Some Recommended Reading
Tonight I'm going to do a bit of a book review. Rather I'm going to write about some books that I would highly recommend reading if you are a Martial Artist.
This list is short and I wanted focus on the works that have had the most direct impact on my training and thinking, enjoy and happy training!
The first on the list is a book I read fairly recently. It's titled: The Way to Black Belt, written b Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder. The book is fairly short at about 250 pages. But the information contained within is excellent. It is intended for prospective students. But it gives invaluable information to the seasoned practitioner and it's one heck of an instructors manual. The information I found most useful was finding a good school and identifying, then using your specific learning style to your advantage. It also points out that the real path to becoming a Black Belt really boils down to one thing: consistency. The author sums it up as: "Find a dojo, walk in the door, repeat until you have achieved your Black Belt."
Next up on the list is: The Art of War, written by Sun Tzu. The version I have was translated by Stephen Kaufman. I haven't read any other translations yet, but this one seems consistent and to the point. The ideas contained within are the definitive methodology for thinking about conflict. (I say that because in learning about history I have seen the various ideas used successfully.)
Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi. Translated by Stephen Kaufman. I don't know how this translation stacks up against others, but I did enjoy reading the book. Very simple and to the point, just like the art of war. I've read through it a couple of times completely but I keep coming back to the Book of Earth just like Musashi said to. I learn something new every time. But just like any good teacher will tell you: "The way is in training."
Samurai Strategies, written by Boye Lafayeete de Mente. This book has various ways of applying the lessons contained in Book of Five Rings. I've only read this book once, but looking at the table of contents again and seeing topics like: Life-or-Death Discipline and Behave as if You Were Already Dead. It makes me want to read it again soon. It's a short read much like Book of Five Rings and The Art of War, but the wisdom contained within is a lot to chew on.
Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, written by Senior Grandmaster Ed Parker. This series of five books is a distillation of a formula to create an effective fighting art. The first volume contains a history of American Kenpo and some basic ideas for self-defense. The second contains a how-to for various stances, as well some basic ideas like re-arrangement, addition, and deletion within techniques. The third volume focuses on categorizations of basics and more sophisticated movements. As well as understanding how movements fit together. The fourth is the volume I found the most interesting. It discusses many concepts like zone theory and outer rim theory. It also introduces the Universal Pattern. The fifth volume focuses on practice, it covers the first three forms of the American Kenpo system. It also has a discussion about various self-defense techniques and where they fit within the Web of Knowledge for American Kenpo. The biggest lessons you can take from these books in my opinion is how to think flexibly about Martial Arts. There are always options in situations, always options. You just need to be open to the possibilities to see them.