Like sushi? Know a little something about it? Take your knowledge to a higher level with The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi. Author and Japanese-culture expert Dave Lowry provides a wealth of information on the varieties of sushi and its ingredients, with extensive coverage given to all types of fish. He lays out the finer points of etiquette and showcases the proper accompaniments. Lowry's wry, light wit emerges as he shares lots of cultural and historical facts about sushi. He'll tell you just how to go about finding a really good sushi restaurant. With this book in hand, you'll be sure to enhance your sushi dining experience, and wow your friends with your new-found expertise!...

Dave Lowry started writing for Black Belt over 20 years ago, sharing his traditional take on the martial arts in a monthly column called "Karate Way". Lowry's entertaining, sometimes controversial voice is evident throughout his columns, gathered here for the first time. Whether examining the origins of the tonfa or the popularity of mixed-martial arts tournaments, Lowry consistently provides a unique historical and philosophical take on his subjects....

Karate is not just a sport or a hobby—it’s a lifetime study toward perfection of character. Here, Dave Lowry, one of the best-known writers on the Japanese martial arts, illuminates the complete path of karate including practice, philosophy, and culture. He covers myriad subjects of interest to karate practitioners of all ages and levels, including: The relationship between students and teachers Cultivating the correct attitude during practice The differences between karate in the East and West Whether a karate student really needs to study in Japan to perfect the art The meaning of rank and the black belt Detailed descriptions of kicks, punches, evasions, and techniques and the philosophical concepts that they manifest What practice means and looks like as one ages How the practice of karate aims toward cultivating character and spiritual development

After forty years studying karate and the budo arts, Lowry is an informative and reliable guide, highlighting aspects of the karate path that will surprise, entertain, and enlighten....

Persimmon Wind--part memoir, part martial arts history, and part travelogue--relates Dave Lowry's experiences as he travels to Japan to reunite with his sensei, visit the graves of others of his martial lineage, and explore a country and culture that profoundly influenced his life.

Lowry's account reveals a Japan unlikely to be witnessed by the average Westerner. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the martial arts, Lowry acts as an interpreter of sorts, deftly describing for the reader the myriad ways in which Japan's subtle, yet rich customs and rituals inform and enrich the seemingly mundane practices of life. On his journey, he interweaves musings from his daily encounters--his introduction to an old ryokan-keeper; a contemplative visit to Kyoto's Daitokuji, "Temple of Great Virtue"; he even spots a ghost or two--with reflections on local history and the philosophies and origins of the Shinkage-ryu, one of Japan's oldest schools of classical swordsmanship.

At the same time, Lowry's experiences in Japan serve as an unexpected opportunity bringing him to terms with the extraordinary relationship that exists between teacher and student, with his own past, his place in the long line of swordsmen from whom he has come, and with the challenge he faces in integrating the cultural streams of East and West....