top 10 "must have" books

kravicecreama

Largely due to me advancin age as well as a deeper knowledge of how to get stuff from this interweb thingy.....I find myself buried in a heap of pdf's and actuall reall books from all spectrums of ma.Some are amazing...amazing in the "jesus....if i hada known that 10 years ago"....department and some are...well complete pants really.

So I am wondering......
What would be your top 5/10/100 ma books that have most impacted you as regards training,understanding etc of your art.

leonkickboxing

Just finished "A Fighter`s Heart" by Sam Sheridan, good book worth a read

kravicecreama

Thats freaky. I started this thread cause I picked up Sheridans book last week cause the local bookstore was having a firesale as its closing down.

kravicecreama

50+ views and no comments.
Welcome to boards.ie

Ok so personally.....
kill or get killed by rex applegate
Yeah...I am old school....but we are talking about a book created by someone who actually fought one and one counters.You cant pay for this kind of info....well you can....just send me your credit card details and i will part with my secrets**JOKE**

For a taste go here
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2063198/Kill-or-Get-Killed

I am not promoting this site but it does offer free pdf scans as a sample.

Bujinkan

OK I'll bite, for me it would have to be "Classics of Strategy and Council" by Thomas Cleary. It maily dicusses Sun Tzu's the art of war but in huge detail. It's a 3 volume set comprising 12 books! Super read

ScottStorm

Angry White Pyjamas deserve's a mention.

Baggio...

kravicecreama wrote: »

kill or get killed by rex applegate

Aye, a very good book indeed. Definitely not one for kids tho'. Anything by W. E. Fairbairn is worth looking at of course.

Geoff Thompson's Dead or Alive is very good if your after good street stuff.
As well as anything by Lee Morrison .
Dogs don't know kung Fu - Jaime O'keef.
The Gift of Fear - De Becker
Real Fighting - Peyton Quinn.

There's loads of good DVDs too... that are prolly worth mentioning.

Charlie3dan

+1 for Angry White Pyjamas

Hagakure also deservs a mention.

I keep meaning to pick up Sam Sheridan's book but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Martin25

Commentaries on the Martial Way.by Bruce Lee, edited by John Little
Regards from the Dragon - Seattle. by Taky Kimura
both are cracking books

Niall Keane

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055641439&highlight=martial+arts+classics

probably related?

Dyr

Hagakure is hugely overrated imo

Buy this if you're into the reality based thing

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Violence-Comparison-Martial-Training/dp/1594391181

Niall Keane

Hagakure is hugely overrated imo

Completely agree, seems more about developing the mindset of a slave willing to sacrifice himself for his master than a warrior.

"A slave bows to those he perceives to be above him and expects those he perceives to be below him to bow to him, a warrior bows to no man and expects no man to bow to him!" ... old Chinese saying

For deep practical strategy, and meaningful advice I have never found anything to match the Nei Jia Classics.(writings on Hsing I Chuan, Ba Gua Zhang and Tai Chi Chuan) Chapters of Bruce Lee's "the Tao of Kung Fu" is a total rip off of Lao Tzu’s Doa Te Ching and the Tai Chi Chuan Lun & Ching classics almost word for word, not surprising given his dad was a Wu stylist, and his own library is said to have been stocked with both Tai Chi Chuan books and Daoist books. But fair enough he was trying to introduce the material to the west, and the Chinese Literature tradition sees what we would view as plagiarism as a sign of respect rather than theft.

As for modern material on the difference between martial arts and "real" violence, luckily I've never practiced anything that was fanciful and untested, so I always felt bewildered that an market audience existed for this, but given the growing industry of "real v dojo" combat, it makes me wonder as to the amount of absolute rubbish pertaining to be martial arts that was peddled by snake oil salesmen for years to generate this level of a reaction?

siochain

leonkickboxing wrote: »

Just finished "A Fighter`s Heart" by Sam Sheridan, good book worth a read

good read until it got to teh dog and cock fighting bits.....

corkma

It's a good read, but not great. you're right, it was ridiculous to spend the whole book trying to prove that fight sports are more than just violent brutal sports, then compares fighters to scum who run dog fights

mickmac

Rope Burns by FX Toole is a great book about fighting. It's short stories admitedly but still gives some insight into the dedication, organisation and daily grind of training the way you need to to be a fighter (in the book's case, boxer).

Sam Sheridan's new book, A Fighter's Mind, is also worth a read. He looks at some very interesting perspectives on both the "martial" and "art" aspects of martial arts, talking to - amongst others - a former chess prodigy, now t'ai chi and BJJ practicioner; his old art history professor from Harvard; an accomplished ultra-distance runner and Greg Jackson.

leonkickboxing

siochain wrote: »

good read until it got to teh dog and cock fighting bits.....

I agree, would have said that and more, but didnt want to spoil it for others who have not read it yet :rolleyes:

Pride Fighter

Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee. Its decades ahead of its time.

judas1369

For me, these three books are invaluable. Although they were written some hundreds of years ago I still find them relevant to me today in the practise of my Art of laido.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu written in the 6th century BC.
Incredible book, probably the first tactical manual ever written and still very relevant once you can get past the rather flowery prose. Can be downloaded for free as it is in the common domain-
http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html

The Book of 5 Rings by Miyamato Musashi written around 1650.
Musashi is the famed Samurai who developed a distinctive style known as Niten-ryū .
This is a classic treatise on tactics and swordsmanship often employed as a manual on technique and philosophy.
Essential reading if your Art involves the use of Swords etc.

The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts by Issai Chozanshi, written in 1729.
This is the pen name of Jurozaemonn Tadaaki, a Samurai of the Sekiyado Clan and is a series of parables about a Tengu, a demon that is half man half bird that lives in the mountains, the purpose is to foster discipline and self control in ones pursuit of focusing ones C'hi.
Again the prose style takes a little perseverance but the outcome is worth it.
Just a couple of classics to throw into the mix!

casper69

If you enjoyed Angry White PJ's I would recommend "Moving Zen, Karate as a way of Gentleness". I think it's written by C W Nicol.

It is one of thoses book you will read time and again.

Dyr

casper69 wrote: »

If you enjoyed Angry White PJ's I would recommend "Moving Zen, Karate as a way of Gentleness". I think it's written by C W Nicol.

It is one of thoses book you will read time and again.

"Moving Zen" is definitely worth reading, It has a lot more heart than "angry white pyjamas". I got very little from "the book of five rings" though.

The thing about a "must have" book is it would have to be relevant to very wide range of people. I can think of a few great books on martial arts subjects but they wouldn't really be of interest to many people

arybvtcw0eolkf

For me the book I've read time & time again is 'The Pyjama Game', although I really enjoyed 'Angry White Pyjama's' too. Both tell a good story a man's journey from white belt to black.

Techincally for a Judoka would be Yamashita's 'The Fighting Spirit of Judo'.

casper69

I tend to like "the one man journey" as opposed to the "how to" books, don't know if it qualifies as must have but Zen and the art of Archery is a nice little read aswell.

mugs1

For me it would have to be The Art Of War fantastic book!! I even have on my iPod!

Also, Meditations On Voilence by Sgt Rory Miller,

I can't recommend this book highly enough, not exactly comfortable reading it gets pretty graffic in places but a real eye opener to the phsycology of voilence, from the drunk fool in the pub right up to serial killers!! this book should be required reading for everyone not just Martial artists and Law Enforcment.

and Dead Or Alive by Geoff Thompson, another good book

Martin25

For information, I heard that the Tao was hastily put together after Bruce Lee's death. John Little edited Bruce's writings very carefully and put them in order,this was published in a book called "Commentaries on the Martial Way"
and is much easier to follow than the Tao.
thanks
Martin

Niall Keane

Two of the 5 core Tai Chi Chuan Classics,


The Tai Chi Chuan Lun (Discourse)
Translated by Dan Docherty

Once you move, the whole body must be light and agile,
In particular, it must be linked together.
The Chi (Vital Energy) should be aroused and agitated,
While the Shen (Spirit) must be internally hoarded.
No place should be deficient or defective,
No place should have hollows or bumps.
No place should be cut off or extended.
The root is in the feet;
Discharging is done by the legs,
The controlling power is in the waist,
And the appearance is in the hand and fingers.
From the feet to the legs to the waist,
All must be completely uniform and simultaneous,
Whether stepping forward or moving back.
This will result in good timing and correct movements.
If in certain places good timing and correct movement are not achieved,
Body movements become arbitrary and disordered.
This sickness must be sought in the waist and leg.
Above and below, forward and back, left and right are all like this.
In general this is controlled by the Yi (Intent) and not externally.
If there is up, immediately there is down;
If there is forward, immediately there is back;
If there is left, immediately there is right.
If the Yi is to go up,
The Yi to go down is there immediately.

Or, if you raise something up,
Then there is the Yi to smash it down with increased force.
In this way its roots will be severed
And destruction will be swift and beyond doubt.
Void and Substantial must be clearly distinguished.
Each place of course has its individual balance of void and substantial,
Every place consists of this, one Void and Substantial.
Every part of the body in turn is strung together,
Without causing the least break.

This Tai Chi,
It's like the great river, the Chang Jiang,
Surging and flowing without interruption.
Of the Thirteen Tactics,
Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao;
They are the Eight Trigrams.
Step Forward, Move Back, Face Left, Look Right and Centrally Fixed;
These are the Five Elements.
Peng, Lu, Ji and An,
Are the trigrams Chien, Kun, Kan, Li, the four cardinal points.
Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao
Are the trigrams Sun, Chen, Tui, Ken the four corners.
Step Forward, Move Back, Face Left, Look Right and Centrally Fixed;
Are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth.







The Tai Chi Chuan Ching (Cannon)
Translated by Dan Docherty

Tai Chi (the Supreme Ultimate),
It was born from Wu Chi (No Ultimate).
It produces both movement and stillness,
It is the mother of Yin and Yang.
Once there is movement, there is separation.
Once there is stillness, there is unity.
There is nothing exaggerated, nor is there anything lacking.
Follow the bent and the straight,
When the opponent is hard and stiff and I am pliant and soft, this is called Zou (Moving);
When I am smooth and the opponent is not, this is called Nian (Adherence);
If the opponent's actions are swift, then my response is swift;
If his actions are slow then I slowly Sui (Follow) them;
Although there are multifarious changes,
The principles remain the same.
Through practice we gradually come to understand Jin (Trained Force).
From understanding Jin, we can aspire to the highest level of ability,
However, we must be diligent over a long period of time,
And cannot suddenly become expert.
Relax the neck and align the head correctly,
The Chi (Vital Energy) sinks to the bottom of the Tan Tian (Region of Vital Heat),
Don't lean to either side or forward or back,
Suddenly conceal, suddenly reveal,
When the left feels heavy then make the left void,
When the right feels heavy then make the right distant,
When the opponent looks up, I am still higher;
When he looks down, I am lower still.
When he advances, the distance seems surpassingly long,
When he retreats, the distance seems surpassingly short.
A feather cannot be added,
A fly cannot land,
Nobody knows me,
I alone know them,
A hero thus becomes invincible.
Other schools of martial arts are so numerous
Although there are external differences,
Without exception, they amount to nothing more than the strong bullying the weak;
The slow surrendering to the fast;
The powerful beating those without power;
Slow hands surrendering to fast hands.
This is entirely due to innate ability
It is not related to trained ability at all.
From the sentence, "Four taels (Chinese ounce) displaces a thousand catties (Chinese pound)."
It is evident we do not use force to get the upper hand.
When we observe an old man of eighty withstanding the assault of a group of people,
How can it be due to speed?
Stand like a level scale,
Move like a wheel.
When the weight is sunk deeply on one side then we can follow,
When there is Double Weightedness then our movements will be hindered.
You can often see people who have practised their skills for several years,
But who still cannot change and turn.
This leads to their being entirely regulated by others.
They are not aware of their sickness of Double Weightedness.
If we wish to be free from this sickness,
We must know Yin and Yang.
When Nian (Adherence) is simply Zou (Moving),
When Zou is simply Nian,
When Yin does not depart from Yang,
When Yang does not depart from Yin,
When Yin and Yang aid one another,
When we can say that we understand Jin (Trained Force).
After we understand Jin,
The more we train, the more expert we become,
Silently memorise, study and imitate.
Gradually we reach the point where we can do all we wish,
Originally it is giving up yourself to follow the opponent,
Many err by forsaking what is near to pursue what is far.
It is said, "A minute discrepancy leads to an error of one thousand Li (Chinese mile)."
The student must carefully discriminate.


Both explained here:
http://www.taichichuan.co.uk/information/classics_lun.html
http://www.taichichuan.co.uk/information/classics_ching.html