# bad martial arts books



## mcmillintkd

http://bestjudo.com/article13.shtml

I found this site while surfing for TKD books.  I was wondering what books (video/dvds) that you would recommend against.  What would you suggest that no one invest in?  I have some that Iwill add later.


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## bushidomartialarts

i find that terrence webster doyle's series regularly dissapoints me.  it's as if doctoer spock took a sensitivity course and tried to apply it to martial arts.  current educational psych theory is harming children, and mr doyle seems to be trying to take away the very things that make martial arts a powerful tool.

i also recommend taking anything published by paladin press with a grain of salt.  the actual authors appear to be fairly knowledgable, but the whole line is so clearly published for the sort who subscribe to soldier of fortune magazine and spend _way_ too much time -- ah -- 'cleaning their guns'....


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## ArmorOfGod

Anything by Ashida Kim.
;-)

AoG


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## Flying Crane

I found Peter Ralston's _Effortless Power_ to be pretty unreadable and devoid of any real information.  I understand it was compiled from some lectures or something that he gave about internal martial arts.  But it seemed to me he just sort of rambled, and talked about what he was going to talk about.  I kept waiting for him to get to the information, but it just never came.


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## Blindside

Anything "translated" by Stephan F. Kaufman.  Bad, really bad, and very possibly completely made up.

Lamont


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## exile

I've read a fair number of MA books that seem to me to be mostly compendia of basic techniques, fancified up as `secrets of [insert MA style here]'. I won't go so far as to say these are bad; they're just overblown in their come-on, promising things that they don't deliver. But I was stumped, literally, by Darell Craig and Paul Anderson's _Shihan-Te: the Bunkai of Karate Kata_. I found the terminological hairsplitting both tedious and opaque (I eventually caved in and read some of the Amazon.com reviews of the book, which suggest that Craig & Anderson's use of technical vocabulary is pretty idiosyncratic). And I had almost no success in linking the discussion in the text to the illustrations that are supposed to make clear both the kata movements and the deep bunkai that C&A say they are presenting, but which they seem to take forever to actually lay out for the increasingly perplexed reader.

One of these days, if I have the time sometime, lol, I'm going to go back to the book and see if it really is as baffling as I found it the first two times I read it (this was before I discovered Rick Clark, Iain Abernethy and that whole luminous approach to kata decoding). But I'd have to say, at this point, that _Shihan-Te_ something to stay away from, unless you actually _enjoy_ getting exasperated by impenetrable discussions of important topics...


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## Cruentus

ArmorOfGod said:


> Anything by Ashida Kim.
> ;-)
> 
> AoG


 
Or or anything by "Ha Ha Lung" should be avoided.

I disagree with a previous poster regarding Paladin Press, however. They have published some really good stuff overall. If you let the "image" that they present and market disuade you, then I think you are doing yourself a disservice.


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## bushidomartialarts

Blindside said:


> Anything "translated" by Stephan F. Kaufman.  Bad, really bad, and very possibly completely made up.
> 
> Lamont



really?  

i found his gorin-no-sho and art of war really very wonderful.  i'll admit he plays very fast and loose with the direct translation...it's hard to even find the structure of the original art of war in his version...but i did a pretty close parallel read of both those and had no major complaints.

could you give me some examples?  i would love to learn more.


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## Blindside

bushidomartialarts said:


> really?
> 
> i found his gorin-no-sho and art of war really very wonderful. i'll admit he plays very fast and loose with the direct translation...it's hard to even find the structure of the original art of war in his version...but i did a pretty close parallel read of both those and had no major complaints.
> 
> could you give me some examples? i would love to learn more.


 
Well, to start off with he isn't a translator, he can't translate, he doesn't speak Japanese (or Chinese).  His books are essentially his interpretation of what Musashi/Sun Tzu meant after reading the books translated by other people.  I want to read what Musashi said, not somebodies else's thirdhand interpretation.  Also interestng is that nobody in Japan has ever heard about the purported source document for "The Shogun Scrolls" so it seems a bit suspicious that some random American who doesn't speak Japanese is the first to publish a translated version.  It just screams "FAKE!"

Lamont


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## bushidomartialarts

you know, i hadn't ever gotten around to buying his 'shogun scrolls'. i had heard there was some controversy over that.  

does he make strong claims to having been the translator?  as a martial artist, i find the ideas he expresses quite valuable.  if i wanted to read what musashi thought, i'd go back and finish learning japanese.

now i find it funny as hell that the guy calls his school 'dojo no hebe', when any first year student knows it would be 'hebe no dojo'.  but still, his 'interpretation' seems valuable.


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## zDom

My dad had one of Bruce Tegner's paperback books on ju-jutsu I'd like to find and re-read, now that I have had some formal training.

Until then, I'll take his inclusion on this list with a grain of salt as I've heard they are actually OK.


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## chris_&#3617;&#3623;&#3618;&#3652;&#3607;&#3618;

mcmillintkd said:


> http://bestjudo.com/article13.shtml
> 
> I found this site while surfing for TKD books. I was wondering what books (video/dvds) that you would recommend against. What would you suggest that no one invest in? I have some that Iwill add later.


 
no offence intended to bruce lee but "bruce lee's fighting method - self defence techniques" is pretty rubbish , some guy just got a load of pictures of him beating people up when they attack him and put a sentance desribing everything that happens over the course of about 10 techniques (over each 2 pages) pages , not very informative and i wouldnt do any of the stuff lee did in those situations , but i like the pictures


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## Don Roley

Secrets of the Samurai is terrible. It sounds great if you don't know the subject matter very well. But it really is very, very bad. Entertaining, yes. But not informative and accurate.

As a rule of thumb, take a look at the sources an author uses. If they want to write an epic book about another country and yet can't read the language of that country, it is not worth getting.


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## Randy Strausbaugh

Atemi Cobra-jitsu by Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke Irving Soto.
Not kidding about the "Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke" part.


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## Flying Crane

Randy Strausbaugh said:


> Not kidding about the "Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke" part.


 
Wow, that's kind of like wanting to wear all of your Tournament Medals at once.  Very cumbersome...


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## Xue Sheng

Randy Strausbaugh said:


> Not kidding about the "Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke" part.


 
At least he didn't add his Royal Highness and Grand boo-ba


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## Don Roley

Randy Strausbaugh said:


> Atemi Cobra-jitsu by Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke Irving Soto.
> Not kidding about the "Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke" part.



And if anyone does not believe the above, check out the man's site for yourself.

http://members.aol.com/mastersoto/sotobio.htm


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## zDom

Xue Sheng said:


> At least he didn't add his Royal Highness and Grand boo-ba



I thought it was "Grand Poobah."

I kind of always wanted to join the Elks and rise to the top so I could get the title "Exalted Ruler."  Would look great on the ol' resume


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## Xue Sheng

zDom said:


> I thought it was "Grand Poobah."
> 
> I kind of always wanted to join the Elks and rise to the top so I could get the title "Exalted Ruler."  Would look great on the ol' resume


 
Sorry your right... it is Grand Poobah..

And if you don't make it to exalted ruler you could always be the Director General of the moose lodge


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## Flying Crane

Don Roley said:


> And if anyone does not believe the above, check out the man's site for yourself.
> 
> http://members.aol.com/mastersoto/sotobio.htm


 

Wow.  what an amazing resume, or I guess as really important people call it (which he clearly must be), a "curriculum vitae".  

I was especially glad to see that he knows "grippling" techniques, as well as grappling techniques...


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## Flying Crane

Xue Sheng said:


> Sorry your right... it is Grand Poobah..
> 
> And if you don't make it to exalted ruler you could always be the Director General of the moose lodge


 

I just wanted to be the Grand Master of the knights templar...


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## Xue Sheng

Flying Crane said:


> I just wanted to be the Grand Master of the knights templar...


 
Hey I just wanted to be his royal highness the high and mighty grand exalted imperial dragon and evil wizard of anything


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## exile

Flying Crane said:


> Originally Posted by Randy Strausbaugh
> _Not kidding about the "Dr. Professor Grandmaster Soke" part._
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow, that's kind of like wanting to wear all of your Tournament Medals at once.  Very cumbersome...
Click to expand...


No, I picture it more as a guy wearing scrubs, fresh in from the operating table, with a bunch of lecture notes for his afternoon class and a chessboard with a box of pieces and some notes for a column on the Sicilian defense sticking up out of his medical bag... someone who can't figure out whether he should run an MRI on you, scold you for your critical sloppiness in your last research paper, or play a kingside or queenside pawn opening against you... some weird type of multiple personality disorder, in short...


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## Flying Crane

Xue Sheng said:


> Hey I just wanted to be his royal highness the high and mighty grand exalted imperial dragon and evil wizard of anything


 

oooh, "Evil Wizard", that's goooooood.....


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## Xue Sheng

Flying Crane said:


> oooh, "Evil Wizard", that's goooooood.....


 
As you well know and this is a secret only for those in the hierarchy of Xuefu that to be the head of Xuefu one must be an Evil wizard anyway, or at least play one on TV.


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## Flying Crane

Xue Sheng said:


> As you well know and this is a secret only for those in the hierarchy of Xuefu that to be the head of Xuefu one must be an Evil wizard anyway, or at least play one on TV.


 
And Number Two in command is a Wizard Of Questionable Character...


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## zDom

Flying Crane said:


> And Number Two in command is a Wizard Of Questionable Character...



:rofl:


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## Flying Crane

zDom said:


> :rofl:


 
Yee-ha!  Gold Star for you, Buddy, and I gave it to ya!


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## zDom

Flying Crane said:


> Yee-ha!  Gold Star for you, Buddy, and I gave it to ya!




Wow! I hadn't even noticed till this post 

Thankee


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## Flying Crane

zDom said:


> Wow! I hadn't even noticed till this post
> 
> Thankee


 
Most welcome!


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## Xue Sheng

I am hesitant to post this title here because I like to think that anyone who writes a book means well and I would really hate to upset them but someone gave me an old book last week on Tai Chi because they know I do Tai Chi and I do appreciate the sentiment but the book is just plane bad. The postures are bad some of the posture names are not correctly translated and the translation of the I Ching do not appear to be entirely correct either. The book was published in 1974 and I doubt it is still in print but I recommend avoiding it if you want to know about Tai Chi

Tai Chi  A Way of Centering & I Ching​


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## Flying Crane

Xue Sheng said:


> I am hesitant to post this title here because I like to think that anyone who writes a book means well and I would really hate to upset them but someone gave me an old book last week on Tai Chi because they know I do Tai Chi and I do appreciate the sentiment but the book is just plane bad. The postures are bad some of the posture names are not correctly translated and the translation of the I Ching do not appear to be entirely correct either. The book was published in 1974 and I doubt it is still in print but I recommend avoiding it if you want to know about Tai Chi
> 
> Tai Chi  A Way of Centering & I Ching​


 

It's kind of amazing how good-meaning friends and family can give inappropriate gifts, sometimes.  They just don't know the difference, and don't even realize that there is a difference.


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## Xue Sheng

Since they called it Tai Ch-eye when they gave me the book I know they know little about it but they did mean well. So when I am later asked what I tought I will say not bad and I will not by lying because to be truthful it is awful and not good enough to be bad


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## pstarr

I put books like that in what I refer to as my "evidence file."


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## Albertus

The worst martial arts book that I ever read was *The ninja training manual* (1996) by Christopher Hunter.
This book was previously published as *The book of the Ninja* (1980).
I have no idea why they decided to reprint it because it is absolutely worthless.


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## Randy Strausbaugh

Albertus said:


> I have no idea why they decided to reprint it because it is absolutely worthless.


They reprinted it so that people who didn't know it is worthless would buy it, thereby making money for the publisher. We've all been stung by stinkers. Welcome to the club .


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## Albertus

Yes I have made the same mistake several times, especially :angry: Ashida Kim :angry:  has the habit of reprinting over and over again, some examples :
Ninja secrets of invisibility from 1983 is *reprinted* as The invisible Ninja in 1997 ; Forbidden fighting techniques of the Ninja from 1984 is *reprinted* as Forbidden weapons of the Ninja in 2000 ; Dragon lady of the Ninja from 1984 is *reprinted* as Ninjitsu for woman in 2000 ; Ninja cloak and dagger from 1987 is *reprinted* as Ninja cloak of invisibility in 1998 ; Iron body Ninja from 1997 is *reprinted* as Secret Ninja alchemy in 2000 ; Ninja Dim Mak from 2008 is basically the same book as Instant Self Defense also from 2008 and finally Ninja magic from 2007 is the same as Ninja levitation from the same year. Also from Dojo Press Ron Collins who *reprinted* his previous books Black dragon Ninjitsu from 2000 and Black dragon Taijitsu from 2006 into a new book called Black Dragon Ninjitsu complete course handbook in 2006. Also from the Ashida camp Anonymous who published in 1986 The making of the Ninja. Ashida Kim's training camp and *reprinted* it in 1995 as How to become a Ninja. Other examples are from Haha Lung Shadowhand the history and secrets of Ninja taisavaki from 2000 is *reprinted* as Ninja shadowhand : the art of invisibility ; The black science from 2001 is *reprinted* as Mind manipulation in 2002. These are also all potentially bad martial arts books. Buyer be aware!!!!


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## David Weatherly

It's sad but a lot of terrible books have been published under the banner of Ninjutsu.  The trend continues, one of the worst in recent times is "Spiritual Practices of the Ninja"  by Ross Haven.  Nothing at all to do with Ninpo!

David


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## Yoshiyahu

Bad Books makes me throw up yuk




Flying Crane said:


> oooh, "Evil Wizard", that's goooooood.....


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## rabbit

Flying Crane said:


> I found Peter Ralston's _Effortless Power_ to be pretty unreadable and devoid of any real information. I understand it was compiled from some lectures or something that he gave about internal martial arts. But it seemed to me he just sort of rambled, and talked about what he was going to talk about. I kept waiting for him to get to the information, but it just never came.


 
So was his other book "Zen Body-Being"


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## tellner

Some of the worst crap out there comes when martial artists try to do self defense, especially women's self defense. 

Two of the very worst:
 "Grandmaster O.E." Simon _Anti-Rape and Total Self Defense_
Yang Jwing-Ming _How to Defend Yourself: Effective & Practical Martial Arts Strategies_

But the very worst, one that actually subtracts from the sum total of human knowledge and makes rape and murder easier for the criminals is the execrable criminal Fred Storaska's _How to Say 'No' to a Rapist and Survive_


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