World War Z

[LoneRider]

Hey there,

Anyone read World War Z by Max Brooks? I read the book some time ago and recently bought the audiobook which I'm listening to now as I type this post. I found compelling the way the Martial Arts were treated in the book.

Anyway, I thought it was a brilliant and compelling read with good points made on so many fronts, socio-economic, geo-political, environmental, but I could create an entire thread for each topic.

What I'm listening to right now is the tale of the blind Japanese martial artist and his ikupasay weapon (a shaolin spade type armament). I find his tale to be one of the more compelling, for he talks of not only the combative side of the MA (his numerous battles against the living dead) but also some of the spiritual elements of the MA (his Shintoism, where he talks constantly of currying the favor of the kami or their disfavor).

To me the tale is one of overcoming crippling odds, and using what you have to fight off the odds (I mean an old blind man would not be expected to survive the blight).

It also has some good, key concepts of the MA. For instance when he says, 'Thrust forward, never swing', it brings to mind concepts of my fighting art of Wing Chun - 'Response should be simple' and 'know the goal'.

To me, I thought the Sensei's tale from Max Brooks' book spoke of both the physical and the spiritual/mental aspects of the Martial Arts. Any thoughts?

 

[Andy Moynihan]

If you haven't read his first book "The Zombie Survival Guide" I strongly recommend it, there's useful survival tips in there that work just as well without zombies.

 

[tellner]

An excellent book. The writing is gripping. The monsters are terrifying. The extrapolation passes the sniff test. The author slips in an analysis of the zombie genre which just plain makes sense.

Most of all I loved the way the vignettes show how culture and individual character change people's reaction to the threat. The interviews with Chinese officers and doctors, Israeli analysts, young disaffected Palestinians, American soldiers, conscienceless hucksters, Japanese martial artists and soul-weary Russian priests are darned near genius.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Best fiction I've read in years, I'll tell you what.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

I had never heard of the book until yesterday. There is a thread here at MT and Flying_Crane suggested that I read it.
It is now 2nd on my "to read" list, although I may bump it up to first at this rate.

AoG

 

[LoneRider]

I have read the Zombie Survival Guide and own both it and World War Z.

It inspired me to write a fan-fiction of sorts. It's one about one of the civilian blue zones, at a fictional college campus in the Chicago Area and a twelve man Special Forces team that parachutes into the area and aids the coalition of students, professors, assorted civilians and some survivors of shattered military units in defending themselves from the living dead.

It starts with the 12 men of SF Operation Detachment Alpha -1066, lead by 1st Lieutenant George D'Artagnan, and is basically his memoirs of the mission.

 

[Flying Crane]

I just started WWZ, not far enough along to comment.

However, I'm a bit further along in the Zombie Survival Guide. It's a pretty entertaining read.

He makes some interesting comments regarding martial arts, specifically that striking arts don't hold up well against zombies because attacking the body does not hurt a zombie if the brain itself is not actually destroyed. He suggests that methods specifically for escaping zombie grabs would be most important. I suspect actual grappling would be out, because in the close-quarters clinch, the zombie could easily score a bite and spread the zombie-causing virus. I will suggest that striking methods could be used to destroy limbs and joints, specifically on the legs. While this may not actually "hurt" the zombie, the destroyed limb can cripple or at least slow the zombie and facilitate a crushing head blow, or at least an escape.

As for the grab releases, looks like we've finally found a good use for all the wrist-grab releases that so many arts have, and and whose necessity is so often questioned. "Who the hell reaches out to grab your wrist in a fight??!!" well, now we got the answer: THE ZOMBIES!

I also find his "Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack" interesting, listed on the back cover of the book. Specifically, #3: Use your head: cut off theirs; and #4: "Blades don't need reloading." Looks like all of us nutjobs who can't seem to give up our swords are finally vindicated! Woo hoo!!

 

[girlbug2]

I love the Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z. I read WWZ about 1 year ago -- time for a refresher!
But as I recall, Flying Crane hit it on the head: pain compliance would not work on zombies. I suspect only the MAs that focus on countergrabs and using momentum against your opponent...Aikido?--would be useful.

Also useful: kicks that would enable you to set your opponent back at a distance while you reached around for your crowbar or machete.

Come to think of it, why don't I already have a crowbar handy in the house? What a great multipupose weapon it makes.

 

[LoneRider]

I'd say that'd be savate/muay thai then for best kicks to set opponents back. Especially one like the Savate chasse bas (low kick aimed at the knee or hip joints), good for setting a grappling opponent back a few paces.

Also Escrima/Kali for stick fighting arts, especially striking the temple area, I think those would be effective. Or any Escrima forms involving the bolo, the native double edged machete of the Phillippines (I should know, I am a Filipino, American raised, but Filipino nonetheless).

R,

Lone Rider

 

[girlbug2]

Now we're talking!

And let me add that it wouldn't hurt a body to know a bit of target shooting, in case of opportunities for taking out zombies at a distance with head shots.

Max Brooks is smart and funny. I hope he's writing more for us soon.

 

[tellner]

Guns (headshots only), high-temperature incendiaries, polearms, maces.

The empty hand stuff will get you worse than killed.

If there are zombies you want to cause massive structural damage and destruction of the brain within a second or two.

 

[LoneRider]

Nothing beats the traditional Filipino bolo (a double edged machete) as a good close in anti-zombie weapon and the 12-gauge shotgun as the best firearm.

I'm actually watching Diary of the Dead right now and working on a story of the Zombie War inspired by the story of WWZ. I'd loved George Romero's works...