The most influential books you've read on MA

Blade96

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Karate-do

My Way of Life

Author – Ginchin Funakoshi

An incredible autobiography of the man most credit as a father of modern Karate. A fascinating account of karate spanning the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s, the beginning of the Meinji Restoration to WW2. Everyone should read this!

one of my brown belt friends at my dojo has this.

i wanna read it. I'd love to get my hands on a copy. I really like Gichin Funakoshi.

i'm envious. :)
 

ap Oweyn

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No Holds Barred Fighting: The Ultimate Guide to Submission Wrestling - Matt Hatmaker and Doug Werner. (Excellent book with lots of useful grappling tips)

I should get a copy of this. I like Doug Werner's writing. I'm reading his books on boxing now (the ones he wrote with Alan LaChica). It's clear, entertaining, and common sensical stuff. I was wondering, just yesterday, whether he'd written any more martial arts stuff (aside from the fencing book I know he's written).
 

Langenschwert

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Modern books:

"The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe" by Sydney Anglo. An excellent exposition on the manuscripts that so many of us HES types rely on. However, Dr. Anglo is not a martial artist, and there are some mistakes in the book. Nonetheless, it is an excellent read.

Period works:

"HS. 3227a" aka the "Dobringer Hausbuch": the earliest manuscript by a practicioner of Liechtenauer's Kunst des Fechtens. Mostly a conceptual work rather than a detailed manual, but describes how to approach a fight rather than describe specific technique.

Sigmund Ringeck's fechtbuch: a manual written in the 1440's. One of the best "how to" MA books written, covering everything from longsword, grappling, striking, some mounted combat, and even a bit of sword & buckler. Strangely, it omits dagger though it may have included it originally included and later lost.

Go Rin No Sho: required reading for any student of HNIR.

Best regards,

-Mark
 

Gaius Julius Caesar

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I am not going to google so excusse all spelling and mistakes in titles.

The first MA book I had other than Black belt, Ninja and SOF mags as a kid was Gen Hyung Hi's Tae Kwon Do, it was my step dad's, he got it while studying TKD in Korea and Vietnam in the USAF in the late 60s/ early 70s.
Some Miliatry books influence me as a Martial artist as well.

-Modern American Knife Fighting
-Kill or get Killed, Applegate.
- A Bouncer's Guide to Bar Room Brawling and Adrenal Stress Training, Peyton Quin
- Ambushes, Sucker punches... Animal Mac Young
- Koryu Bujutsu Vol 1 and 2 ( I need to get 3) Edited by Dianne Skoss
- Meditations on Violence, Rory Miller.
- Judo: Training Methods, Draeger
- Modern Budo and Bujutsu and Classical Bujutsu by Draeger
- Secret Tactics.
- Attack Proof
- On Killing, Col. Grossman.
- Mastering the Rubber Guard, Eddie Bravo
- A bunch of Hatmaker books.
-About Face, Col David Hackworth ( Mindset lessons and reenforcments.)
- Immediate Action, Andy McNabb
- The Operators,(Forget the author, it's about the UKs 14th Int.)
- Hell's Angels, Hunter S. Thompson (Lots about fighting)
 

Balrog

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The Way of Traditional Taekwondo, by Grand Master H. U. Lee

And of course, The Art of War. Sun Tzu makes an observation that I think is one of the most crucial things to learn in martial arts training. He speaks, of course, from the point of view of a general leading an army, but it applies to the individual warrior as well:

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles
is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists
in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.
 

Xue Sheng

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I am reading this one now and even though I am a CMA guy and it is talking about Budo and Japanese arts it is making a BIG difference on my entire view of Martial Arts and the training of marital arts.

Arts of Strength Arts of Serenity
Martial Arts Trainingn for Mental. Physical, And Spiritual Health
By Nicklaus Suino
 

edgedweapons

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Kudo Ancient Ways
Thinking Body Dancing Mind
Tao of Jeet kune Do
All of Bruce Lee's Fighting Methods
Art of War
The Book of 5 Rings
 

Taiji Rebel

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  • Empty Hand: The Essence of Budo Karate by Kenei Mabuni
  • Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook
  • Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Tai ji by Chungliang Al Huang
 

Big Pat

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Greetings, a few for your consideration.

The Journey-an oral history of Mr. Parker's first generation Black Belts....
Martial Arts American-A Western approach to Eastern Arts.....
Zen in the Martial Arts...
Steal My Art-The Life and Times of a Tai Chi Master...
The Little Black Book of Violence..

Be safe and strong.
EKP-RIP.

Pat
 

Taiji Rebel

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Greetings, a few for your consideration.

The Journey-an oral history of Mr. Parker's first generation Black Belts....
Martial Arts American-A Western approach to Eastern Arts.....
Zen in the Martial Arts...
Steal My Art-The Life and Times of a Tai Chi Master...
The Little Black Book of Violence..

Be safe and strong.
EKP-RIP.

Pat
A great selection of books listed here. The Bob Orlando book, Martial Arts America is a good read. As is The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder. Both of these books are eye-openers and definitely worthy of your time
 

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