Koryu, literally 'old flow from the past,' refers to Japanese martial traditions that predate the sweeping cultural changes that followed the Meiji Restoration of 1868. They generally have a very different character and tone from modern martial arts, such as kendo, judo or aikido which followed. More than the study of antique weapons, self-defense or a form of athletics, these martial traditions are a cultural legacy and a window to another time and place. In the first edition of Old School, Ellis Amdur, a renowned martial arts researcher, and himself an instructor in two different surviving...

Ellis Amdur's writing on martial arts is ground-breaking. Completely revised and very substantially expanded second edition. New material includes discussion of the transfer of esoteric power training from China to Japanese jujutsu systems, Japanese swordsmanship from the Kurama traditions, Daito-ryu and its most important offshoot, aikido.