Book Reviews
Book Review - Keiko Shokon: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan, Volume 3
By Ken Mondschein
An insightful collection of essays that address the relevance of classical martial arts to arena of today's martial arts practices.
Book Review - Complete Aikido - Aikido Kyohan: The Definitive Guide to the Way of Harmony
By FightingArts Staff
This is the first and welcome book by Roy Suenaka, an early pioneer of American aikido with impressive credentials: he studied both under aikido's founder Morihei Ueshiba O'Sensei, as well as Koichi Tohei.
Book Review - Karatedo Tanpenshu - Funakoshi Short Stories
By Rick Reichert
This is an eclectic book about Gichen Funakoshi, who many consider to be the father of Japanese karate.
Book Review - Pressure Point Fighting: A Secret Guide to the Heart of Asian Martial Arts
By Jeremy C. Bays
Rick Clark has taken the complex and confusing world of vital points and stripped it down to a basic idea: 'It does not matter why it works, it only matters that it works.'
Book Review - Medieval Combat
By Ken Mondschein
Mr. Rector's book is the first English translation of Hans Talhoffer's 'fechtbuch', or 'fight-book,' a compendium of the knightly arts of mayhem as practiced circa 1467.
Book Review - Ryoma - Life of a Renaissance Samurai
By Christopher Caile
To Westerners it opens up an important period in Japanese history as it weaves together the complex tapestry of ideology, events, life, culture and political/military forces leading to the modern age -- all portrayed through Ryoma's eyes.
Book Review - Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia
By Jason Couch
This encyclopedia encompasses a range of martial styles and subjects never before published in a single work.
Book Talk Discusson: The Book of Five Rings
By Andrea Yarbrough
Excerpts from the dicussion in the Book Talk Forum
Book Review - Sword in Hand: A Brief Survey of the Knightly Sword
By Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D.
Ewart Oakeshott brings a near-encyclopedic expertise to his subject, evidenced by a large number of previous books on medieval knights, their arms and armor.
Book Review: Tales of the Hermit: Volume 1 - The Castle In The Rain And The Judge
By Christopher Caile
A spectacularly illustrated volume featuring tales of Samurai intrigue and conflict, a book that elicits many questions about man and society and the capacity to manage social conflict.
Book Review - Medieval Swordsmanship
By Ken Mondschein
John Clements' 'Medieval Swordsmanship' is neither about things medieval, nor is it about swordsmanship - and this commonality, in fact, is where the book?s resemblance to anything historical ends.
Book Review:Tales Of The Hermit: Volume II ? Yamabushi & Homecoming
By Christopher Caile
In this volume the reader continues the "Alice in Wonderland"-like tumble into 17th century Japan begun in volume one, an exhilarating visual journey that can also drawn in the reader past the images to ponder questions about the very nature of man and society.
Book Review: Starting And Running Your Own Martial Arts School
By Richard Reichert
Being a good martial artist is rarely synonymous with business acumen. Martial arts schools face daunting challenges, the biggest of which is the basics of knowing how to run the business side of the school effectively. This book offers invaluable tools to help any martial artist make his teaching efforts a success.
Book Review: Sensei by John Donahue
By Christopher Caile
'Sensei' is a fast paced, exciting thriller -- a fun read that pulls you into the intricacies, culture and contradictions of the Japanese mind played out through the martial arts.
Book Review - Samurai Fighting Arts: The Spirit and The Practice
By Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D.
This book is a good read when it delves into history, technique, and some of the underlying principles of kata, but it is also unfortunately flawed when the author in his discussion of Honmon Enshin ryu style of iai (sword-drawing) ties to tie his art to historical authenticity.
Book Review: Kyudo: The Essence and Practice of Japanese Archery
By Meik Skoss
It's not often that one has the opportunity to review a book that is the definitive work in its field, but I got lucky.
Book Review: Motobu Choki Karate-My Art
By Rick Reichert
This translation of two of Motobu?s works combined with related articles, historical information and photo will help a new generation of readers better understand this great Okinawan karate pioneer.
Review - Five Years One Kata: Putting Kata Back Into The Heart Of Karate
By Joe Swift
The old stories of karate training in Okinawa often revolve around a student spending a number of years, usually three, learning his first kata. Of course, modern teachers very seldom take this approach for fear that it will drive potential students away, but nonetheless, the stories persist.
Book Review: Samurai: An Illustrated History
By Diane Skoss
Although historically this book portrays a somewhat romantic and historically distorted portrait of the Samurai, the photos and line drawings are simply superb and worth the price of the book.
Book Review: Famous Japanese Swordsmen of the Warring States Period
By Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D.
This book takes as its subject two important individuals: Iizasa Choisai Ienao (Iizasa Yamashiro) (1387-1488), founder of the Kashima Shinto style of swordsmanship, and Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Nobutsuna (1508-1577), founder of the Shinkage style"
Book Review - The Way to Black Belt: A Comprehensive Guide to Rapid, Rock-Solid Results
By Christopher Caile
While this book targets students who are studying to achieve their black belt, it at the same time illuminates a path far beyond this limited goal.
Tengu ? The Mountain Goblin
By Christopher Caile
This is a fun and fast paced martial arts thriller. It is the third in the Conner Burke series that includes Donohue?s other books, Deshi and Sensei.
Kage - The Shadow, A Connor Burke Martial Arts Thriller
By Christopher Caile
This is the fourth in the Conner Burke martial arts thriller series written by John Donohue. Other books include Sensei, Deshi and Tengu. In many ways I like this book the best.
Oldman's Bubishi - An Introduction to Bunkai from Karate's Kata
By Christopher Caile
I love this book. This book is visual, the five pinan (heian or pyong) kata and their applications depicted through his cartoon, amusing and graphic drawings.
Encyclopedia Of Japanese Martial Arts
By Christopher Caile
This book is an exhaustively researched, important and authoritative resource on Japanese martial arts and the rich historical and social tapestry within which it is embedded.
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