Medieval Warrior Cultures of Europe and Japan: Body, Mind, Sword

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Publisher : Via Media Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1893765237
Total Pages : 110 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (937 download)

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Book Synopsis Medieval Warrior Cultures of Europe and Japan: Body, Mind, Sword by : Michael DeMarco

Download or read book Medieval Warrior Cultures of Europe and Japan: Body, Mind, Sword written by Michael DeMarco and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are simularities and differences between the European and Japanese medieval warrior traditions that reflect the social evolutions within those cultures. Over the years publishing the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, we published articles that presented the main themes found in this unique area of comparitive studies. The most important of these writings are assembled in this anthology for your convience. Chapters 1 and 2 are by Dr. Willy Pieter, a leading scholar with a thorough grasp of European and Japanese martial art traditions. His first chapter examines the feudal system and how aspects of social organization helped form the warrior ethic, resulting in a mix of scientific and intuitive elements. In the second chapter Dr. Pieter illustrates how the perception of the human body and mind are culturally different in the East and West. Westerners have a long tradition of dualism, which separates the body and mind, while the Eastern approach has been wholistic. The author discusses scientific and medical histories for insight, particularly Chinese and European influences on Japan. In the third chapter John Michael Greer presents the esoteric side of a European sword tradition as found in the writings of Dutch fencing master Gerard Thibault (ca. 1574–1627). He notes that Asian and Western combat systems havebeen understood in sharply different ways over the last century or so. Asian combatives came to be associated with Eastern spiritual traditions and seemed to be very different than any Western combative system. However, this short chapter shows that there is actually much in common. In the final chapter Matthew Galas compares and contrasts the sword arts in Germany with the classical Japanese martial traditions. The period covered by this inquiry reaches from approximately 1350 until 1600. The focus is on general principles and combat philosophy. The study reveals that German sword techniques were as effective as their counterparts in feudal Japan. The content in this anthology is usefull for anyone interested in either or both European and Japanese martial art traditions exemplified during their medieval periods. Enjoy reading this special anthology dedicated to two leading warrior traditions.

Famous Battles of the Medieval Period

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Publisher : Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC
ISBN 13 : 1502632470
Total Pages : 106 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (26 download)

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Book Synopsis Famous Battles of the Medieval Period by : Chris McNab

Download or read book Famous Battles of the Medieval Period written by Chris McNab and published by Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2017-12-15 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The battles waged from 476 to 1485 demonstrate the complexity and importance of the medieval era. Combatants included the English, French, Muslims, Mongols, and crusaders, and their victories and failures laid the foundations of modern history. This book brings battles like the Battle of Tours and the Battle of Agincourt into sharp focus, and gives context to the warfare of the Middle Ages.

The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author

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Publisher : Via Media Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1893765520
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (937 download)

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Book Synopsis The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author by : Michael DeMarco

Download or read book The Best Fight: A Memoir of a Martial Art Practitioner, Publisher, and Author written by Michael DeMarco and published by Via Media Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.

Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0195331265
Total Pages : 433 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan by : William E. Deal

Download or read book Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan written by William E. Deal and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2007 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an introduction the Japanese history, culture, and society from 1185 - the beginning of the Kamakura period - through the end of the Edo period in 1868.

The Battle of Agincourt

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Publisher : Boydell Press
ISBN 13 : 9780851158020
Total Pages : 494 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (58 download)

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Book Synopsis The Battle of Agincourt by : Anne Curry

Download or read book The Battle of Agincourt written by Anne Curry and published by Boydell Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Agincourt! Agincourt! Know ye not Agincourt?' So began a ballad of around 1600. Since the event itself (25 October 1415), Agincourt has occupied a special place in both English and French consciousness. Some early French writers could not bring themselves to mention it by name, using instead descriptions such as 'the accursed day'. For the English, it was one of the greatest military successes ever, and thus was celebrated and commemorated in many forms over the centuries which followed. In the First World War, there were stories of angelic Agincourt bowmen giving support and inspiration to the British army. Much ink has been spilt on the battle but do we really know Agincourt? Many historical works have relied on one or two well known sources or even on Shakespeare. Not since Harris Nicolas's History of the Battle of Agincourt was published (1827-33) has there been a full attempt to survey the sources. This book brings together, in translation and with commentary, English and French narrative accounts and literary works of the fifteenth century. It also traces the treatment of the battle in sixteenth -century English histories and in the literary output of, amongst others, Shakespeare and Drayton. After examining how later historians interpreted the battle, it concludes with the first full assessment of the extremely rich administrative records which survive for the armies which fought 'upon Saint Crispin's day'.

The Secret Language of the Soul

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Publisher : Chronicle Books
ISBN 13 : 9780811818612
Total Pages : 184 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (186 download)

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Book Synopsis The Secret Language of the Soul by : Jane Hope

Download or read book The Secret Language of the Soul written by Jane Hope and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 1997-11 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This latest in the Secret Language series is an inspiring survey of faith and ritual through the ages, from Native American vision quests to chakras, avatar, and archangels. Original and ancient artworks depict some of the most profound and compelling images ever devised. This richly illustrated volume is an inviting universal guide to the realm of the divine. Over 200 full-color illustrations.

Inventing the Way of the Samurai

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Publisher : Past and Present Book
ISBN 13 : 0198706626
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

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Book Synopsis Inventing the Way of the Samurai by : Oleg Benesch

Download or read book Inventing the Way of the Samurai written by Oleg Benesch and published by Past and Present Book. This book was released on 2014 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inventing the Way of the Samurai examines the development of the 'way of the samurai' - bushido; - which is popularly viewed as a defining element of the Japanese national character and even the 'soul of Japan'. Rather than a continuation of ancient traditions, however, bushido; developed from a search for identity during Japan's modernization in the late nineteenth century. The former samurai class were widely viewed as a relic of a bygone age in the 1880s, and the first significant discussions of bushido at the end of the decade were strongly influenced by contemporary European ideals of gentlemen and chivalry. At the same time, Japanese thinkers increasingly looked to their own traditions in search of sources of national identity, and this process accelerated as national confidence grew with military victories over China and Russia. Inventing the Way of the Samurai considers the people, events, and writings that drove the rapid growth of bushido, which came to emphasize martial virtues and absolute loyalty to the emperor. In the early twentieth century, bushido; became a core subject in civilian and military education, and was a key ideological pillar supporting the imperial state until its collapse in 1945. The close identification of bushido; with Japanese militarism meant that it was rejected immediately after the war, but different interpretations of bushido; were soon revived by both Japanese and foreign commentators seeking to explain Japan's past, present, and future. This volume further explores the factors behind the resurgence of bushido, which has proven resilient through 130 years of dramatic social, political, and cultural change.

Journal of Asian Martial Arts

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 474 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Journal of Asian Martial Arts by :

Download or read book Journal of Asian Martial Arts written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Sword in Early Medieval Northern Europe

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Publisher : Anglo-Saxon Studies
ISBN 13 : 9781783274062
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sword in Early Medieval Northern Europe by : Sue Brunning

Download or read book The Sword in Early Medieval Northern Europe written by Sue Brunning and published by Anglo-Saxon Studies. This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wide-ranging study of the significance of swords throughout the whole Anglo-Saxon period, offering valuable insights into the meaning of and attitude towards swords. Swords were special in Anglo-Saxon England. Their names, deeds and pedigrees were enshrined in writing. Many were curated for generations, revealed by their worn and mended condition. Few ended their lives as casual discards, placed instead in graves, hoards and watercourses as part of ritualised acts. Contemporary sources leave no doubt that complex social meanings surrounded these weapons, transcending their use on the battlefield; but they have yet to transcend the traditional view that their primary social function was as status symbols. Even now, half a century after the first major study of Anglo-Saxon swords, their wider significance within their world has yet to be fully articulated. This book sets out to meet the challenge. Eschewing modern value judgements, it focuses instead on contemporary perceptions - exploring how those who made, used and experienced swords really felt about them. It takes a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, bringing together insights from art, archaeology and literature. Comparison with Scandinavia adds further nuance, revealing what was (and was not) distinctive of Anglo-Saxon views of these weapons. Far from elite baubles, swords are revealed to have been dynamic "living" artefacts with their own identities, histories and places in social networks - ideas fuelled by their adaptability, durability and unique rolein bloodshed. Sue Brunning is Curator of European Early Medieval Collections at The British Museum.

The Academy of the Sword

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Publisher : Aeon Books
ISBN 13 : 1904658911
Total Pages : 824 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (46 download)

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Book Synopsis The Academy of the Sword by : Gerard Thibault d'Anvers

Download or read book The Academy of the Sword written by Gerard Thibault d'Anvers and published by Aeon Books. This book was released on 2017-02-20 with total page 824 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most detailed and comprehensive treatise on swordsmanship ever written, Gerard Thibault's Academy of the Sword offers an extraordinary glimpse into a forgotten landscape of ideas, in which Pythagorean sacred geometry illuminated the lethal realities of rapier combat to create one of the Western world's only thoroughly documented esoteric martial arts. Translated by the widely respected occultist and scholar John Michael Greer, this stunningly illustrated and precisely detailed manual of Renaissance swordsmanship is a triumphant document of Renaissance culture-as well as a practical manual of a martial art that can still be studied and practiced today.

European Warfare, 1350–1750

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1139485466
Total Pages : 427 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (394 download)

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Book Synopsis European Warfare, 1350–1750 by : Frank Tallett

Download or read book European Warfare, 1350–1750 written by Frank Tallett and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-01-28 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The period 1350–1750 saw major developments in European warfare, which not only had a huge impact on the way wars were fought, but also are critical to long-standing controversies about state development, the global ascendancy of the West, and the nature of 'military revolutions' past and present. However, the military history of this period is usually written from either medieval or early-modern, and either Western or Eastern European, perspectives. These chronological and geographical limits have produced substantial confusion about how the conduct of war changed. The essays in this book provide a comprehensive overview of land and sea warfare across Europe throughout this period of momentous political, religious, technological, intellectual and military change. Written by leading experts in their fields, they not only summarise existing scholarship, but also present new findings and new ideas, casting new light on the art of war, the rise of the state, and European expansion.

The Path of the Warrior-Mystic

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 164411268X
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (441 download)

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Book Synopsis The Path of the Warrior-Mystic by : Angel Millar

Download or read book The Path of the Warrior-Mystic written by Angel Millar and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Explores the archetypal and classical male ideal found in ancient societies around the world • Examines some of the problems facing men in the world today and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems • Provides techniques for developing your thinking and focus, overcoming fear, relaxing tension in your body, and developing a self-image more appropriate to who you are and aspire to be Ancient and classical societies have always had an ideal of manhood. In Japan, the samurai cultivated not only the art of the sword but also poetry, calligraphy, and spiritual practice. In Confucianism, the ideal man was the Chun-Tzu (the Higher Man), who cultivated both the arts of war and the arts of peace. And in medieval Europe, the knight lived by the comparable code of chivalry. Such men, considered both warriors and mystics, exempli ed wholeness. Yet today, men exist in a chaotic world without role models, guidance, or a sense of the sacred masculine. Exploring how to reconnect with the archetypal male ideal and develop the different sides of your being, author Angel Millar offers a journey of self-development to help cultivate yourself as a whole--mentally, physically, and spiritually. He examines some of the problems facing men in the world today--lack of strong friendships, distractingtechnology, constant criticism--and shares practices to develop yourself in the face of these problems. He shares techniques for enhancing your focus, overcoming fear, integrating your shadow, developing inner silence, and creating a self-image more appropriate to who you are and who you aspire to be. He also explores the importance of relaxing tension in your body to help you break free from pattern-induced behavior and self-defeating thoughts embedded through muscle memory. Examining in uential gures both contemporary and historical like Steve Jobs and Swami Vivekananda, powerful myths from East and West such as the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, warrior and brotherhood traditions as well as literature and fine art, this guide will help you discover your inner sacred masculine, a better understanding of the world and your place in it, and ultimately how to become a confident, strong, and dynamic contemporary higher man and a leader in your own life.

African Samurai

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Publisher : Harlequin
ISBN 13 : 1488098751
Total Pages : 518 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (88 download)

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Book Synopsis African Samurai by : Thomas Lockley

Download or read book African Samurai written by Thomas Lockley and published by Harlequin. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan

Japan Echo

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 446 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Japan Echo by :

Download or read book Japan Echo written by and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Way of the Living Sword

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Author :
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 0595279988
Total Pages : 66 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (952 download)

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Book Synopsis The Way of the Living Sword by : Yagyu Munenori

Download or read book The Way of the Living Sword written by Yagyu Munenori and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2003-08 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Way of the Living Sword is the final installment in D.E. Tarver's popular Warrior Series. It stands beside The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi as one of the greatest writings of the warrior mind. In The Way of the Living Sword, Munenori gives an in-depth explanation of the connection between physical martial arts and the mental process of Zen. While Munenori and Musashi were both avid students of Zen, Munenori was more fascinated by the academic aspects of the philosophy. Munenori stretches the consciousness of even the most enlightened martial artist. Martial arts devotees will experience many flashes of revelation as Tarver explores the various aspects of Munenori's approach. Read and grow!

Mental Health, Spirituality, and Religion in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age

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Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 3110377853
Total Pages : 647 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Mental Health, Spirituality, and Religion in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age by : Albrecht Classen

Download or read book Mental Health, Spirituality, and Religion in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age written by Albrecht Classen and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 647 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume continues the critical exploration of fundamental issues in the medieval and early modern world, here concerning mental health, spirituality, melancholy, mystical visions, medicine, and well-being. The contributors, who originally had presented their research at a symposium at The University of Arizona in May 2013, explore a wide range of approaches and materials pertinent to these issues, taking us from the early Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, capping the volume with some reflections on the relevance of religion today. Lapidary sciences matter here as much as medical-psychological research, combined with literary and art-historical approaches. The premodern understanding of mental health is not taken as a miraculous panacea for modern problems, but the contributors suggest that medieval and early modern writers, scientists, and artists commanded a considerable amount of arcane, sometimes curious and speculative, knowledge that promises to be of value and relevance even for us today, once again. Modern palliative medicine finds, for instance, intriguing parallels in medieval word magic, and the mystical perspectives encapsulated highly productive alternative perceptions of the macrocosm and microcosm that promise to be insightful and important also for the post-modern world.

Hired Swords

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Publisher : Stanford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0804726965
Total Pages : 282 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (47 download)

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Book Synopsis Hired Swords by : Karl F. Friday

Download or read book Hired Swords written by Karl F. Friday and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 1996-03-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tracing the evolution of state military institutions from the seventh through the twelfth centuries, this book challenges much of the received wisdom of Western scholarship on the origins and early development of warriors in Japan. This prelude to the rise of the samurai, who were to become the masters of Japan's medieval and early modern eras, was initiated when the imperial court turned for its police and military protection to hired swords--professional mercenaries largely drawn from the elites of provincial society. By the middle of the tenth century, this provincial military order had been handed a virtual monopoly of Japan's martial resources. Yet it was not until near the end of the twelfth century that these warriors took the first significant steps toward asserting their independence from imperial court control. Why did they not do so earlier? Why did they remain obedient to a court without any other military sources for nearly 300 years? Why did the court put itself in the potentially (and indeed, ultimately) precarious situation of contracting for its military needs with private warriors? These and related questions are the focus of the author's study. Most of the few Western treatments see the origins of the samurai in the incompetence and inactivity of the imperial court that forced residents in the provinces to take up arms themselves. According to this view, a warrior class was spontaneously generated just as one had been in Europe a few centuries earlier, and the Japanese court was doomed to eventually perish by the sword because of its failure to live by it. Instead, the author argues that it was largely court activism that put swords in the hands of rural elites, thatcourt military policy, from the very beginning of the imperial state era, followed a long-term pattern of increasing reliance on the martial skills of the gentry. This policy reflected the court's desire for maximum efficiency in its military institutions, and the policy's succes