Recommedations for MA Books

Im2Lazy

Hi Guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for MA books.
I've recently read "No Holds Barred" by Clyde Gentry & enjoyed it as it gave a good account of the history of the 1st few years of UFC & MMA.

• Not looking for books on technique
• Not too interested in Japanese arts. e.g Samurai Code etc.
• Heard of the "Book of Five Rings" I know nothing about it, any thoughts ?
• Anything from Filipino Martial Arts, MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do (Have Tao of JKD) would be ideal.

Any help greatly appreciated!

ColinJennings

I think everyone should read anyry white pyjamas.

The Bored One

Book of Five Rings is basically a tactical guide combat written by one of Japan's most famous, and quite probably psychopathic, swordsmen. Its actually pretty good and very coherent, which is a tad odd for famous MA books.
Ive seen very few MA specific books of use to be honest, unless they're related to the history of the art, then you get the occasional good one.
Two books which aren't MA specfic but help better understand the pscyhology that goes into training are:

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales, which is a very good explanation of how the mind responds to and learns from survival situations,
and
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society, which breaks down the factors and effects of training to kill, and to me helps prove how ludicrous the idea of martial artists training "lethal" strikes is.

scuttery1

Art of war ... Sun Tzu: Even if you don't read / understand it you can memorise a few quotes and sound super cool and mystic.
Iron & silk ... Mark Salzman: Great read about kung fu and culture clashing
Filipino Martial culture... Mark Wiley: Good overview of a heap of FMA systems.
Martial Arts America...Bob Orlando: A westernised approach to Oriental arts.
On Combat....Dave Grossman: Follow up to on killing
Comprehensive Asian fighting arts...Donn Draeger: Dated now but a worthy piece of scholarly work

Valmont

ColinJennings wrote:

I think everyone should read anyry white pyjamas.

yeah I have no interest in Aikido but that is a great book. That riot police course sounds like tough stuff, everyone was always getting f**ked up.

columok

When I used to do Aikido I read "Angry White Pyjamas" and I loved it. I remembered thinking the whole time how badass they were for the hours of seiza and shikko. Now it just seems like Dirty Sanchez with more heirarchy and silly rules. I'd recommend reading it but with a critical mind to see just how unnecessarily sadistic Goza Shioda and co really were.

In a weird kind of way I used to think that discipline was really pushing yourself during group sessions, continually training and kneeling for hours. Now I realise that discipline is training when nobody is looking. Doing bagwork in an empty gym. Running on a cold empty field. It's harder by yourself which is why I would question some of the Yoshinkan "life lessons".

buck65

Waking Dragons by Goran Powell
Have read it twice since Christmas, an English Karateka faces his ultimate test - the 30 man kumite.
A fantastic well written account from a guy who practiced Judo and went on to Kyokushin and Gyo ryo (sorry about spelling) karate. Certainly inspirational stuff for all Martial Artists.

ColinJennings

Valmont wrote:

yeah I have no interest in Aikido but that is a great book. That riot police course sounds like tough stuff, everyone was always getting f**ked up.

I did a few aikido classes based on that book. I didn't like it, but it inspired me to up my other training significantly.

Nothingcompares

the chapters on parnell street have a good martial arts (and militaria) section. even have a renzo gracie book

Im2Lazy

Thanks for the recommendations & advice!

I'll have to check out some of them, they sound excellent.

I got an interesting looking book yesterday in Eason's
Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey in Search of a Manly Art (Paperback)
by Marcus Trower


It about the Authors love of Wrestling & experience of other Wrestling cultures like India, Nigeria & Brazil.
I've only started it but it seems just what I'm looking for.

Thanks again for all the input!

monchichi

Opps, I posted this on another thread, new to this so you'll have to forgive me if I make a few mistakes.

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker is brilliant, gives a great insight into how we use fear, how it works for and against us.
On Killing: chilling section on what we are doing to our kids re video games, violent films etc.

Im2Lazy

monchichi wrote:

Opps, I posted this on another thread, new to this so you'll have to forgive me if I make a few mistakes.

The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker is brilliant, gives a great insight into how we use fear, how it works for and against us.
On Killing: chilling section on what we are doing to our kids re video games, violent films etc.

Don't worry about it we all make mistake.

I forgot about the "Gift of Fear" I wanted to read that a while ago & never got around to getting it. Thanks for the reminder.

DAGEROUSDAVE

Im2Lazy wrote:

Hi Guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for MA books.
I've recently read "No Holds Barred" by Clyde Gentry & enjoyed it

That was one of the most boooooring books i have ever read. Yes it gives a history of some early mma, but thats it. The guy has no writing skills at all. Reading it was a chore. And going by the sound of his name, i thought he would've been an older guy with some M.A. experience - no such luck. I saw him in a documentary about tito. Turns out hes a young fat spotty tito fan in his twenties who looks like he never even did as much as a push up in his life.

Dont mean to sound ignorant, but if u liked that book u are easy pleased.

DAGEROUSDAVE

columok wrote:

In a weird kind of way I used to think that discipline was really pushing yourself during group sessions, continually training and kneeling for hours. Now I realise that discipline is training when nobody is looking. Doing bagwork in an empty gym. Running on a cold empty field. It's harder by yourself which is why I would question some of the Yoshinkan "life lessons".

Thats some good advice right there!

Leo?

Waterstones in jervis has a great selection, including "Muay Thai: Advanced Thai Kick Boxing Techniques" by Christoph Delp:
http://www.amazon.com/Muay-Thai-Advanced-Boxing-Techniques/dp/1583941010

And "Jiu-jitsu Unleashed" by Eddie Bravo:
http://www.amazon.com/Jiu-jitsu-Unleashed-Eddie-Bravo/dp/007144811X

henryb

Im2Lazy wrote:

Hi Guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for MA books.
I've recently read "No Holds Barred" by Clyde Gentry & enjoyed it as it gave a good account of the history of the 1st few years of UFC & MMA.

• Not looking for books on technique
• Not too interested in Japanese arts. e.g Samurai Code etc.
• Heard of the "Book of Five Rings" I know nothing about it, any thoughts ?
• Anything from Filipino Martial Arts, MMA, BJJ, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do (Have Tao of JKD) would be ideal.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Waking dragons by gordon powell is a really good read
and one im just after finishing, memoirs of a karate fighters by Ralph robb
i would rate 10/10. I couldnt put it down. You'll pick them up in any
decent book shop.!

Im2Lazy

DAGEROUSDAVE wrote:

That was one of the most boooooring books i have ever read. Yes it gives a history of some early mma, but thats it. The guy has no writing skills at all. Reading it was a chore. And going by the sound of his name, i thought he would've been an older guy with some M.A. experience - no such luck. I saw him in a documentary about tito. Turns out hes a young fat spotty tito fan in his twenties who looks like he never even did as much as a push up in his life.

Dont mean to sound ignorant, but if u liked that book u are easy pleased.

I am easily please:D This was actually the 1st MA book (non-technique) that I'd read so I wasn't really expecting much.

But it ticked the boxes for what I was looking for, just a simple stats fest & who's who of the early years of MMA.

Is there anything you'd recommend?

The Shane

I got really irritated by Waking Dragons. A lot of it is intelligent dissection of training. But every now and again he makes bold assertions that his karate suffered when he was hitting the gym and not doing enough forms. Man that drove me off an edge.

Marcus Trower in the Last wrestlers is a bit of a fanatic and once he hits upon an idea he sticks with. That said I really enjoyed this book more for the glib anthropological overview of wrestling and why we might do it. Don't watch fight club after reading this or you'll quit your job.

Really enjoyed Hagakure, though the OP wasn't that pushed about crazy japanese recluses.

Got bored by The art of War - would much prefer Zap Branigans Big Book of War.

In terms of techniques and practical advice.

Jitz- Eddie Bravo or Jean Jacques Machado are the go to guys. Steer clear of the gracies.

Wrestling - Martell (Human Kinetics)

Conditioning - Harvey Newton's book on Explosive lifting (Human Kinetics). Mark Rippetoe on anything he writes about (look for links on crossfit).

Stand up - ? who knows?

Comedy - Are we there yet? WWE stories from the superstars.


Shane, The
Not reviewing books for the times for a reason

Im2Lazy

The Shane wrote:

Don't watch fight club after reading this or you'll quit your job.

I know what you mean I'm only a few chapters in but totally keep thinking he has an air of the Tyler Durden's about him.
With his uninterest in progressing up the business ladder but rather wants his physical acheivement in wrestling to define him.

Thanks for the suggestions.

cletus

A book I'm reading at the moment is "Body and Soul - Notebooks of an Apprentice Boxer", by Loic Wacquant. While not a "martial arts" book per se, it is an ethnographical study of amateur and pro boxers in a Chicago gym. Gives some good insights into why they took up boxing etc.

The big twist on the book is that the author, as a sociologist, decided to fully take part in the training in the gym, rather than sit and observe from the outside

buck65

Ethno-what?

cletus

buck65 wrote:

Ethno-what?

Ethnographics; simply put, its a study of the people doing the sport rather than the sport itself, but your understanding of the sport can be broadened by this approach as well.
There's no discussion of techniques really, its a sociological approach

buck65

Bought "Memoirs of a karate fighter " by Ralph Robb at the weekend. Looks lika good read thanks for the recommendation Henry B.

henryb

buck65 wrote:

Bought "Memoirs of a karate fighter " by Ralph Robb at the weekend. Looks lika good read thanks for the recommendation Henry B.

You're more than welcome.
I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think!

Millionaire

"Watch My Back" by Geoff Thompson, is a must read for any martial artist... not only did he fight battles on the door, but he battled the negtative thoughts and people to get ahead in life....excellent book.

also his other motivational spiritual books are quite interesting too. Simply written, but you can really relate to them.

buck65

Robb, the author comes from inner city Wolverhampton where he is a member of the YMCA Karate Club, England's best and most notorious club. Each sparring session is a brutal display of macho power where the weak or less talented are battered and humiliated into leaving the club. Robb, himself a highly skilled 19 year old takes his Karate seriously to the detriment of his personal life where family comes a distant second. Robb works the doors where his mates from the club are all too ready to dish out abuse on drunken yobs who may cause trouble (or may not for that matter).
There is no doubt that the England Robb inhabited in the 70s and 80s was a tough place where Martial arts boomed and were widely used in streetbattles between delinquents but for all Robb's sermonising about the virtues of Karate I get the feeling he was little better than the thugs he used to throw out of the clubs. After his child was born he paid scant attention to her and his girlfriend regularly felt threatened and under seige while Ralph was off running in the park.
As a Karate book there is not enough detail about training and competition for my taste, the book is a stinging criticism on a racially intolerant Britain and how an angry young man trained himself obsessively to protect himself and destroy the enemy.
(Sorry Henry B!)