Martial Arts books

vasch_ro

okay guys, before I started getting into the martial arts , I tried to teach myself Katate in my garage just like Daniel San from a book!!
One of the books which I remember very fondly was Mas Oyama's This is Karate:
it was large hardback book and very inspiring at the time,
I also read martial arts fiction like The Ninja by Eric Lustbader and all the sequels which I loved at the time and indeed made me want to be a ninja and inspired a great interest in ninjutsu in me , this lead me onto the pioneering Stephen K Hayes and his book about ninjutsu.Ninja and their secret fighting art.

One of the best books I have gotten in recent times was Angry White Pyjama's by by Robert Twigger, which is a really funny read and a book I would highly recommend to any one with even a passing interest in martial arts.It is really really funny and very easy to read and anyone who has been to Japan or ever had to share a house with others will enjoy it.

I'm sure we all have fav books fiction and non fiction and I for one would like to hear about them, Why do you like the book what is it that sets it apart in your mind ?
Talk about a book that engenders goodwill and fond memories in you, lets make this a happy thread !

columok

Hagakure.

vasch_ro

The book of the Samurai ? Hagakure

columok

Yeah Hagakure. It's impossible not to watch Ghostdog and still be uninterested in this fella. Some gems about not trusting wimmin (daughters are stupid) about how you should go for gohatto action with other retainers.

In fairness though it has some gems:

“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. By doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to all things.”

FiannaGym.com

Hagakure!!!!

Although a full edition is not available in English to the best of my knowledge.

The book of the five "rings".
The Art of War.
The Tao of Jeet Kwon Do.
I-Ching.
Eddie Bravo's book.
Bas Rutten's books (only for the audio included in them, otherwise they're not too great).

Peace

Budo.Judo.Kev

Clicky

Vasch, highlight the piece of text you wish to want to become a link.

For example, Clicky, run your mouse over it and make it blue. Then click the picture of the earth with the paperclip in the above edit bar. You will now be able to insert the link location, the www.clicky.com bit. This is how it looks

Clicky without the space between the L or URL and the =.

Musashi is aparently a good book.

vasch_ro

Thanks for the PM's and help guys, Fianna is there any reason why you like those books in particular ? I had actually forgotten about the book of five rings, but it is heavily referenced in The Ninja so after I finished reading i went and read the Book of Five Rings its a little esoteric but definately interesting, I would imagine Kendo students would find it of particular value. Thanks God for the public library system!! ( I was only a young lad then!!)

Roper

Hmmm, I don't want to pollute the topic, can I include Boxing books in here?

MaeveD

columok wrote:

Hagakure.

I'm a bit freaked out Colum..... not only did you pick my favourite book... but you picked my favourite quote too

'wimmin aren't to be trusted' them samurai were obviously good judges of character

Angry White Pjs.... must be nearly ten years since I read it... will have to dig it out and read it again.

Budo.Judo.Kev

soulmates.

MaeveD

Thanks for that Kev :eek:

Dyr

The hagakure has some cool quotes but a lot of japanese MA types feel it has very little credibility and pretty much disown it

"Moving zen" is a nice little book, cw nichol is the author i think

"By the sword"-richard cohen is a fun read, not sure how accurate it is though

MaeveD

I'm a Japanese MA type I suppose and I think it's the business

vasch_ro

Roper wrote:

Hmmm, I don't want to pollute the topic, can I include Boxing books in here?

Yes don't worry I won't consider Boxing to be pollution!:)
maeve why is it your favourite MA book, what sets it apart in your opinion ?

Clive

So many to choose from! Some have been mentioned already - Angry White Pyjamas, Hagakure, The Art of War, Book of Five Rings, By the Sword etc.

Some others:

In the Red Corner: a nice book about Cuban boxing - supposedly about a reporter who heads to Cuba to try and get their champ to fight Tyson (that gives you a rough idea of the date) - dunno how true that is, but has some nice profiles of Cuban dudes.

Dead or Alive by Geoff Thompson, purely to be able to give it to any woman interested in self defence and say, "here, read that".

Complete T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Dan Docherty: a very broad ranging book on the subject. Some of it may not be too interesting for non t'ai chi practitioners, but worth a look

The t'ai chi classics: call it wisdom, call it common sense, but it's nice to have it written in front of you to ponder

Chinese boxing, Masters and Methods (I think) by Robert Smith: An entertaining read, purely for having a Western dude recall training with mad Chinese dudes, and him believing pretty much everything they said.

Combat Sports in the Ancient World: (available in UCD library!) boxing, wrestling and pankration in the good aul' days.

Myths and Legends of the Martial Arts, Peter Lewis: Well, it has myths and legends

The Busbishi: simply to have it, and for the hilarious recipes involving the urine of virgins etc.

The Art of Expressing the Human Body, Bruce Lee: One of the better books with his stuff in it, IMO

Beyond Brawn

Nutrition for Serious Athletes, Dan Bernardot

FICTION: Across the Nightingale Floor: Okay it may not be great, but it has NINJAS! I think there's a follow up too.

FiannaGym.com

The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba is cool. There links to the books online.

Hagakure online version

Book of Five "Rings" online version

I like Japanese books because it gives something of an insight inot the structures, cultural, cognative and spiritual, that allow one human butcher, and perfect te butchery of other humans.

Peace

MaeveD

vasch_ro wrote:

maeve why is it your favourite MA book, what sets it apart in your opinion ?

I've had an intertest in Samurai for a long time...

Hagakure a mish mash of quotes about everything and anything and gives an insight into how the Samurai thought, lived and died.

It's about a different way of being... it's about honour, compassion, focus, sincerity, wasting time... and a million other things.

Some of whats said in Hagakure it is quite close to my own philosophy on Aikido... it's a bit Buddist, it a bit Pooh (the bear)

Theres also lots of dry Japanese humour....

'Okubu Toemon of Shioda ran a wineshop for Nabeshima Kennotsu. Lord Okura, the son of Nabeshima Kai no kami, was a cripple and confined indoors in a place called Mino. He harboured wrestlers and liked rowdies. The wrestlers would often go to nearby villages and cause disturbances. One time they went to Toemons place, drank sake and talked unreasonably. bringing Toemon into an argument. He met them with a halberd, but as there were two of them he was cut down.
His son Kannosuke, was fifteen years old and was in the midst of studies at the Jozeiji when he was informed of the incident. Galloping off, he took a short sword about sixteen inches in length, joined combat with the two big men, and in a short time finished them both off. Although Kannosuke received thirteen wounds, he recovered. Later he was called Doko and is said to have become very adept at massage'

Roper

Okay, thanks Vasch. I basically think that these are the 4 best books about the noble art. Most of them are unromatic views of a game I love but I suppose if I'm honest, thats in part why I love it.

Night Train by Nick Tosches. The life of former world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. From the son of a sharecropper to the title, to his mysterious death, taking in the mob ties, a fresh look at his fight with Ali, and the size of his dick. Cracking read for anyone interested in the great heavyweight era and one of its most mysterious champions.

War Baby! The Glamour of Violence by Kevin Mitchell. The story of the now infamous fight between Gerrard McLellan and Nigel Benn. Includes the author's interviews with the now partially deaf and blind McLellan. A tough read, but well worth it. I love the fights but after reading this I couldn't watch this one again.

Dark Trade by Donald McRae. This guy gets access to some of the best boxers of the nineties in the run up to several of their fights, and he took about 5 or 6 ears to write it. He interviews Tyson pre and post Desree Washington, Oscar DeLaHoya at the beginning of his pro career, a great insight into the life of James Toney (at middleweight) and Roy Jones Junior when he was at his best. He was ringside for Watson vs. Eubank, Tyson's comeback, Toney vs Nunn, Toney vs. Jones.... great book.

The Fight by Norman Mailer. Over romanticised view of boxing, overpraising of Ali, but still one of the best boxing books ever. The story of The Rumble in the Jungle as told by the very talented Mailer, the guy who wrote The Naked and the Dead.

columok

anyone read this?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Holds-Barred-Ultimate-Fighting-Martial-Arts-Revolution/dp/190385430X/sr=8-9/qid=1157103164/ref=sr_1_9/202-4105093-8213457?ie=UTF8&s=gateway

Worth the read?

pma-ire

vasch_ro wrote:

I'm sure we all have fav books fiction and non fiction and I for one would like to hear about them, Why do you like the book what is it that sets it apart in your mind ?
Talk about a book that engenders goodwill and fond memories in you, lets make this a happy thread !

Fiction: Has to be the Remo "Destroyer" Series! Do ye remember the moive "Remo, unarmed and Dangerous!!" I think the art he was doing was called Sinanju http://www.sinanju.com/movie_tv/movie.htm

Mow the movie was the usual naff stuff! But the books are unreal! I don't think that you will find them now unless they turn up in second hand stores?? But man they were cool!!

I also read "The Ninja" series that was pretty cool as well!!

Martial Arts: Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune DO and the Bruce Lee's Fighting Method series were brill!! (nothing like his movie fighting!!)

I also remember a book by a Korean called Park but I can't rememebr his first name? It was about breaking and power generation in martial arts. That book changed the way I looked at breaking and the little changes I got from it made a big difference to my kicks and strikes!!

Fumio Demura's weapon books were pretty cool also!!

As was Dillmans Kyusho Jitsu Ryu Kyu Kempo, until I can across Clarks "75 Down Blocks" and "Pressure Point Fighting".

vasch_ro

I remember that movie Remo. I loved it and now I learn that there is a series of books too excellent !!!

pma-ire

vasch_ro wrote:

I remember that movie Remo. I loved it and now I learn that there is a series of books too excellent !!!

Vasch_ro,

Try your best to get at least one of these books!!

The first one (which the movie was kinda based on) is great! But the rest of them are unreal!!

I used to live next to a second hand book store and had the pleasure finding a few of them and then a few friends came across others. I think that we found maybe 10 or so of them??

But there are about 15 books in the series??

Eric Van Lustbladder had nothing on this guy

Clive

I've read it Colum, it's alright, some interesting stuff in there.