Herding the Ox uses the Ten Oxherding Pictures of Zen as a springboard to discuss the spiritual and ethical dimensions of martial arts training. By combining historical vignettes about some of Japan's greatest warriors with thought provoking analysis, it illuminates the relationship between Zen concepts and real-life experience in the martial arts. Written by a martial artist who is also a professional educator, Herding the Ox takes the reader on an entertaining and enlightening journey into the search for a deeper meaning in the martial arts.