Heaven & Earth invite you inside Hatsumi Sensei’s dojo in Japan to see his artworks, hear his teachings, and feel his techniques through striking action photography. The books feature Sensei’s artworks paired with photographs of him teaching at the dojo, plus an essay in which he comments on his paintings. The books are fully bilingual (written in English and Japanese) and include a commentary section by the publisher offering translations of Sensei’s calligraphy and cultural notes.

The theme of Heaven is martial virtue: military force used properly — namely, to create civilization and maintain peace. Earth's theme is bonno (afflictions understood in Buddhism to be rooted in misconceptions and the cause of suffering). Earth helps us meditate on those of Sensei's paintings which illustrate “the three poisons” of ignorance, rage, and desire.

Heaven & Earth — perhaps the closest you can get to training with Hatsumi Sensei in Japan.