Do you own any martial arts literature?

Question

Do you buy martial arts related books(for supplemental purposes not as a sole method of training)? If so, has it helped? What books do you have?

Answer 1

The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, from Bruce Lee, was a must have in the 1970's. I read it again only a few years ago and still got something out of the book.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu is the only martial arts related book that I own right now. Although the book is not strictly a "martial arts" manual, it has had a stronger influence on my training and fighting than any other. I just don't get much out of the books with pictures demonstrating a technique, though some people apparently do learn from these.


So, mentally the books I have read have had a very strong infuence. Physically, I have not learned anything from illustrations of even photographs in the books. In my own experience, I have picked up techniques from videos. But, the techniques still have to be tried and tested with another human being on the mat. In example, the Gracie videos have been very good at teaching their style.

Answer 2

I own (listed by title):
Solo Training 1 and 2
Fighter's Fact Book 1 and 2
Wing Chun Kung Fu
Close Range Combat WIng Chun
The Complete Guide to Kung Fu Fighting Styles
Shaolin Chin Na: The Siezing Art of Kung Fu
Speed Training:How to develop yourMaximum Speed for MA
Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for MA
The Ultimate Guide to Tai Chi
Krav Maga, How to defend yourself against armed assault
The Weightless Workout
Combat Conditioning
Isometric Power Revolution

These are all books that I have bought recently (2 years old at most) I have many books that I have not listed here on subjects like: weight training, resistance training, TKD, Grappling/Wrestling, Street Fighting, Gun and Knife Defense, etc. Many of these books have amazing training ideas, that I have used sucessfully. I am still learning from these books today. If you are training in a certain martial art I suggest that you purchase at least 2 books about your art. This will give you insight and advice that you don't get from your instructor, and will give you a better understanding of your martial art. Often you will learn something that helps you get over an obstacle you might have been struggling with, or maybe even reveal that you can become much better than you are, where before you might have believed that you were the best that you could be. Look up some of the books listed above on Amazon, you won't be disappointed.
Happy Training

Answer 3

My top 5 MA related books are:

1.) "The Art of War by Sun Tzu"
2.) "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do" by Bruce Lee
3.) "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi
4.) "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere" by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti
5.) "The Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho translated by William Scott.

The Tao of JKD and Aikido & the Dynamic Sphere were a great help in supplementing my physical training. The other 3 books helped shape my views on fighting and the tactics I needed to avoid getting into trouble. I have bought many other MA related books over the years on a broad range of arts and styles, but these 5 are the ones I have kept up to this day and still occasionally reread to gain new insight.

Answer 4

I have:

-Tao of Jeet Kune Do (Bruce Lee), a must-read for any serious martial artist, IMO.

-The Book of Five Rings (Miyamoto Musashi), an interesting look into his philosophy. There's deeper meaning in much what he says (if you think about it), much of it applicable to non-martial life.

-Analasys of Shaolin Chin-Na (Dr Jwing-Ming Yang), very helpful for learning small joint manipulations (I think the large joint manipulations are a bit unrelaistic). I also appreciate how he includes comments that indicate how realistic some of the techniques are. In some cases, he points out that there will likely never be a situation where XYZ lock would actually be applicable--he includes it for academic purposes.

-Holding the Center: Santuary in a Time of Confusion (Richard Strozzi-Heckler), a life philosophy book about applying Aikido priciples to daily life. Very good read.

-Dynamic Strength (Harry Wong) a great workout without weights, can easily be done at home (though you'll still need cardio).

-Small-Circle Jujitsu (Wally Jay) again, a good primer on joint locking, especially small joints.

I've read others, but those are in my collection right now.

By "helped", I'll assume you mean in MA training or fighting. In that case, yes, several of the books have helped, the Chin NA and SC jujitsu in particular. It's amazing how unprepared some people are for a quick wrist or finger lock when they're too focused on trying to lock in a larger hold (e.g. an armbar or guillotine choke) I've made more than one yelp and let go of me. Of course, some of those moves would be illegal in competition, but I don't train for competition.

Answer 5

Yes. I read a lot of Bruce Lee books. I think two of the best ones are Striking Thoughts and Tao of Jeet Kune Do. There's also a series of books called the Fighting Methods. It really helps motivate you and shape your mind for the right mentality when training and fighting.
There's a lot of things that you don't think of when you're training. And then there are things that you do think of but it just helps when someone of credibility reaffirms it.
There are also a lot of simple quotes in the books that you can remember and really motivates you to keep going. Bruce Lee was a great philosopher and martial artist and that made him and exceptional human being.

Answer 6

I have quite a collection on instruction. But I think you are going for something else. I have bought non-MA related books to motivate me to train harder and live better.

Since Martial Arts is a way of life, any books that rub you in a positive way are good. Try Angela Ashes, Tuesdays with Morries or Words from the Dragon.

Lately, I'm very keen to get this book by John Will, a Machado BJJ black belt in Australia. There's a chapter from that book available for download below.

http://www.rogueblackbelt.com/

I also read his blog becos it is always interesting, see for yourself.

http://bjj-australia.blogspot.com/

Answer 7

Yea, I bought a Bob Orlando, some Ed Parker books, some training books, encylopedia, then switched to reading websites and the library. The library is great in my area.
It was good to discuss with others, helped me realize, I need to train at least a few times with the shoes and clothes that I normally wear to be ready for a street fight. It also helped me think a little deeper and reinforced points. Sorry, I cannot remember the names of the books... it has been a while and I don't keep the library books.

Answer 8

Yes I do own books...The ones I have are Bruce Lee's Fighting Method, and some other books regarding Ninjutsu and kickboxing. More than book I print articles that I find online. they DO HELP in martial arts, at least for me! I have learned so many things from them. If you want to improve I recommend you to read, Read, READ!!!

Answer 9

I never bought any, but I did get one from the library once - I can't remember the name, but it was a pressure point JJ book. It was very good, but I didn't really get a chance to practice any of it, hence, I don't know it. I tried to test some of it on my wife but she always complains when I experiment on her ;-)

If I could recall the name, I would recommend the book if you are interested in that stuff.

EDIT: I also got a book on Chi from the library as well and that was fantastic. It was about the generation of Chi, theory, practice, and lots of fascinating stuff. Written by a Chinese doctor of something - would also recommend but have no idea what it was called!

Answer 10

Yes, I have:
--The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tae Kwon Do by Karen Eden
--Tae Kwon Do: The State of the Art by Sung Chul Master Whang, Jun Chul Master Whang, Dae Sung Master Lee, and Brandon Saltz
--Complete Taekwondo Poomsae: The Official Taegeuk, Palgwae and Black Belt Forms of Taekwondo by Kyu Hyung Lee and Sang H. Kim
--The complete Tae Kwon Do for Kids by Herb Perez

It's helped me a lot. Especially the Complete Taekwondo Poomsae, because it goes through the poomsae.