Martial Arts Book Recommendations
Thank you all for the replies on my last post. I thought I’d share the recommendations with you, so here’s a list. You can always add some if you want to :)
Martial Arts in General:
Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams
The Way to Black Belt: A Comprehensive Guide to Rapid, Rock-Solid Results by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts by Sang H. Kim
Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thompson and Jerry B. Jenkins (it says Judo in the title, but from what I got from the synopsis, it’s a book about communication and avoiding fights rather than Judo itself)
The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles from Around the World by Chris Crudelli (this is an encyclopedia of more that 300 martial arts styles)
Budo (Japanese Martial Arts):
The Art of Peace: Teachings of the Founder of Aikido by Morihei Ueshiba
Falling Hard: A Journey Into the World of Judo by Mark Law
Angry White Pyjamas: A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons From The Tokyo Riot Police by Robert Twigger
Karatedo: My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi (I already read this one a couple of years ago and can recommend it myself)
Bushido / Samurai:
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
The Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era by Eiji Yoshikawa
Autumn Lightning: The Education of an American Samurai by Dave Lowry
Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts):
The Tao of Jeet Kun Do by Bruce Lee
Musul (Korean Martial Arts):
A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do by Alex Gillis
Self Defese:
The Little Black Book of Violence: What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
Facing Violence: Praparing for the Unexpected by Rory Miller
Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence by
Performance and Health:
A Tooth from the Tiger's Mouth: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warrior by Tom Bisio
Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance by Dr. Kelly Starret
Authors:
Donn F. Draeger (mostly books about Budo, but other styles too)
Mark V. Wiley (mostly books about Filipino martial arts, or health)
Masutatsu Oyama/Mas Oyama (Karate)
