best martial arts book of all time

[bushidomartialarts]

what book has influenced your training the most in your career?

this isn't limited to martial arts books, or even nonfiction.

 

[Hand Sword]

Oddly enough, the very first one I read as a young kid : The World's Deadliest Fighting Secrets by Count Dante. I know he is very contreversial, but the book, and the writings are legitimate, and have always stuck with me.

 

[still learning]

Hello, One of my flavorites authors is " Loren W Christensen. He has the most modern facts on the martial arts! His books make alot of sense in training. He has many books out now...each one is worth getting and reading. ...another author whose books are worth reading is"Mac,the animal MacYoung"

There are lots of good books on the martial arts. Start your own library and do not limit to your art only. You will find each one may give you a small bit of knowledge.... like adding water to a small tree...it will grow.

I didn't start out as a collector of martial art books....I just starting reading everything related to the martial arts....today the library is over 100 plus books and still growing.

Become a reader...seek all the information you can....enjoy ever book....take what you can from each one! .....Aloha

 

[green meanie]

"Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere" -Westbrook & Ratti

 

[SFC JeffJ]

"Center: the Power of Aikido"

Jeff

 

[MartialIntent]

Can't argue with green meanie and JeffJ but most influential for me [and since we're permitted non-fiction and non-MA]...

The Count of Monte Cristo for how to survive the unsurvivable and then enact a revenge. Ahh, it's what martial arts should be about but isn't! And I think that's because we often don't accept the fact that both are inherent in human nature.

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest [yeah I know the film was phenomenal but Ken Kesey's book was the source!] for the struggle to overcome what inherently controls us. This is what my own martial practices are about.

Respects!

 

[DutchKenpo]

My first Martial Art book was "The Journey" by Tom Bleecker, I bought it at the first international championship I attended and directly had it signed by Ms D. Cogliandro, Mr G. Velez and Mr. Bob Liles.

Inspiring to read all those stories of way back, people getting started with kenpo.

grtz, Bob

 

[Cirdan]

The Bubishi

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi

 

[beau_safken]

Lao Tzu, art of war

Rich dad, poor dad, Robert Kiyosaki <--Mindset mostly not so much content

Lord of the rings series

Black medicane books

Healing hands of light

Think thats all i can think of.

 

[stickarts]

The Lord of the rings are my favorite books of all time.
The book "Sensei" I found very unique and interesting.

 

[IcemanSK]

Richard Chun's "Korean Karate" is good. I'm really fond of "Full-Contact Karate" by Jean Yves Theriault & Jennings

 

[still learning]

Hello, The book " MUSASHI" base on a true story of a famous Japanese swordman. ...900 plus pages. Great book to read! .....Aloha

 

[Dan G]

The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi

Same here - awesome book!

 

[Xue Sheng]

The book of five rings - Miyamoto Musashi

Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu

Sun Tzu Bing Fa (art of war - Sun Tzu)

And beleive it or not the Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff

 

[MardiGras Bandit]

Eddie Bravo's Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed is a must for any grappling fans. Eddie is probably the most inovative grappler right now. His technique is amazing; whatever your style (guard player, top game, ect.) he has something to improve your game.

The book isn't that pretty, the pictures are black and white and some are small. They get the job done though and for the price ($16.95) the value can't be beat.

 

[tkd_jen]

One that has helped me immensely through my color belt journey - simply "Tae Kwon Do" by Richard Chun. Especially because of the pattern diagrams in it.

Art of War is good too.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

zen in the martial arts (joel hyams) is key

in a way, the prydain chronicles was huge. kids books, fantasy stuff, good quality for pre-harry potter childrens' lit. read 'em in third grade. the protagonist grows as a warrior from teens to adulthood. something about reading it when i read it made me want that. martial arts gave it to me.

 

[Franc0]

The Art of War - Sun Tzu
The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
Tao of Jeet Kune Do - Bruce Lee
The Gift of Fear - Gavin DeBecker

 

[frank raud]

Richard Chun's "Korean Karate" is good. I'm really fond of "Full-Contact Karate" by Jean Yves Theriault & Jennings

Full-Contact Karate is an excellent book, well worth finding for anyone interested in kickboxing. Jean-Yves will be releasing a new book in May, I don't have any info on whether it wil be an auto-biography or another technique book like Full-Contact Karate, either way it will be an exciting new book on the subject.