Est. 1974  ·  Martial Arts & Philosophy
Trecento Press Books of Enduring Importance
The Publisher's Credo

On the tradition of serious books "We do not publish what is fashionable. We publish what is true, what has endured, and what will endure again — for those who understand that the discipline of the body and the discipline of the mind are one and the same pursuit."

Trecento Press · Founded 1974 New York · London · Rome · Tokyo
The 2026–2027 Catalog

Literature
for the
Disciplined Mind

Since 1974, Trecento Press has published the foundational texts of martial arts and classical philosophy — works that have shaped warriors, scholars, and seekers across centuries and civilizations.

Browse the Catalog About the Press
9
Titles in Print
50+
Years Publishing
4
World Offices
2
Great Traditions
Karatedō is The Way, Volume One — front cover
Volume One
Karatedō is The Way, Volume Two — front cover
Volume Two
New from Trecento Press  ·  October 2026
空手道

Karatedō ◆ is ◆ The Way

The Philosophy of Karatedō and the Path to a Meaningful Life

Michael Darigo Sensei  ·  In Two Volumes

The comprehensive reference to the philosophy of Karatedō.

The philosophy of Karatedō is the path of purpose and the way to a meaningful life. Developed for the practice of karate, it offers insight and wisdom for everyone. For centuries these concepts were taught orally, passed down from Sensei to student. Now, in this landmark two-volume work, Michael Darigo Sensei sets down all 149 core concepts of the philosophy of Karatedō — explaining each in detail and organizing them into approachable explanations for the modern reader.

Karatedō is a coherent system of wisdom, purpose, resilience, and relentless self-improvement. It trains leaders, explains how most things "work," and provides a toolbox and a map for achieving happiness and fulfillment. Whether you have trained for decades or have never tied a rank belt, these volumes offer the tools to become the best version of yourself — and a path forward to building a life of substance.

"In a modern world empty of philosophy and overflowing with the insipid, the way of the empty hand offers a path forward."
  • 2Volumes
  • 149Core Concepts
  • Oct 2026Release
  • Philosophy /
    Martial Arts    Subject
Order Volume One Order Volume Two Available on Amazon  ·  October 26, 2026

Michael Darigo Sensei is a lifelong student and teacher of the martial arts, the founder of the largest dojo in New York City, and the author of hundreds of scholarly articles on karatedō, martial arts, history, and philosophy.

Nine Essential Works

Scholarship · Discipline · Permanence

I.
The Complete Catalog

Nine Essential Works

Karatedō is The Way cover New  ·  Karatedō

Karatedō is The Way

Michael Darigo Sensei  ·  2026

The comprehensive reference to the philosophy of Karatedō — all 149 core concepts, set down in two volumes. The path of purpose and the way to a meaningful life, for the lifelong practitioner and the modern reader alike.

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The Art of War cover Strategy & Life

The Art of War

Sun Tzu  ·  c. 500 BC

The oldest and most celebrated treatise on military strategy. No text has done more to shape the philosophy of conflict, leadership, and the nature of victory.

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The Book of Five Rings cover Strategy & Life

The Book of Five Rings

Miyamoto Musashi  ·  1645

Written by Japan's greatest swordsman in his final years — the supreme text of strategy, timing, and the philosophy of combat.

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Tō-Te Jitsu cover Karate

Tō-Te Jitsu

Gichin Funakoshi  ·  1922

A foundational text from the father of modern karate — rare insight into the principles of Okinawan martial arts before its dissemination to the wider world.

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Meditations cover Stoicism

Meditations

Marcus Aurelius  ·  c. 161–180 AD

The private reflections of a Roman emperor — written for himself alone, never for publication. For two thousand years, the companion of warriors and seekers of wisdom.

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Bubishi cover Okinawan Arts

Bubishi

Trans. Patrick McCarthy

Known as "the Bible of karate" — a classical Chinese manual on combat, medicine, and philosophy that secretly shaped Okinawan martial arts for generations.

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History and Stories of Goju-Ryu cover Goju-Ryu

History and Stories of Goju-Ryu

Filip Konjokrad

An authoritative chronicle from Okinawan origins under Chojun Miyagi through the lineage of masters who carried the style to Japan and the world.

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The Martial Way and Goju-Ryu cover Budo

The Martial Way and Goju-Ryu

Traditional Study

A deep examination of the philosophical underpinnings of Goju-Ryu — tracing the interplay between budo and the spiritual architecture of this venerable Okinawan style.

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Letters from a Stoic cover Stoicism

Letters from a Stoic

Lucius Annaeus Seneca  ·  c. 65 AD

The collected epistles of Rome's foremost Stoic, addressed to Lucilius. On friendship, death, time, and the examined life — antiquity's most intimate work of moral philosophy.

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II.
About the Press

A House Built on the Permanence of Ideas

Trecento Press was established in New York in 1974 with a singular purpose: to publish the foundational texts of martial discipline and classical philosophy in editions that honor the gravity of their content.

We are not a general publisher. Our catalog is deliberately small and rigorously curated. Every title we have published we believe to be essential — not merely interesting. The works of Sun Tzu, Musashi, Funakoshi, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca have shaped civilization. We treat them accordingly.

Over five decades, we have grown to maintain offices in London, Rome, and Tokyo alongside our founding New York house — allowing us to work closely with scholars, translators, and practitioners in every tradition we publish.

Art Deco architecture books — Empire State and Chrysler Buildings

"The only books worth publishing are the ones that change how a person moves through the world."

New York
Founding House  ·  Est. 1974
London
European Editions
Rome
Classical Studies
Tokyo
Eastern Traditions

The Streamline Tradition

Trecento Press shares the conviction of the great streamline designers: that form and function are inseparable, that beauty is not decoration but the visible sign of precision — and that objects made with this seriousness endure.

III.
Our Traditions

Two Great Streams of Human Thought

Every work in the Trecento catalog belongs to one of two great intellectual traditions: the martial arts literature of the East, and the Stoic philosophy of the Greco-Roman world. Both share a common conviction — that cultivating the self through discipline, hardship, and reflection is the highest human endeavor.

It is not an accident that soldiers, commanders, and martial artists across cultures have drawn from both wells. Trecento Press exists to keep them flowing.

東
Eastern Martial Wisdom

From Sun Tzu's strategic philosophy to the swordsmanship of Miyamoto Musashi, the karate tradition of Funakoshi, and the Okinawan lineage of Goju-Ryu — the living body of Eastern martial thought, spanning twenty-five centuries.

Σ
Western Stoic Philosophy

The Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca — a philosophy forged for adversity, practiced by emperors and generals alike, and as urgent today as it was in the age of Rome. The West's greatest contribution to the literature of the disciplined life.

Trecento Press
"You have power over your mind — not outside events.
Realize this, and you will find strength."
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
The Art of the Serious Book

Luxury in Every Detail

A Trecento Press edition is made to be kept. We select only texts of permanent importance, pair them with translations of the highest scholarly standard, and produce them in editions whose physical quality matches the gravity of their contents.

From the binding to the typography, from the paper stock to the jacket design, each book is a complete object — not merely a vehicle for text, but a worthy home for ideas that have survived centuries.

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Karatedō is The Way  ·  Volume One

Available
October 26, 2026

Ordering opens on publication day. For trade, library, and private orders in advance of release, the Press welcomes your inquiry.

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