4.5/5 Ninja Stars for 2016 Edition of Bubishi by Patrick McCarthy

4/5 Ninja Stars for Bubishi by Patrick McCarthy

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from the publisher for review purposes

Title: Bubishi The Classic Manual of Combat (2016)
Translated with Commentary by: Patrick McCarthy
Publisher: Tuttle
Format: Hardcover
Cover Price: $16.95  $11.87(US)

  First off, this is a first for me.  This is the first time I've been asked to review an updated edition of the same book.  This review is for a newest (2016) edition of Patrick McCarthy's translation of Bubishi.  I reviewed the last version HERE, which dealt more with the content.  This review will mainly deal with the edition differences, and how it adds or subtracts to the content.

Content

    As far as I can tell, all the content from the Bubishi itself is the same.  What differs is the commentary, and the other authors introduction and testimonies on why Bubishi is so important to today's karateka.  There also seems to be updated pictures, or maybe better reproductions of the pictures.  

Pros

    I still enjoyed all the same things about this edition that was in the previous one.  The addition of the other karateka and author's testimonials of the importance of the texts gives more gravitas to the material that is presented in Bubishi.  Which is justifiable.  As I said in the previous review, this maybe THE most important text in karate history.  If you study karate, and already own a previous edition, then this book should be on your wishlist.  If you don't study karate, but some other art, then might as well get this edition over the others.

Cons

   If you do not study karate, and already own a previous edition, then I don't know if this edition over a previous one will have the same impact.  I had mine side by side as I read, and I enjoyed the slight differences and improvements in this edition, but I don't know how much of a martial arts nerd everyone else is.

Conclusion

    If you are a karateka, and wish to study from what the old masters studied from, then this book is as important as going to class.  The Bubishi itself hasn't changed, but the accompanying texts and interpretations have, and I think they help the book.  So I give the last version 4 out of 5 Ninja Stars, and this version improves on it, so I would want to give it 4.25 out of 5 Ninja Stars.  However, I only have 1/2 stars, so I'll round up and give it 4.5 out of 5.