Focus From A Imaginary Samurai Archer Analysis

The essay Zanshin: Learning The Art of Attention and Focus From a Legendary Samurai Archer by James Clear expresses a personal style through the use of a personal story, the overall message in connection to it afterwards, and the examples introduced to understand it overall. The author brings a personal story regarding how a German professor named Eugen Herrigel was learning and mastering the Japanese martial art of archer under Awa Kenzo, a legendary Archer in the 1920s in Japan to deepen his understanding of Japanese culture. Later on, Eugene felt a strong sense of slow pace with his training and went to shoot targets from larger distances but fails to do so. Afterwards, Kenzo explains the importance of having constant awareness throughout the

3). That state is otherwise known as Zanshin. This story serves as a basis for understanding the conditions to attain Zanshin and the importance behind it through the actions of Kenzo. Kenzo was "so mindful of the process that he was able to replicate the exact series of internal movements even without seeing the external target" (p. 3). Kenzo demonstrates the act of complete focus on the task at hand and completes it successfully, thus proving the point of his words to Eugene of how that state leads to completing a specific task. From this, the essay introduces the universal message of how Zanshin can be applied to other areas of life and approach various activities in a person's life. The author connects it to how it can help a person stay committed to their goals, such as when writing a novel. In that example, the author talks about how the battle does not end after just finishing a book and that a constant sharpening of a person's skills needs to be done. The author gives the idea that a person cannot rest after writing a book and that they need to improve their skills constantly to become