know it, their secret got out! Or anyway, it's about to. And that's bad, right? Amutech general manager, former home security guard, and thoroughbred otaku Kanou Shinichi has a solution, and it's so otaku it hurts: he wants to hold a magical cosplay contest and photo shoot. And in the process, he may be surprised at what he learns about the hidden talents--and the hidden past--of his personal bodyguard, Minori. Shinichi is in for more than he bargained for (again!) in Volume 4 of Outbreak Company!