Good Martial Arts reading?

[Benny-AR]

I've recently read both Zen in the Martial Arts and The Book of the Five Rings. I'm now reading Living the Martial Way which is also an interesting book.

What other books on Martial Arts have you found that could be useful to a beginner in the Martial Arts? Thus far, I have been able to pick out and apply several principles from each of the books listed. I have found that reading can be a very valuable resource when it comes to getting your mind right or directing an attitude.

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

I've recently read both Zen in the Martial Arts and The Book of the Five Rings. I'm now reading Living the Martial Way which is also an interesting book.

What other books on Martial Arts have you found that could be useful to a beginner in the Martial Arts? Thus far, I have been able to pick out and apply several principles from each of the books listed. I have found that reading can be a very valuable resource when it comes to getting your mind right or directing an attitude.

Try the BIBLE

[MooseKenpo]

Any of the Bruce Lee series of books, the SGM Ed Parker series, and Art of War. That's a good start of what I have in my library of books.

[unshackled-chi]

Bruce Lee Artist of life, is a great book in my opinion. He really goes into the philospies of liberation in the arts and really life in general.

[Benny-AR]

Try the BIBLE

Yes, I read the Bible on a consistent basis as well, but not as much as I would like or should.

[Brother John]

Try the BIBLE

Psalm 144:1
"Blessed is the Lord my Rock
whom teacheth my hands to fight
and my fingers to make WAR"

not one of the standard versions, but an interpretation I read one, and liked.

Your Brother
John

[Brother John]

I've recently read both Zen in the Martial Arts and The Book of the Five Rings. I'm now reading Living the Martial Way which is also an interesting book.

What other books on Martial Arts have you found that could be useful to a beginner in the Martial Arts? Thus far, I have been able to pick out and apply several principles from each of the books listed. I have found that reading can be a very valuable resource when it comes to getting your mind right or directing an attitude.

Excellent Books!!!!!!! All three are MUST reads as far as I'm concerned.

"Autumn Lightening" by Dave Lowry! Excellent book. Mostly historical narrative, but very accurate. Mr. Lowry is DEEP and touches on many features of being a martial artist, mostly from the perspective of a "Budoka" an adherent of the traditional Japanese martial ways. Look up pretty much ANYTHING written by Dave Lowry and you'll probably be very glad you did. He's a good writer (it's his profession, not something he 'also' does) and takes a very very deep look at the roots of the martial arts!

ALSO for historical perspective: "Karate-Do, my way of life" by Gichin Funakoshi. Mr. Funakoshi was the creator of Shotokan Karate-Do and was largely responsible for introducing Karate to Japan from it's birth-place in Okinawa.

The Journey.
It's a collection of first hand stories of Mr. Parker's first generation students, some of the biggest movers in the Kenpo world. It's an eye opening read.

"Mastering Kenpo", by Skip Hancock. It's a good book on, well.... mastering Kenpo. It's short. It's good!

Good reading.

Your Brother
John

[Seabrook]

If you are interested in a book specific to American Kenpo, I have received very good feedback from Kenpoists all across the globe regarding my latest book, American Kenpo Mastery: A Guide for Students and Instructors.

For more information, click here:

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/b...=0-595-40540-1

[MARSHALLS KENPO]

Psalm 144:1
"Blessed is the Lord my Rock
whom teacheth my hands to fight
and my fingers to make WAR"

not one of the standard versions, but an interpretation I read one, and liked.

Your Brother
John

The BIBLE is full of conflict and martial application, and how to get ones mind and heart right for the conflict and the aftermath that follows.

[Hunter]

The BIBLE is full of conflict and martial application, and how to get ones mind and heart right for the conflict and the aftermath that follows.

Isaiah 54:17

17: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

I like this one!

[madeku]

Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere is a good one.. Yang Jwing-Ming's books on Chin Na are good reads as well..

Genesis
"32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

pressure points, in there too :-p

[John M. La Tourrette]

I've recently read both Zen in the Martial Arts and The Book of the Five Rings. I'm now reading Living the Martial Way which is also an interesting book.

What other books on Martial Arts have you found that could be useful to a beginner in the Martial Arts? Thus far, I have been able to pick out and apply several principles from each of the books listed. I have found that reading can be a very valuable resource when it comes to getting your mind right or directing an attitude.

Well,

You have martial arts...

1. philosophy.

2. Strategy.

3. Tactics.

4. Waza.

5. Forms.

6. Basics.

Then weapons, covering the same 6 points.

Which points interest you?
DOC JOHN

[Benny-AR]

Well,

You have martial arts...

1. philosophy.

2. Strategy.

3. Tactics.

4. Waza.

5. Forms.

6. Basics.

Then weapons, covering the same 6 points.

Which points interest you?
DOC JOHN

Good question. I'm looking more of the philosophy, strategy, side of things. The "thinking" aspects if that makes any sense. That's not to say that I don't believe the basics and forms require thinking and concentration.

[John M. La Tourrette]

Good question. I'm looking more of the philosophy, strategy, side of things. The "thinking" aspects if that makes any sense. That's not to say that I don't believe the basics and forms require thinking and concentration.

Then get Gary Gagliardi's "The Art of War for Martial Arts".

Take good notes.

Go to his website and join his online forum and read all the back posts.

You will then know more about martial arts "thinking" and "strategy" than 99.9% of the black belts.

Just my opinion of course.

DOC JOHN
ps. Have fun on your trip. I'd love to start over again at the physical age of 15 with what I know now at XX.

[pete]

Currently Reading "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang" by Frank Allen

EXCELLENT!!!

To put my opinion in perspective, others i've enjoyed and found to be useful:

"Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na (Instructors Manual) " by Dr Yang Jwing-Ming
- there are other titles, but this is the core and other versions (Taiji, Applications, etc) contain much overlap. It reads like a technical manual (given Dr Yang's background as an engineer), but is indispensible as a reference.

"Secrets of Chinese Karate" by Edmund Parker
- Parker's best work IMO

"Opening the Energy Gates of your Body" by B.K. Frantzis
- Excellent, Practical insight into Qi Gong (Bruce's Seminal Work)

"Confidence: A Child's First Weapon" by Larry Tatum
- Great For Kids of ALL AGES, Great For Parents!, Great for Teachers!

plus:
"I Ching" (get Alfred Huang's version if possible)
"Tao Te Ching"

[John M. La Tourrette]

"Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na (Instructors Manual) " by Dr Yang Jwing-Ming
- there are other titles, but this is the core and other versions (Taiji, Applications, etc) contain much overlap. It reads like a technical manual (given Dr Yang's background as an engineer), but is indispensible as a reference.

I really do agree with this one.

DOC JOHN

[John M. La Tourrette]

1. Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere is a good one..

2. Yang Jwing-Ming's books on Chin Na are good reads as well...

I also really do agree with both of the above selections.

DOC JOHN

[John M. La Tourrette]

Isaiah 54:17

17: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

I like this one!

Didn't I read somewhere that the above was also a favorite of Hitler who was very, very, very religious?

DOC JOHN

[John M. La Tourrette]

I've recently read both Zen in the Martial Arts and The Book of the Five Rings.

What I find interesting is that the book of 5 rings has many interpretations so I've got all the various translations out and I read one after the other.

The worst interpretation (my opinion) is by Kaufman.

Cleary does have a good translation. There are many good translations that are effectively explained translating those times and concepts into our times and values.

Another one of those is done by "overlook press".

For me the funnest and most enlightening write up was done by translators Bradford J. Brown, Yuko Kashiwagi, William H. Barrett, and Eisuke Sasagawa.
DOC

[flying crane]

The Overlook Martial Arts Reader has some good pieces. Much of it is more on the philosophical side of things. I think there was a second volume that came out, but it never looked as good to me so I never read it. But the first volume was quite good.