the tao of war

Harmonizing with the Sacred

The Book:

The Tao of War is an original and timely work of metaphysics which calls one back to witnessing the sacred, embodying the Warrior's path, and consciously realigning one's deepest intentions with virtue.

Testimonials:

Mikhail Abdul-Latif has written a compelling manual to guide the poet or spiritual warrior. He does so through a thoughtful examination of the philosophy undergirding the martial arts, along with an examination of the utility of various martial arts themselves. He posits that just as the fight against the outer enemy cannot be divorced from the fight against the inner enemy, the true martial arts cannot be separated from fighting itself. When these separations occur they leave fraud in their wake. As Mikhail reminds us, war is real. Its true reality is not to be found in brutalizing the weak and downtrodden, violence for the sake of violence, base domination, or weapon sales. Rather, it is in the liberation and protection of the soul, internal processes that lay the path for the liberation and protection of others. The beauty of war is to be found in this meaning. Hence, the beauty of the martial arts. 'The Tao of War' is a penetrating examination of that beauty.— Imam Zaid Shakir

The Author:

Mikhail Abdul-Latif is an author, poet, musician, and lifelong martial artist from Seattle, Washington. He holds national titles in wrestling in both Canada and the US, a Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, and spent many years traveling the world as a professional athlete while studying under various masters of martial art and spiritual traditions. As a prolific educator, his teachings blend the philosophical, the practical, the artistic, and the spiritual.

Academy of Applied Philosophy

Applied Philosophy is an institution of learning which aims to optimize the human being inwardly and outwardly. The Tao of War, which focuses on the philosophical components which underpin and direct a martial art curriculum, is one of the foundational texts used in the students educational journey. While many of the educational directions of Applied Philosophy branch away from martial art practice, the core principles of the academy are to find ideals, understandings, and ultimately philosophy which can and should be applied, as opposed merely contemplated. This concept of Applied Philosophy, in which we aim for useful knowledge as opposed to the merely theoretical, and deeply intentional actions as opposed to the merely conventional or convenient, is a theme which infuses all the courses and disciplines taught and studied. The academy runs courses on Sacred Calligraphy, Meditation, Qi Gong, Self -Healing, Fasting, Health and Wellness, Poetry, Writing, Spirituality, and of course, both theoretical and practical Self-Defense and the Arts of War.