Bohdi Sanders - Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence

Copyright 2012 by Bohdi Sanders

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sanders, Bohdi, 1962
Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence

ISBN 978-1-937884-06-2
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62345-495-1

1. Martial Arts. 2. Self-Help. 3. Philosophy. I. Title

I want to express my sincere appreciation to my beautiful wife, Tracey, for all of her patience for my many hours spent at my computer researching and writing Modern Bushido. Without her love and support this book would have never come to fruition. I also want to thank her for taking time out from her busy schedule to read and edit Modern Bushido. That is just one of the perks of being married to a great English teacher.

In addition, I want to thank all of my readers who continue to buy my books and pursue the warrior lifestyle. All of your emails and letters definitely let me know that my books and writing are making at least some difference in the world. I hope that you each find Modern Bushido worth your time.

Note to the Reader

Although the term warrior is most often used to refer to men, it is used in this book as a generic term which refers to both men and women. Also, for the ease of reading, I have used the generically accepted term he throughout this book instead of the politically correct derivative he or she to refer to both men and women warriors. This book in no way is meant to discriminate or insinuate that true warriors are only men. Modern Bushido is written for everyone, men and women, who want to live a life of excellence.

Bohdi Sanders is a lifelong student of wisdom literature, the healing arts, and the martial arts. His studies led him to explore the wisdom behind natural health, naturopathy, herbs, Reiki Qigong, meditation, and the power of the mind to heal the body and to make positive changes in ones life. These explorations led to him earning doctorate degrees in naturopathy and in natural health.

Dr. Sanders is also a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, a Certified Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning, a Certified Reiki Master, and a Certified Master of G-Jo Acupressure. He holds a black belt in Shotokan Karate and has studied various other martial arts for over 30 years. He has worked with young people for over 20 years and is endorsed to teach in five different subject areas. He is the author of:

Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

Warrior Wisdom: The Heart and Soul of Bushido

The Warrior Lifestyle: Making Your Life Extraordinary

The Secrets of Worldly Wisdom

Secrets of the Soul

Wisdom of the Elders

Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence

Dr. Sanders books have received high praise and have won several national awards, including:

The Indie Excellence Book Awards: 1st Place Winner 2010

USA Book News Best Books of 2010: 1st Place Winner 2010

IIMAA: Best Martial Arts Book of the Year 2011

USA Martial Arts HOF: Literary Man of the Year 2011

U. S. Martial Artist Association: Inspiration of the Year 2011

U. S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame: Author of the Year 2011

www.TheWisdomWarrior.com

Table of Contents

In 1899, Inazo Nitobe wrote the classic, Bushido: The Warriors Code. He gave the early 20th Century Western world a glimpse into the mind-set of the 18th & 19th Century Samurai and the virtues of their warrior traditions. He illuminated the seven qualities of what it meant to be a Samurai, such as loyalty, integrity and respect. Drawing parallels to the knights of Europe, and their code of chivalry, he tapped into the mythical warrior archetype that lives in each of us, and more importantly, he gave us a blueprint to see how these attributes translate into everyday living.

From that blueprint, and his many years of experience as a martial artist and healer, Dr. Sanders has built a beautiful piece of work, Modern Bushido. Contained within these pages you are about to read, Dr. Sanders supplies you with an update of what it means to be a warrior today. Like Mr. Nitobe, yet drawing from many traditions and cultures, Dr. Sanders brings forth and illuminates the virtues and attributes that exemplify the mythical warrior that beats in the hearts of all men and women.

I have seen in my practice as a psychotherapist and helping people heal from trauma and pain, that the warrior archetype is very strong medicine indeed. The mythical warrior archetype is what empowers and connects you to the source of our own personal power. Carl Jung, the noted psycho-analyst, whose work in the identification of psychological archetypes stated, Myth is more individual and expresses life more precisely than does science. Science works with concepts of averages which are far too general to do justice to the subjective variety of individual life.

Dr. Sanders brings to you a no watered-down version of what science or the experts tell you a warrior is or is not. He has tapped into the very essence of the Warriors Way and brings it here to your attention today. This book is destined to become a classic in its own right. Read carefully. Digest each chapter, each page, and each sentence. Meditate upon the message. Let it sink in and feel its power. Dr. Sanders has placed it here for you to find. Be well and enjoy.

David Nelson, PhD
Martial Artist & Author of: Black Belt Healing:
A Martial Artists Guide to Pain Management & Injury Recovery.

I have studied martial arts for almost 30 years, and have seen many amazing martial artists do things with their bodies that can simply boggle the mind. I have seen some of the best fighters in the world and have trained with many martial arts instructors and other practitioners. I have also been involved in more physical confrontations than I care to remember, and know what it is like to both pound someone into a pulp, as well as be pounded. In addition, I have been trained in how to use different weapons in self-defense situations.

In short, I have witnessed and experienced a lot when it comes to the physical side of the martial arts, but with all my experience, I have found one subject that seems to always get little or no attention in the world of martial arts how to live a life of character. Most martial arts classes are completely focused on self-defense, fighting, sport applications, tournaments, and katas. While all of these are important parts of the martial arts, there is something even more important missing from this list character training.

This is what Modern Bushido is all about how to live the life of the superior man. While this may sound like an elitist statement, it isnt. Living the life of the superior man is simply a way of saying living a life based on character, honor and integrity. It is living the warrior lifestyle the way it should be lived, according to universal standards and principles which make someone a superior human being.