What Martial Arts Book are you reading now

[Flying Crane]

These are the books I’ve managed to recover so far.

 

[Flying Crane]

These are the new additions.

 

[Gyakuto105]

Reading Donn Draeger at the moment.

I have vanity original hard copies on my shelf and softcovers to read. I don’t think they’ve stood the test of time to be honest…

 

[Flying Crane]

I have vanity original hard copies on my shelf and softcovers to read. I don’t think they’ve stood the test of time to be honest…

I suspect the West’s understanding has changed somewhat over the last few decades so what he says may lack some accuracy. I don’t know much about Japanese arts so I’m not the expert to give a critique.

 

[Flying Crane]

I will add that as I re-read some of these books, I find myself not terribly impressed by some of them, and that goes for some of the new acquisitions as well. I do not recommend all of them highly. Still, it’s interesting to see what work people have put forth.

 

[Gyakuto105]

I find kyudo itself a very potent cure for insomnia, but the ideas behind it are fascinating.

 

[Xue Sheng98]

Reread, been years since I read it

 

[Blindside1]

Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate by Teruo Chinen Sensei
This is the reference manual for my particular lineage. Waaay back when (like Berlin Wall falling times) I was training under Morio Higaonna Sensei's lineage and it is interesting to see how these two classmates and training partners have diverged over the years.

Okinawan Goju Ryu II by Toguchi Sensei
This book gets referenced a lot by current instructors using it as the basis of how Miyagi Sensei wanted kata to be interpreted. The chapter that addresses this topic is useful but I was expecting more given it's regular reference.

The Way of Kata by Sensei's Kane and Wilder.
This is one of those works that builds on Toguchi Sensei's work and does a better explanation, both because it is given the space to do so and because it is written by a modern western writer.

 

[Xue Sheng98]

 

[isshinryuronin]

View attachment 34355

Sounds good. Let us know what you found interesting.

 

[Xue Sheng98]

Sounds good. Let us know what you found interesting.

So far the history is quite interesting to me, but then i never knew anything about it before.

 

[Gyakuto105]

‘Roots Still Cracking Rocks’ by Ellis Amdur, first edition. Publisher -The Ran Network.

Some excellent essays on many aspects of martial arts, often ignored by other writers plus seemingly controversial ideas (all contests, bound by rules, are essentially kata!) but the author thoughtfully dissects his ideas and expounds upon them, until you find yourself nodding in agreement! A great read for serious martial artists.

 

[Prince_Alarming105]

A friend lent me 'book of the ninja'. I'm not impressed. It seems like it was written by a karateka who learned a few grappling techniques and then convinced himself he was a ninja. I try to be polite but, no, not my sort of thing.

 

[Xue Sheng98]

A friend lent me 'book of the ninja'. I'm not impressed. It seems like it was written by a karateka who learned a few grappling techniques and then convinced himself he was a ninja. I try to be polite but, no, not my sort of thing.

If i may, who is the author

 

[Prince_Alarming105]

If i may, who is the author

Lemme check.... One Ashida Kim. The name rings a bell but I can't remember in what context

 

[Xue Sheng98]

Lemme check.... One Ashida Kim. The name rings a bell but I can't remember in what context

If it is Ashida Kim…. Ignore it, it is best used to start a campfire

 

[Prince_Alarming105]

It's.... corny as much as anything. He seems to take a certain self righteous pride in the outward signs and platitudes of martial arts training that I find putrid.